“Raisin” was a hit. In 1973, this gritty, R&B-tinged adaption of Lorraine Hansberry’s iconic play “A Raisin in the Sun” packed Broadway and won the Tony Award for best musical.
In the decades since, compared to contemporaries like “The Wiz” and “Dreamgirls,” “Raisin”’s warm depiction of Black family life fell into obscurity. But in September, the St. Louis Black Repertory Company will launch its 49th season with a new production of what The New York Times recently called a “treasure of musical theatre all but lost to the ages.”
Set in 1950s Chicago, “Raisin” follows the Younger family, a multigenerational clan sharing a cramped apartment and dreaming of better things. But when a hefty check finally pays out, the Youngers must decide whose dreams get priority.
“‘Raisin’ is a wonderful play made even more accessible by a fabulous score,” said director and Black Rep founder Ron Himes, WashU’s Henry E. Hampton Jr. Artist-in-Residence in Arts & Sciences. “It’s not performed enough, and it takes a company like The Black Rep to keep work like this alive!”
The 49th season will continue with:
- “In the Same Tongue”: Presented as part of the Black Rep’s Phoenix Rising series, this performance by the Dianne McIntyre Group features original music by Diedre Murray and poetry by the late Obie award-winning playwright Ntozake Shange. Nov. 21-22, Kirkwood Performing Arts Center
- “Dance on Widow’s Row”: Samm-Art Williams centers this dark comedy on four wealthy Southern widows of deadly reputation who host a gathering for the town’s most promising bachelors. Jan. 7-25, Edison Theatre
- “The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body”: This new play by Lisa B. Thompson is a joyous, raucous and deeply felt love letter to Black women and their families. Feb. 4 to March 1, WashU’s A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre
- “Flyin’ West”: Set after the Civil War, Pearl Clege’s historical drama highlights female pioneers who took advantage of The Homestead Act to found the all-Black town of Nicodemus, Kan. March 11-29, Kirkwood Performing Arts Center
- “Jitney”: Also part of the Phoenix Rising series, this early play in August Wilson’s American Century Cycle will be presented in Italian and will feature a cast composed of Italian actors of African origin. May 1-3, Kirkwood Performing Arts Center
- “Fat Ham”: Winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for drama, this contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” by James Ijames, centers on a queer Southern college student preparing for a family barbecue. May 20 to June 7, Edison Theatre
Tickets are available at the WashU box office; the Black Rep box office, 813 N. Skinker Blvd.; or by calling 314-534-3810. Season subscriptions and student rush tickets also are available. For more information or a complete schedule, visit theblackrep.org.
About The Black Rep
The Black Rep, a 48-year-old legacy Black arts organization, is committed to producing, re-imagining and commissioning work written by Black playwrights and creating opportunities for new voices and youth. The Phoenix Rising Performance Series honors the company’s original name and its historic intention to present dance, music and theater to showcase the power, beauty and strength of African Americans through the lens of the African American experience.
Support for the 49th season comes from Caleres, the Missouri Arts Council, NEFA, the Regional Arts Commission-ARPA for the Arts, The Shubert Foundation, the Steward Family Foundation and WashU.
