Post by jab-phPost by d***@yahoo.comThe character was named Dexter Jenkins and he was played by Lou Beatty
Jr.
I CANNOT stop replaying that scene with him singing and playing the
piano, he's GREAT! Who recorded "Many Rivers" originally, ot most
successfully?
I dug a little further and found this very interesting review of one of
Beatty's works last February, makes me want to hear Clendenning as well.
As the shortest month of the year (ironically reserved for black
history) draws to a close, and theater fans worldwide mourn the loss of
black theatrical icon Ossie Davis, it seems fitting that another black
theatrical pioneer is honored onstage.
Local Detroiters Lou Beatty Jr. and vocalist Carl Clendenning star in
the dynamic rendition of Philip Hayes Dean’s Paul Robeson at the
Plowshares Theatre.
Originally produced on Broadway in 1977 with James Earl Jones as the
lead, Paul Robeson tells the inspiring story of legendary
scholar-athlete, activist and theatrical star Paul Robeson, chronicling
his life from his rural New Jersey upbringing to his adult years as a
renowned actor and champion of social justice. Directed locally for the
first time by Detroit native Gary Anderson, Paul Robeson stands out as a
captivating two-person play — with Beatty offering a standout performance.
Director Anderson has skillfully edited Dean’s play down to a manageable
two hours, finding tactful ways of arranging the narration so that
Robeson’s triumphs against brutal odds are portrayed by Lou Beatty Jr.
without boasting.
“Paul Robeson was a great American — who happened to be black,” Beatty
says. “He stood up for the downtrodden and the spreading of wealth, from
dockworkers in Russia to the oppressed peoples of South Africa, and most
Americans don’t even know who he is.”
William Gary, an 84-year-old Detroiter whose mother was friends with
Robeson, remembers the many visits the stage legend made to the Gary
residence in the ’30s. “Back in those days Detroit was worse than
Mississippi,” Gary says. “Paul Robeson couldn’t even go downtown and get
served at a restaurant. He spent most of his time with us and Erma
Henderson smack-dab in the [Black] Bottom. He would come over and tell
jokes and have everybody cracking up. What stood out to me is that he
always left something for the young people when he was here — songbooks,
manuscripts or a good quote — that’s just the way he was.”
Born in 1898, Robeson became an All-American athlete during his years as
the first black collegiate football player at Rutgers University. But he
combined his sharp intellect and spellbinding oratory skills to forgo
professional sports (which were still segregated) and graduate from the
Columbia School of Law at the age of 25. Subsequently hired as a token
black lawyer at a New York firm, yet denied the opportunity to litigate
in the courtroom by his employers, Robeson quit practicing law and
stumbled into theater, using his baritone voice to sing popular slave
labor songs on stage. Known for singing such show tunes and spirituals
such as “Old Man River” and “Steal Away,” his ability to hit deep notes
and dignify his characters made him a star.
What followed was a brilliant career as an actor and concert singer that
spanned nearly 40 years. His theatrical successes were his performances
in plays Porgy and Bess, Emperor Jones and Othello in which he was
lauded for his vibrant stage presence.
While it must be difficult to portray the life of a dynamic individual
in a two-person play, Beatty nails Robeson’s mannerisms and stature in
this production with uncanny precision. Beatty’s voice and bearing
however do not match the Robeson living in the memory of those who heard
him, so Anderson has wisely not insisted that the actor try for an
impersonation. During songs, Clendenning, who says his voice has often
been compared with Robeson’s in the past, hits many of the play’s deep
notes. With this, Beatty and Clendenning are able to find a much-needed
balance on stage.
To attract younger viewers, Anderson reached out to nearly 300 schools
in metro Detroit, inviting students to see the play at a lowered price.
Unfortunately, most schools could not justify the spending. “That’s what
happens when we think it’s more important to use tax dollars to build
prisons instead of giving kids more opportunities for cultural
enrichment,” Anderson says.
Anderson’s production of Paul Robeson is a must-see for Detroiters who
were lifelong fans of Robeson’s work, as well as folks who only
recognize his face from a U.S. postage stamp. Regardless of which
category you fit in, this play promises to entertain and inspire.