By Mitchell Oldham
The road to fame and fortune in the arts can be perilous and fickle. This seems especially true for music. Once they break through to stardom, artists who’ve found success in popular music certainly enjoy its lavish rewards; but many also give credence to the industry’s reputation for psychological brutality. What we don’t hear about with nearly the same frequency are the backstories that led to resounding acclaim. It’s those stories that Black Ensemble Theater (BE) brings to the forefront in its current production of Hitt Records. Lovingly conceived and scrupulously researched, writer and director Daryl D. Brooks takes a deep plunge through the vaults of the past to revisit musical masterworks and tell the absorbing stories behind the people who created them.
Brooks uses a little neighborhood record shop, Hitt Records, as the backdrop for this joyful romp through pop, R&B and disco memories. Owned and operated by brothers James (Vincent Jordan) and Charles (Dennis Dent) Hitt, the shop caters to a broad clientele drawn to the store for its promise of unearthing musical magic. Denise Karczewski’s cozy set showcasing a neatly arranged enterprise with posters of musical deity like Bob Marly and Miles Davis adorning its warm red brick walls is as enticing as it is nostalgia inducing. And as is often the case in a BE project, there’s a pair of young ears in the mix reasonably eager to hear the accrued wisdom of his elders. Destin Warner plays Vincent, a nephew working part-time at the shop who, like the audience, is the lucky recipient of his uncles’ vast wealth of musical knowledge.
Careful to be both sensitive to the legacies of musical trailblazers and inclusive in the genres they’d go on to profile, the two hyper-knowledgeable uncles chose Chuck Jackson as the first artist they would use to school their neophyte nephew on the riches from decades past. One of the key standard bearers who helped define and shape the music we hear today; Jackson was among the first artists to record material written by Burt Bacharach in the 60s. Immediately following the engrossing detail they shared about Jackson’s rise to recognition, including the fact that he was also one of the first performers to “buy himself out of a contract” before heading to a different label, Lyle Miller from the ensemble performed one of his signature hits, Any Day Now. A song that, decades later, still retains an air of fresh vitality and immediacy. That format of providing piquant background on an artist and then having their work performed by ensemble members would remain constant throughout the production. Also true to BE character, light touches of comedic quips swirled through the dialog, adding a never-ending supply of brio and dash. Both Jordan and Dent, the primary dispensers of this infectious zest, deliver it with the lighthearted ease of seasoned pros.
Intimidatingly broad, the sweep of artists covered in Hitt Records seems intent on leaving no stone unturned when revealing the breadth of retro talent clustered under the pop/soul/disco umbrella. That scope allowed Brooks to feature a wealth of music that’s found the fountain of youth because it’s appeal still resonates long after it first blew up the charts. From Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight, handily sung by Michael Lunder; to the Quincy Jones’ discovered Brothers Johnson and their breakout hit Stoop! the air sizzled with superlative music granted one more delicious round in the spotlight. Percy Sledge, Cheryl Lynn, Wilson Pickett, Bob Marley and Sam and Dave were just a few of the luminous artists featured in just the first act.
Act two rolled out the gold-plated funk of disco with Qiana McNary rocking Gloria Gaynor’s timeless anthem, I Will Survive. Right on her heels, Britt Edwards followed up gamely doing righteous justice to Donna Summers’ Love to Love You and Last Night. Staying true to the affirming principles that guide the company, Sylvester, the gay disco icon whose Mighty Real put a lasting stamp on the genre, was also given well deserved representation. Dwight Neal delivered a memorable portrayal of the artist. In this role and others, Neal’s vocals would prove a consistent highlight throughout the show. And, as was true in the first act, learning salient details about these artists lives prior to their crossing the threshold of fame only added to the appreciation of their music.
Standing alone in their mission to make their work unabashed expressions of celebration, BE productions are as much parties as they are theatrical vehicles. “It’s just like goin’ to church”, as the company’s founder, Jackie Taylor, likes to remind audiences. When you leave you feel refreshed and renewed. That certainly was the case here and the entire creative team threw themselves into the effort of insuring that outcome held true. From the unswerving excellence of BE’s house band under the musical direction of Robert Reddrick, to the wonders Evelyn Danner creates with costumes and Keith Ryan constructs with wigs, your senses are guaranteed to be supercharged. You could also detect an added something that makes Hitt Records somehow a little more special. Maybe it was the subtle elan Christopher Carter added to his choreography. Or perhaps it was the kind of noteworthy inspiration DeVaughn Loman found in his core to give such a stellar performance as Bobby Womack singing if you think you’re lonely now. Morsels of like magic dotted the entire performance.
Playing until late January, immersing yourself in the joie de vivre filling Hitt Records is a splendid way to say goodbye to one year and usher in one that’s brand new.
Photo credit: Aaron Reese Boseman
Hitt Records
Through January 26, 2025
Black Ensemble Theater
4450 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640
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