Open Rehearsal: The Court Theatre Blog
September 28, 2009
Opening Weekend
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is up and running! The cast and crew are taking a very well-deserved day off today after two weeks of previews, rehearsals, late-night technical sessions, high school matinees, and opening parties. As I’ve said in our preview talkbacks, everyone at the theater has a pretty serious love-crush on the show, and it’s been a delight to show off the production to the very first audiences.
I’ve seen the whole show from start to finish more than a couple of times now, but I keep dropping in to watch a few select moments. I always make sure I get to watch Greta Oglesby as Ma sing “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Greta’s got lungs and it’s a treasure to hear her sing—it’s too bad that Minneapolis has her full-time). I always make sure to watch James T. Alfred do his monologue as Levee where he curses God. Not only because James finds a new rhythm every night, but because the audience’s reaction is always so erratic—some are absolutely horrified by the speech, and some are laughing out loud, almost in spite of themselves. Finally, I always make sure to watch the very end of the show. It’s been changing night to night as Ron and the actors tinker with it, and it’s probably the one scene that’s been most debated among us, the staff.
Also, a bit of advice to those of you who haven’t seen the show yet: be sure to order your tickets soon, because seats are only going to get scarcer. I’m not just peddling a line from marketing, either, it’s what I’m telling all my personal friends, too. See you there!
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