By Ayvaunn Penn

The Tony Award nominations are in, and in case you have not heard, ‘For Colored Girls…‘ is rocking it out on Broadway this season as one of the hottest tickets in New York City.  As detailed in the press release shared with Black And Making It, ‘For Colored Girls…‘ by Ntzake Shange follows “….seven women [who] share their stories and find strength in each other’s humor and passion through a fusion of music, dance, poetry and song that explodes off the stage and resonates with all.” Camille A. Brown, director and choreographer of the show has led ‘For Colored Girls...’ to seven — yes, SEVEN — Tony Award nominations including: Best Revival of a Play, Best Direction of a Play, and Best Choreography. Not only that, this show is doing so well that it has extended performances past May 22, 2022 — the original closing date — through June 5, 2022. If this is not the definition of Black And Making It, we don’t know what is. Let it be noted that Broadway should never again wait over 65 years before another black woman directs and choreographs a show. With all of the black girl magic brimming and bubbling in ‘For Colored Girls…‘, we just had to get an interview with Brown to get the inside scoop and bring it straightway to you. Check out the interview video and the show review below, and don’t forget to get your tickets to the show! Visit ForColoredGirlsBway.com to make your ticket purchase.

Ayvaunn Penn is the founder of BAM-iT! as well as a playwright, director, and theatre professor. Follow @ThePennSpeaks on Facebook and Twitter.

.

.

.

‘For Colored Girls…’ Review

by Rachael Marie

I had the amazing pleasure of seeing ‘For Colored Girls…” on Broadway at the Booth Theater last week. The show was vibrant and full of energy with every single moment. The colorful and abstract set as well as the different shades of the rainbow shown in the costuming greatly enhanced the content of the show and gave more meaning to the title — For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enough. The characters of the show were differentiated by colors — Lady in Orange, Lady in Brown, Lady in Red, Lady in Green, Lady in Blue, Lady in Purple, and Lady in Yellow.

The show opened with a very nostalgic feel as the women sang a common schoolyard song “Gigolo” that even I sang in my youth. This immediately gave a sense of similarity and connection to these characters. The joy and liveliness exuded on the stage within five minutes of the show got the audience excited. Laughter could be heard throughout the theater. One of the beautiful things about the show is that moments of joy offset the moments of darkness. One character may deliver a monologue about their experience with domestic violence while the next shares a moment of levity — a fun experience she had going out with her friends.

Each of the characters have their own individuality, yet they are woven together by sisterhood. Each has their own story unique to them. However, all of their narratives have very similar undertones: hurt, love, loss, abuse, joy and most importantly hope. Every single monologue within this moving, captivating, and insightful ‘choreopoem’ gives the audience a glimpse not only into the core of each character but also into the core of oneself. Though the monologue that brings the show to a close is the heaviest monologue performed in the piece, the sense of hope it invokes is uplifting. Overall the show is beautifully executed. If you can get your hands on a ticket I highly recommend going!

Rachael Marie is a BAM-iT! contributor, NYC actor, and recent graduate of the Texas Christian University Musical Theatre BFA Program.

.

.

.

.

.

Header Image Courtesy of The Guardian