The Trip to Bountiful in Los Angeles.

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Last night I was fortunate to see The Trip to Bountiful at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles. The play originally written by Horton Foote as a teleplay and later made into a film starring Geraldine Page (who won an Oscar for her portrayal), was given a revival last season on Broadway.

 

Cicely Tyson reprises the role of Carrie Watts which won her a Tony last season. Appearing with her is Vanessa Williams (also from the Broadway revival in 2013) as her self-obsessed daughter-in-law Jessie Mae Watts, and Blair Underwood as Miss Carrie’s son Ludie Watts. All three appeared in the Emmy nominated adaptation earlier this year on the Lifetime channel.

 

The play is a poignant and often hilarious story of a woman in her autumn years who lives with her son and daughter-in-law in a 3 room apartment in Houston and wants to make one last trip to her childhood home of Bountiful Texas. What makes her dream difficult is the interference of her daughter-in-law who wants to make sure that her mother-in-law’s government check stays in the house to pay for Jessie Mae’s trips to the beauty parlor and her Coca Colas.

 

To say that Miss Tyson illuminates this role would be an insult to light itself. She is magnificent. Miss Tyson has said this may be her last foray in a major role and her age, depending on sources, is somewhere between 80 and 89. Miss Carrie never lets up in her determined intention to travel to her hometown and Miss Tyson’s physical portrayal would tax a much younger person. Miss Tyson’s performance is why we go to the theater. It is a revelation.

 

Vanessa Williams plays Jessie Mae with an ease that could in lesser hands become tedious. Her deft touch as the “villainess” makes the plot zip along. Blair Underwood as the whipped hang dog husband is one the strongest performances I have ever seen him give.

 

All of the main production staff is from the Broadway production including Director Michael Wilson. Scenic designer Jeff Cowie sets are wonderfully detailed and are very evocative of Texas in the 1950’s. Rui Rita’s lighting from the Broadway production adds a very realistic touch to the evening’s proceedings. The rest of the ensemble give top notch performances

 

I am so lucky to have seen this show as my tickets were originally set for later this month when I would have been in the hospital. The Ahmanson was able to give me my same 2nd row center mezzanine seats for last night.

 

The show runs until November 2, 2014.