Reasons: A Tribute To Earth, Wind & Fire
Black Ensemble Theater, BET, brings a high energy, fun, joyous, and thrilling musical production, Reasons: A Tribute To Earth, Wind & Fire, written and directed by Daryl D. Brooks. Reasons is one of the best and most complete performances I've seen at Black Ensemble Theater in a long time, which I've come to expect from writer/director Daryl D. Brooks. With most of his productions featured at BET, Brooks is one of Chicago's hidden talents, and other Chicagoland theaters will soon discover his brilliance in bringing to the stage great musicals.
When one thinks of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, one automatically thinks about their unique combination of bringing together gospel, jazz, rhythm, and blues. However, the deepest of their funky sound and soulful tones were even more profound, transcending their music and making them one of the most significant groups of the 70s.
Reasons: A Tribute To Earth, Wind & Fire, narrated by the visionary founder, singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer, Maurice White, starts with the young White's life when he lived with his grandmother in Memphis to moving back to Chicago with his mother and new father and his struggles with his desire to be a part of a musical group. Through the superb direction of Brooks, the audience learns about White working with Chess Records, issues with Columbia Records, Ramsey Lewis, Jim Brown, producing Deniece Williams through his production company, Kalimba, how his brothers Verdine and Fred White and Phillip Baily join the group and his fight and ultimate death from Parkinson's disease.
Aeriel Williams, making her Assistant Directorial debut with Brooks, Williams gave us a stand-in performance during press night as part of the ensemble. With 25 songs from the numerous collections of songs from Earth, Wind & Fire, the cast was great, with excellent narration from Christian Denzel Bufford (Mature Maurice White) and the remarkable debuts of RJ Griffith and Keya Trammell (Mother Dear). Trequon Tate (Brooker T), Rashun Carter (Ramsey Lewis/Verdine White), with another incredible debut by Tommy Thurston, who played four characters (Phil Collins/Drill Sergeant/Clive Davis/Leonard Chess) and performed as part of the ensemble.
You can always expect great performances from seasoned BET actors Rhonda Preston and Dwight Neal. Neal wowed the crowd with his rendition of Summertime by Billy Stewart. But the night of standing ovations went to another Stewart, Gregory Stewart Jr.'s incredible singing as Phillip Baily.
The cast also did an impressive job with the storyline, which was engaging and combined moments of delight, dilemma, and even a touching scene where White sees his mother in the hospital, which brought a few tears, and the singing was phenomenal.
Quote from Verdine: "My brother, hero, and best friend Maurice White passed away peacefully last night in his sleep."
Ultimately, BET returns to its patent narration genius, sharing the numerous accolades and awards won by Earth, Wind, & Fire and the death of Maurice White, who died on February 4, 2016, at 74.
Let's Play Theatrical Review Highly Recommends Reasons: A Tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire.
Black Ensemble Theater Presents
Reasons: A Tribute To Earth, Wind & Fire
Written and Directed by Daryl D. Brooks
Runs February 25 – April 30, 2023
