STAGE REVIEW Youngstown Playhouse, YSU produce captivating 'Raisin'

Leading characters in the Tony Award-winning musical give stellar performances.
By GARRY L. CLARK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- After a collaboration of two years, Youngstown State University and the Youngstown Playhouse saw their labors come to fruition Friday evening as the two organizations marked Black History Month with the opening performance of "Raisin."
Based on Lorraine Hansberry's classic drama, "A Raisin in the Sun," the Tony award-winning musical (nominated for nine and winner of two) tells the story of a black family in 1950s Chicago as they sought a better life.
The music by Judd Woldin and lyrics by Robert Brittan is filled with both hope and despair as the characters give voice to their dreams.
The title of this musical and the play on which it is based comes from a line in a poem by Langston Hughes:
"What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?"
The story line centers around the Younger family: matriarch, Lena; her son and daughter-in-law, Walter Lee and Ruth; her daughter, Beneatha; and Walter and Ruth's son, Travis.
About the characters
Lena, played by Lois E. Thornton in a stellar performance, is about to receive $10,000 in insurance money from her late husband's estate, and she dreams of getting her family out of their tiny apartment and into a real home. And the house she has chosen is in a white neighborhood.
Walter Lee, excellently portrayed by John Herbert, wants his mother to give him money so that he can invest in a liquor store, much to his mother's consternation.
Jaietta Jackson wonderfully plays Beneatha, who wants to attend medical school to become a doctor, and Janet Eggleston turned in a nicely solid performance as Ruth, who is trying to be supportive of all their dreams.
Through the course, dreams get dashed and hope springs up again as the family struggles to get along with each other and in the world.
Thornton was in excellent voice as she poignantly sang "A Whole Lotta Sunlight" and even more so in "Measure the Valleys."
Herbert's strong, clear voice boomed beautifully in the amusing "Man Say" and the accusatory "You Done Right."
Jackson's voice was adequate for her role, as was Eggleston's, although the latter's duets with Herbert did not always blend well. Youngster DeVante M. Hudson as Travis, was in fine voice for his solo, "Sidewalk Tree."
The remaining cast members also gave strong performances, especially in the church service scene.
The Younger family's story of struggling against poverty and racism while trying to maintain their human dignity is a common one, and this musical portrays it beautifully.
clark@vindy.com