Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Public’s boisterous revival of THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS at the Delacorte is loosely, profoundly cathartic

• By drediman
• September 8, 2018
• No Comments

Jimmy Carter and Shari Addison in the Public Theater’s revival of “The Gospel at Colonus” at the Delacorte Theater.

Last night at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, I caught the Public Theater’s unapologetically boisterous revival of the The Gospel at Colonus (the musical premiere at BAM’s 1983 Next Wave Festival and was later produced on Broadway in 1988 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre). This was my first time experiencing the show; I had neither seen it before nor was I familiar with its songs. I was intrigued by the musical’s premise, an honest-to-God attempt at merging Greek tragedy with the Gospel of Christ – the musical tells the story of blind Oedipus’s final days in Colonus – all set within the context of a lively African American Pentecostal service. All three of these aspects strive for catharsis, and together, the results were inexplicably more than the sum of its parts, thanks largely to Lee Breuer’s audacious, well-informed, and stealthily sophisticated execution of his concept (he also wrote the show’s book and lyrics). Unsurprisingly, The Gospel at Colonus went on to win the 1984 Obie Award for Best Musical and was a 1985 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama.

The show is also a bit of an enigma. Its intangible power comes largely from the depth of feeling and emotion generated by its players and gospel choir. There’s also a looseness to the show that may frustrate some musical theater purists. But as a piece of visceral theater, there’s no denying the power of The Gospel at Colonus. Luckily for us, the Public’s revival is inspired, passionately depicting, mostly through song (the jubilant gospel music is by Bob Telson), Oedipus’s latter days, while honoring the improvisational feel of the black Pentecostal tradition. Much applause must go to gospel music greats the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Legendary Soul Stirrers, who brought down the house repeatedly throughout the evening. Although rain did eventually descend upon us during the show’s second act, almost nothing could have dampened the irrepressible energy at the Delacorte by that point of the performance. Unfortunately, the revival’s run is a short one; its brief run ends tomorrow evening. Catch it if you can.

RECOMMENDED

THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS
Off-Broadway, Musical
The Public Theater at the Delacorte Theater
2 hours, 20 minutes (with one intermission)
Through September 9