Paradise Blue is Sexy and Soulful at Penumbra Theatre

Paradise Blue at Penumbra Theatre revolves around a Jazz Club but surprisingly features very little actual jazz. It’s more concerned with the people that call The Paradise Club home. Jazz may be their bread and butter, but of larger the issue is of change, who it effects and at what price. The five characters all have different priorities and value different things, just as in real life. One person’s future is another’s past, one person’s home is another’s prison. It’s a wonderfully acted play and the design is the best I’ve seen at Penumbra. The first Act is undeniably too long, it’s not a case of knowing what should be removed or tightened, just a general consensus among myself and other audience members I spoke with, we were all waiting for intermission. Act one just feels too long, fortunately Act two does not. The play runs two and a half hours including the intermission, I’d guess rather than large changes it needs about 10 minutes of judicious trims from the first Act to play perfectly. It’s a strength of the writing that the answer isn’t an easier fix, it’s hard to imagine the removal of any whole scenes or character arcs. It just needs a minute or so cut from each scene to overcome that sense the first Act needed to end sooner. I don’t think Director Lou Bellamy could accomplish it just by quickening up the pace, I think he has the individual scenes paced and staged brilliantly. The problem lies in the script, which aside from being too long before intermission, is really great. It’s such an odd criticism, I know, but thankfully the only negative thing I can say about it is that Act One seems 10 minutes to long.

Set in Detroit’s Black Bottom district in 1949, during a period when the city was attempting the gentrification of the Paradise Valley. The Valley is an area that is filled with black owned and operated businesses. One such business is The Paradise Club which is owned by Blue who inherited it from his father as well as his musical gift on the Trumpet. Blue’s also rents out the rooms above the club, mostly to the remaining other musicians in his quartet, Corn the pianist, and P-Sam on the drums. Helping him run the place is his woman, Pumpkin (I’m not trying to be sexist here, but it’s never clear in the play if Pumpkin and Blue are married or just together, his woman is how she’s referred to). Blue is making changes after firing the bass player until they find a new one. He first appears after a meeting downtown with the city who are looking to buy up all the property in Paradise Valley. Into the club comes Silver, who is new to town and on her own, with a wad of money looking for a room. Silver might as well be named Sex, because watching her leave a room feels like a sin. Throughout the play we comes to understand the characters roles in this fragile found family. There are struggles between the characters that seem to divide them into those who are looking out just for themselves and those who care for others. It also explores the ideas of what we inherit from others either through family or environment.

A great cast to be sure, but the woman are so truly unforgettable. Nubia Monks plays Pumpkin who really is the glue that holds the club together, she cooks the meals, cleans the rooms, and anything else that needs doing. Monks doesn’t play Pumpkin’s goodness and caring, she exudes it. With every smile, line reading, or moment of peacekeeping she broadcasts Pumpkin’s innate love of her friends. Whereas Pumpkin seems to be purity incarnate, Angela Wildflower plays Silver with a worldliness that comes of intelligence and realism. Wildflower seems to spend about a third of the play in her lingerie, she uses her sex appeal strategically to be sure, but you also feel that when she does end up the lover of one of the characters, it isn’t just for leverage but a genuine attraction. Like the character Wildflower knows how to use her sex appeal to her advantage as illustrated everytime she leaves a room. She is full of confidence and it’s that aspect as well as her walk that has all eyes on her when she’s on stage. Lester Purry plays Corn and Darrick Mosley plays P-Sam, they have an easy banter and understanding of each other. Purry plays Corn as the calm in the center of the storm, watching and coaching and trying to keep the peace between everyone. Mosley plays P-Sam as someone a bit impetuous, who hasn’t been around long enough to see the big picture as Corn does. Mikell Sapp plays Blue, slowly revealing with his eyes that something isn’t quite right. His performance gives us a nonverbal clue to information that is revealed later so we are prepared for it.

The Set Design by Maruti Evans is really something. It’s the bar and stage of the Paradise Club, and some of the tables and chairs, which looked great. Before the show started I was commenting on how much I loved the set design. Then at one point the mirror behind the bar slides up and we see into Silver’s room. It was unexpected and a thrilling surprise. I also loved the costumes by Wanda Walden. Walden has Blue always looking extremely dapper including some really cool shoes that match the color of his ties. Walden dresses Silver in a way that accentuates her sensuality but still preserves the Actors modesty. Some of my favorite touches from Walden though were Corn’s apparel, it isn’t flashy like Blue and P-Sam’s outfits can be, they are more subtle, but beautifully coordinated. The Lighting Design by Marcus Dillard and the Sound Design by Composer Gregory Robinson also add invaluably to the quality of the production.

Don’t let that run time dissuade you from what is really a very good play. Paradise Blue runs through March 9th at Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://penumbratheatre.org/event/paradise-blue/#6

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