“Black Pearl Sings!,” currently playing at Ford’s Theatre, holds true to its title. The musical is centered loosely on the story of freedom and racial tension, but is more a showcase of the beautifully soulful and captivating voice of Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins, who plays the title role.
The two-woman show tells the tale of Susannah (played by director Jennifer L. Nelson), a song collector for the Library of Congress who travels the country seeking little-known melodies that she finds historically significant. When she encounters Pearl in a Texas prison, she discovers dozens of musical treasures rooted in the African tradition. Susannah petitions to get Pearl released from prison under the condition that Pearl accompanies her to New York to record all of her ancestors’ songs. Pearl is left to decide whether or not to give away her ancestors’ songs for a chance at her own freedom.
The storyline is original and well -written, but predictable in most places. It is the music and songs that become the driving force throughout the show. Pinkins sings with the resonance of honey and seems to surrender to each song she performs. Her whole body becomes engrossed in the rhythm and it’s hard to take your eyes off of her as she soulfully delivers slave anthems from her ancestors. The small Ford’s Theatre was left resonating after Pinkins’ performance of “O Lordy, Trouble So High.” You could see many in the audience swaying to the cadence, eyes closed, as the song turned into a mesmerizing chant of despair. After she was finished, the crowd was silent for a minute and then clapped wildly on their feet. Almost all of the songs were performed a cappella, with the exception of a mandolin that Nelson used a few times to accompany her own voice.
Yet, one cannot help feeling sorry for Nelson. She sang and delivered her comedic lines well, but as soon as Pinkins took the stage, Nelson was lost in the background. She couldn’t stand on her own against a woman whom Oprah described as one of the “10 women in America who will take your breath away.” She lacked the soul and vindication that Pinkins had in every scene, and because of that, was the obvious second-place actress. Her direction, however, certainly allowed Pinkins to shine.
The simple aesthetics in the show helped to give the performance a realness that only enhanced the wonderful talent on stage. There were few costume and set changes, but the lack of flash turned the attention instead to the actresses and let the audience focus solely on the words and music.
This was not the “razzle dazzle” performance of “Chicago;” it was more like the musical “Our Town,” leaving the audience thinking of issues raised in the show rather than humming catchy songs.
Ford’s Theatre provided an intimate, majestic backdrop for the show. Even sitting in the back row felt like being up on the stage. Whenever Pinkins sang, the room vibrated as she wailed about the hardships of her life and the generations before her.
“Black Pearl Sings!” is a wonderful story that illuminates America’s racial divisions and the attempts of two women to bridge them. With the talent of Pinkins, music brings to light the human emotions that bring us together even when our differences threaten to keep us apart.
“Black Pearl Sings!” is currently playing at Ford’s Theatre through Oct. 18.
