MTC presents Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Oscar-winning screenwriter of Moonlight and a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship Grant. Directing is Trip Cullman (Murder Ballad).
For half a century, the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys has been dedicated to the education of strong, ethical black men. One talented student has been waiting for years to take his rightful place as the leader of the legendary gospel choir. But can he make his way through the hallowed halls of this institution if he sings in his own key? On its US debut at MTC's Studio at Stage II, The New York Times called the play "vivid, magnetic and moving," and The New York Post hailed it as "bracing and provocative." Now, we"re thrilled to bring this soaring music-filled work to Broadway.
Choir Boy features music direction, arrangements, & original music by Jason Michael Webb; scenic & costume design by David Zinn; lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski; original music & sound design by Fitz Patton; hair & makeup design by Cookie Jordan; fight direction by Thomas Schall; and choreography by Camille A. Brown.
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There are other tensions operating here, too. McCraney typically layers his stories with myth and archetype. But here he's abandoned most of his poetic and thematic flourishes (barring an on-the-nose speech in which Pharus discusses the beauty of spirituals), working instead in a more naturalistic style that while friendly to Broadway can sometimes feel a little pat. The short scenes tumble on speedily, but it's really only in the clefts between scenes, when the young men step forward, not necessarily in character, and deliver forceful, emotive versions of Rockin' in Jerusalem or Rainbow Round My Shoulder, that the play takes on a real intensity. In these moments Choir Boy ascends and its choirboys achieve, as long as the notes hold, what feels like freedom.
The ending has been revised since Manhattan Theatre Club first presented it Off Broadway in 2013 with much of the same cast-Pope, Ashe, and the excellent Chuck Cooper and Austin Pendleton as adults at the school-but many of the changes are not improvements; the denouement is somehow more explanatory yet less clear. (A pivotal scene of violence is a misstep in Trip Cullman's mostly sure-footed staging.) At its best, though, the play is specific, lyrical and touching: McCraney brings a ringing, unapologetic queer black voice to Broadway, and offers valuable perspective on struggles that have too long been unsung.
2013 | Off-Broadway |
Manhattan Theatre Club Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
2019 | Broadway |
Manhattan Theatre Club Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Camille A. Brown |
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music in a Play | Jason Michael Webb |
2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Play | Fitz Patton |
2019 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Jeremy Pope |
2019 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | Choir Boy |
2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Jeremy Pope |
2019 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Feature Actor in a Play | John Clay III |
2019 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | Jeremy Pope |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Camille A. Brown |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Jeremy Pope |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Tarell Alvin McCraney |
2019 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Fitz Patton |
2019 | Tony Awards | Special Tony Awards | Jason Michael Webb |
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