Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...If you've never seen the play, you don't need the plot spoiled. Know, though, this is one of the best works of its decade, coming at the middle of Cleage's most fertile period of dramatic writing, before she began to put more attention into writing novels. "Blues for an Alabama Sky" is a rich piece of writing that holds up wonderfully today, especially when staged with this kind of intimate honesty."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...But Cleage’s play, especially in the hands of Burke and his empathetic ensemble, never becomes a soapy museum piece. As a writer, Cleage has always been excellent at centering the idea of what freedom means, especially for Black women dealing with the double reality of racism and sexism. “Truth or solace?” Arzell’s Guy asks Johnson’s chanteuse early on, when she’s asked him a tough question about herself. The beauty of Blues is that we see plenty of both in full and sometimes sorrowful detail."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...Playing at Theater Wit, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company brings this electrifyingly invigorating look into these characters' lives as they pursue their dreams during one of the worst historical decades in America. Director Mikael Burke vividly brings to life this edgy production about the frays of struggles, abortion, sexuality, and the dreams of making it big against the turbulent backdrop of friendships and foes; this production will have you on the edge of your seat in anticipation."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Over the years, as a reviewer, I get to see many renditions of the plays I review. As I say on my radio show, every time a new company produces a play, it is unique and different from the previous production. Tonight, at Theater Wit, one of the smaller venues in town, Remy Bumppo's production of "Blue for an Alabama Sky" proves my point to a "T". This is a classic story by Pearl Cleage that takes us back to Harlem (New York) during the 1930s. It was the time when Jazz was king!"
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Technically this production shines. For this production, scenic designer Lauren M. Nichols has created a lovely, believable two-flat apartment, along with the walkway and steps in front. Gregory Graham's costumes are stunning and period-perfect, as are the wigs designed by Ray Sanchez. Becca Jeffords and Peter Clare have respectively lighted and developed a sound design for the production that enhances the story. If theatergoers want to experience a play that's both priceless and powerful, and they're ready, as Sam shouts, to "Let the good times roll," don't miss this terrific production."
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...I have seen "Blues for an Alabama Sky" several times, all very good productions. However, the production by Remy Bumppo in the intimate space of Theater Wit was sublime."
The Fourth Walsh - Highly Recommended
"...Remy Bumppo’s BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY is a triumph. Is it the writing, directing or acting? Yes! It doesn’t get better than this production. I highly recommend securing a ticket to this show."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...There are times for a director to put an imprint onto a script, but there are others when the play is just so rich and perfect that there is absolutely no need. Pearl Cleage’s Blues For an Alabama Sky, directed by Michael Burke, is one such play. Written in 1995 and set in 1930 Harlem, it focuses on the ways in which the Depression has affected what until then had been the area’s rich culture. Many references to actual historical figures of the time—Langston Hughes, Dorothy Sanger, Rev. Adam Powell, and Josephine Baker among them—help tie the fictional characters of the play to what was actually happening in that era, and the play utilizes that culture beautifully to show how society both changes and…doesn’t."
Chicago Culture Authority - Highly Recommended
"...Blues for an Alabama Sky, which features a searing speech from Johnson about male ownership of women’s bodies and the lack of abortion access along with large helpings of homophobia and racism, reminds us that the culture war we’re suffering through today has been driving this nation’s politics for a long, long time. Second verse, same as the first."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...Set during the Harlem Renaissance era, Blues For An Alabama Sky is a story that demonstrates how faith can take you where you want to go, fear can cause you to lose all you have, and courage will propel you to stand your ground."
