“Elvis Presley Was a Black Man Named Joe” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

***** How refreshing it is to watch something awesome! “Elvis Presley Was a Black Man Named Joe” is an extraordinary production, certainly one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time. Written and directed by Black Ensemble Theater’s Jackie Taylor, this is an autobiographical story about her affection for Elvis Presley and his music and for her younger brother Joe, only nine months her junior. For their parents Gus and Lucile, Elvis was a “cheap babysitter.” But for Jackie and Joe, Elvis and his songs became quite an influence on their lives. Despite knowing about the reality of racial segregation, it didn’t matter to either Jackie or Joe whether Elvis was white or black: what counted was the quality of his music and their shared experiences of it.

The intersection of Jackie’s biography with Elvis’s life and music can be understood on many different levels. Let’s start with the title of today’s show. It’s thought-provoking. Elvis could have very easily been a black man, considering his unique musical style of infusing black rhythm and blues into Southern country music. And who was Joe? I could only speculate before coming to see this performance. I thought of Paul Robeson singing “Old Black Joe” in the late 1920s, and then there was the song “Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe”, sung by Ethel Waters in the 1943 movie “Cabin in the Sky.” But, in fact, Jackie’s decision to draw parallel lines between her hero Elvis and her brother Joe is rather intriguing. As the advance materials state, “On the surface, they were worlds apart. Elvis grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Joe grew up in the Cabrini Green Projects in Chicago. They were different—but they were very much the same.” Both men died young and tragically: Elvis at age 42 in 1977 and Joe, roughly four years later, at age 30, each succumbing to their self-destructive behaviors and the narrowing of their respective worlds.

Nicely portrayed are Jackie/Janet as an adult (Rhona Preston), who looks back on her remembrances of her brother: memories which flood upon listening to Elvis’s music. We see Young Janet (beautifully acted by Britt Edwards), together with her brother Joe (Dennis Dent) and their parents Gus (Jaitee Thomas) and Lucile (Melanie McCullough) constantly interacting. The family scenes around the kitchen table are especially heartfelt and the dialogue pleasantly raw and honest. In addition, ensemble members Direoce Junirs, Trequon Tate, Dwight Neal, and Destin Warner sing Elvis’s songs and dance to his music. We hear such songs as “Hound Dog” and “Return to Sender” and “Heartbreak Hotel” and are treated to wonderful choreography by Christopher Chase Carter. Don’t expect Elvis impersonators or any one singer to sound like the original. Do expect that the whole cast will sing the songs in their own way. We also learn something about Elvis’s taking his inspiration from noteworthy black singers and songwriters such as Roy Hamilton (“Don’t Let Go”), Fats Domino (“Ain’t That a Shame”), Chuck Berry (“Maybelline”), and Little Richard (“Rip It Up”). The mark that they each of them made on his music was unmistakable! Also included in the repertoire are songs specifically crafted for this production, such as “Elvis Presley Was a Black Man Named Joe” and “Just Joe”, both written by Jackie Taylor.

This show is far more personal than previous ones that I have seen at BET. Here we get some insight on how Jackie’s parents helped to mold her character and how a letter from Elvis influenced her in ways too numerous to count. We even get a brief glimpse into Jackie’s inspiration to go into the performing arts. But we can also recognize the hurt and pain that accompanied her life trajectory. The thrust of the story is even deeper than this: having to do with racial divisions between white and black, particularly in Chicago in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It also establishes the importance of free will and self-determination in choosing to seize opportunities or go in the opposite direction. Because the story is so real and heartfelt, I loved every minute of it, and I was crying throughout most of the performance (as did other members of the audience). And at the very end, Jackie herself got on stage and said that she was crying when she wrote this show.

Costumes are remarkably good. I especially enjoyed the “Jailhouse Rock” outfits and the constant costume changes. Lighting and set design work well for this production, thanks to the efforts of Denise Karczewski. I liked the rotating set which gravitates between the exterior of the Cabrini Green building and the family’s kitchen (although the interior could have withstood a bit more set decoration). Musicians Robert Reddrick (musical director), Oscar Brown Jr. (bass/band leader), Myron Cherry (drums), Adam Sherrod (keys) and Charles “Chip” Dubose (guitar) are spectacular in providing instrumental accompaniment to all the vocalists. Expect the sound to be loud, but (as compared to other shows) the audio seems to be much better balanced between the singing and dancing numbers and the dialogue. Sound designer Sean Alvarez has done a fine job. If there was only one fault, it has to do with the projection design. I found it inadequate to have twelve small windows (3 windows side-by-side x 4) to serve as screens to project the visuals. This made the photos of the recording artists of the past and actual photographs of Jackie and her brother Joe (plus landscapes of the Cabrini Green surroundings) much too small. It would have been better to have had four big windows with larger projections within each one and not necessarily use turquoise or magenta to color the black and white images.

Having said that, there is a teeny-tiny addition that I would like to offer. To my mind, the presentation shifts gears much too radically just before the finale. Considering how sad a tale this is, it was hard for me to gather up my fun side to fully appreciate the light romantic songs being sung at the end, such as “Love Me Tender” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” There needs to be a better bridge between the circumstances surrounding Joe’s passing to the way that Jackie/Janet internalizes her sadness and moves on from it (if that were even possible). In my opinion, during the scene while everyone is in mourning and wearing black around the kitchen table, it would have been fitting for a soloist to sing Elvis’s rendition of “Amazing Grace” off to the side, a cappella. This could create some measure of hopefulness at an earlier point in the script, allowing the audience as a whole to move to a better place, sooner rather than later.

I can’t tell you how lucky I felt to have been a part of Sunday’s audience! In the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 11:6), the Bible verse mentions “and a child shall lead them.” What we see is Young Janet and her brother Joe taking the lead in asserting that people of good character and good will can exist among those of all races and backgrounds—while an older, more reflective Jackie/Janet tries to make sense of it all. Ultimately, the show is about how goodness can potentially guide us through rough patches in our lives and how music can help us to move past whatever struggles that life throws at us—or at least, help us to cope with them.

This production is a real winner! You must see it now!

“Elvis Presley Was a Black Man Named Joe” is playing through April 20, 2025, at Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street, in Chicago.

Tickets: $56.50 – $66.50 including fees

Performance schedule:

Fridays – 8:00 p.m.
Saturdays – 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Sundays – 3:00 p.m.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: https://blackensembletheater.org/2024-season-of-affirmation/ or call 773-769-4451 or visit the Box Office at 4450 N. Clark Street, in Chicago.

Group discount tickets are available for groups of 10 or more. Contact their Group Sales Manager, Karolyn Wright by calling 773-754-3927.

For general information and to see a list of their other offerings, go to: https://blackensembletheater.org/.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Elvis Presely Was a Black Man named Joe”.