Black Ensemble Theater’s “The Time Machine: A Tribute to the Eighties”/Photo: Darin Gladfelter
RECOMMENDED
Black Ensemble Theater continues their tradition of pop music retrospectives with “The Time Machine: A Tribute to the Eighties,” running through April 14. Whereas previous incarnations took us through the songbook of Earth, Wind & Fire, or gave us a “Taste of Soul” from the 1970s, “The Time Machine,” written and directed by Daryl D. Brooks, focuses on the chart-topping tunes of the 1980s, ranging from R&B supergroups like New Edition and DeBarge to the bombastic lyricism of Public Enemy and Salt-N-Pepa.
The setlist is largely limited to Black artists—although there are songs by Madonna and Bon Jovi. The audience felt no need to restrain themselves from singing along and leaving their seats to shake their hips. During a rendition of Experience Unlimited’s “Da Butt,” several gray-haired women proved that there is no age limit when it comes to getting down.
For folks such as myself, lacking in melanin and not super-hip to the history of eighties Black pop music, the show is an eye-opener. Artists like Sheila E, Run-DMC and Al B. Sure! are pop-culture icons whose music cut across cultural lines; for those who’ve enjoyed the music while ignorant of the culture, hearing these artists’ songs presented with their historical context induces waves of nostalgia while filling in gaps in Black music history.
Black Ensemble Theater’s “The Time Machine: A Tribute to the ‘Eighties,” with Britt Edwards/Photo: Darin Gladfelter
The show is about the music, but less about plot. Teenager Derrick (Brandon Lewis) is cramming for an essay on the music of the eighties and consults with his Uncle Mike (Thee Ricky Harris), a scientist with a time machine shaped like a ten-foot-tall boombox that can pluck music artists from the timestream and showcase them à la carte. The format feels like a late-night informercial for a boxed set of CDs, but it does a good job of moving through each act.
Missing is the fearless delving into these artists’ histories, as in last year’s “Taste of Soul,” where the good was presented alongside the bad, mentioning artists’ histories of drug and spousal abuse. There is some of that, but there was a collective groan from the audience when Uncle Mike skirts the question of what went wrong in the marriage between Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. While not integral to the flow of the show, the well-rounded histories of these artists are noticeably absent.
But music is what we’re here for. Britt Edwards as Denise Williams and as Whitney Houston nails each artist’s cadence with aplomb. Vincent Jordan singing “Jungle Love” as the audacious Morris Day was the first number that brought down the house. Jared Brown’s falsetto-infused take on El DeBarge’s “I Like It” now lives rent-free in my head, playing over and over. The entire cast pulls double duty, adeptly portraying these larger-than-life figures before quick changes have them back on stage as backup dancers performing unforgettable eighties dance moves.
Fun, uplifting, nostalgic… “Time Machine: A Tribute to the Eighties” is a celebration of Black music excellence that leaves you feeling good from head to toe.
“The Time Machine: A Tribute to the Eighties” runs through April 14 at Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 North Clark. Performances are Friday andSaturday, 8pm, Saturday and Sunday, 3pm. Tickets are $55-$65 at blackensembletheater.org.
