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Regional Reviews: St. Louis Raisin
The original drama was inspired by Hansberry's father, a real estate agent fighting against a racial covenant after he purchased a home in a white neighborhood in Chicago in 1938. Lorraine died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 34, but not before her greatest work could be made into a film in 1961. Years later, Raisin won the 1974 Tony Award for Best Musical, running more than 800 performances on Broadway. Its fine melodies are by Judd Woldin, with engaging and purposeful lyrics by Robert Brittan. Hansberry's former husband Robert Nemiroff adapted the original play into the musical's libretto, along with Charlotte Zaltzberg. And it's interesting to note that the Black Rep's Ron Himes just directed his own production of A Raisin in the Sun last year in South Carolina. With thrilling choreography by Kirven Douthit-Boyd and beautifully detailed musical direction by Jermaine Manor, the two and a half-hour musical wrestles on a tectonic level with self-worth and self-sacrifice. The great costumes are by Gregory Horton, on a lovely set by Tim Jones, under the subtly dramatic lighting of Tony Anselmo. Duane Martin Foster shows a fine singing voice, in strength and weakness, as Walter Lee Younger. Anita Michelle Jackson plays the matriarch Lena Younger, joyful and brooding. And Adrianna Jones sparkles beautifully as Walter's wife Ruth, who covered a set malfunction in Act Two perfectly the night I attended. Andrea Mouton speaks volumes, even in silence, as Walter's sister Beneatha, and eleven-year-old Jaron Bentley is highly polished as Travis, the son of Walter and Ruth. Robert McNichols opens all kinds of new possibilities as Beneatha's Nigerian boyfriend Joseph, especially in his song "Alaiyo." The dancing chorus is excellent, featuring Jorrell Lawyer-Jefferson, Demetrius Malik Lee, Aaliyah Weston, and others. Will Bonfiglio is sublimely awkward as a representative of the white neighborhood association. And De-Rance Blaylock adds great humor and flashy singing as Mrs. Johnson, the Youngers' not-so-neighborly neighbor down the hall. Complications add up quickly in the second act, more powerfully than in your average musical. But some dreams won't die and, in the end, newfound hope flares as stage lights fade to an afterglow. Raisin, produced by St. Louis Black Repertory, runs through September 21, 2025, at the Edison Theatre, 6300 Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis MO For tickets and information, please visit www.theblackrep.org. Cast: The Black Rep Band Production Staff: * Denotes Member, Actors' Equity Association ** Denotes Member, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers |
