Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2016) - Trailer (Theater, Drama, Music)

Took Sylvia to see "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" at the Mark Taper Theater Sat. night. Went with Rita, Jenna & Ellen. Really an incredible play about black musicians in Chicago circa the 20's. If it comes your way run to see it!

Critic's Choice

Powerfully relevant! Ma Rainey challenges and nourishes, shocks and heals. Director Phylicia Rashad shines a light on the complicated humanity of Wilson's characters.

Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times

Ambition and art collide with the business of the blues in this red hot play filled with music that made the '20s roar. An American masterpiece, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is set in 1927 Chicago during a recording session at a white-owned studio with the legendary singer—inspired by real-life Mother of the Blues Gertrude "Ma" Rainey. Tony Award® winner Phylicia Rashad directs this groundbreaking play with a powerhouse cast led by Lillias White (Broadway’s Fela! and Once on This Island), Keith David (OWN’s Greenleaf, Broadway’s Jelly’s Last Jam), and Glynn Turman (HBO’s The Wire, Showtime’s House of Lies) all returning to the Taper from Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.

In Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, August Wilson captures a song that demands to be heard. The Taper resonantly revives it.

Los Angeles Times

If you're colored and can make them some money, then you alright with them. Otherwise, you just a dog in the alley.

—Ma Rainey, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Who creates culture, and who profits? Is music art, or commodity? From Elvis Presley’s hit version of Willie May Thornton’s “Hound Dog” to the rise of Eminem and Iggy Azalea, there is a long history of uncomfortable intersections between the music industry and racial identity. Join us in tracing the evolution of African-American music, from spirituals and the blues to contemporary hip-hop and R&B, while exploring how economics and politics influence the songs that play around the nation.

• From Bessie to Beyoncé: Black Women, Independence, and Artistic Identity

What you all say don’t count with me. You understand? Ma listens to her heart. Ma listens to the voice inside her. That’s what counts with Ma.

—Ma Rainey, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

From early 20th century entertainers like Bessie Smith and her friend Ma Rainey to contemporary cultural icons like Beyoncé and Rihanna, black women have been an undeniable force in pop culture. However, their path to artistic agency—their control over their work and ability to profit from their success—is made steeper by systemic and institutional bias. Join us in exploring the challenges black women face in the arts and entertainment industry, as well as the strategies they have employed to achieve success.