“Rick Stone: The Blues Man”

[rating=3]The 2018 season for Black Ensemble Theater has been “movers and shakers”. No surprise that Artistic Director and Founder Jackie Taylor has selected a real “mover and shaker” to be the hero of her newest production, “Rick Stone: The Blues Man”. While Rick is a real person, and a very talented one at that, he is not a memorable national star as most of the Black Ensemble shows are based on. But they are based on real people, and people of talent, so the story of Rick Stone , while simple, fits the mold of what Jackie Taylor and Black Ensemble is all about!

Rick and Jackie grew up in the Cabrini Green Projects, on West Division Street, just east of Halsted. They were neighbors and grew up learning a great deal about life and dealing with rough times. In Jackie’s’ story ( which she wrote for Rick and directed as well), there is a point where Rick explains a part of this to the singers who are working in his club, “Ricky’s Place”. While the club is fictional, why not reach for the stars in your desires? Jackie wants only the best for her “adopted brother”, who became so when her own brother passed away at age 30.

Jackie went on to do theater all over until the time came where she could raise the funding to start Black Ensemble Theater which has now been around for over 40 years. About 30 years ago, Ricky, who was going through some rough times was contacted by Jackie, who brought him into her world of “theater” and told him that he was about to become a stage star. Rick has been with Jackie ever since and many of you might know him as the tall jovial, always smiling man who greets you when you enter the building at 4450 N. Clark Street. Well, you will not be greeted by Rick for this show as he is the “Star” and part of the story being told by his “sister”, Jackie Taylor, with a great deal of love ( on both their parts).

If you are a “blues” love, than you will be in heaven when you step into Ricky’s Place, where the drinks are flowing, the dance floor is full and the band never stops. At least that is what we are told in the press notes. Let’s tell it like it is! The story, since it is not a biography, is a little on the weak side. Almost like “okay, we have 30 plus great pieces of music, that audiences will love> How can we pieces them together to have the audience feel they are getting a story”. There are characters that sing and work in the club , all of whom have their own story to tell and each of the singer/performers cares about the other ( that is for sure).

Besides Rick, who owns the club, we have old friend Dwight ( Dwight Neal who has a voice that will show you what range is) who likes young girls, although he is married to a woman he loves. Perhaps, he likes them young so he can recapture the youth that is fleeing him. We have Cynthia ( the amazing Cynthia F. Carter) a belter that seems to be a flirt beyond control and Rhonda ( the always reliable Rhonda Preston, who has been a mainstay at BE for 21 years)who is having her own matrimonial problems.. Theo ( the powerful Theo Huff) is another performer/singer that we have watched mature over the last 14 years and Kelvin ( Kelvin Davis) is the barkeeper who has problems with night terror from events that took place during Viet Nam. Along with Rick stone and the powerful musicians that compose the Black Ensemble Orchestra, led by Robert Reddrick, we are treated to 33 songs during two acts. Yes, a total of 2 1/2 hours of great music, mixed with a little story-telling and some heavy morality. There is a 15 minute intermission.

The music is definitely “blues” and added to the powerful songs, singers and musicians, because it is the blues, is  Lemont D. Harris, one of the best harmonica players I have ever been witness to. His rendition of “Help Me” in the first act is absolutely spell-binding. Come early to the theater and you will probably be able to catch him in the lobby playing one of his belt full of Harmonicas ( I was not aware that each had its own pitch and sound- this is a great experience , and one you will not get in any other theater in town).

Some of the noted songs: “Turn Back The Hand of Time”, “You Can Have My Husband”, “Wang Dang Doodle” ( Cynthia will get a rise out of you during this one), “Need Your Love So Bad”, What Kind Of World Is This” ( a great one about the world we live in, yet), “Howlin’ For My Baby”, “The Party’s Over”, “Just Enuff Rope”, “I’ll Sing The Blues For You” ( Rick does this with grace, style and love). “Down Home Blues” and the finale “Let The Good Times Roll”. In between, over two dozen others join this Blues “hit Parade”!

Because the set-up is like a club, unlike the other productions at Black Ensemble, you can bring your drinks into the theater. There are tables on the stage and I noticed that audience members were up there for Act One, but not for the second act. There is a bar on the stage ,and from time to time Rick ordered a drink for an audience member, but no one ever got one- this should be fixed. If you offer one, one should be served!

On the tech side, the stage design (Bekki Lanbrecht) has the look of a club and David Samba’s sound is great. The lighting (Denise Karczewski and Rachael West ) is solid.  Jackie Taylor did the costume shopping as well as the direction and of course wrote the script, putting the music into it and I am sure handled the choreography as well. She is a workaholic and her life is “Black Ensemble Theater” and her Black Ensemble “family”!

If you are a BLUES lover, then you will want to step into Ricky’s Place and only have until August 26th to do so. The performance schedule is as follows:

Thursdays  7:30 p.m.

Fridays  8 p.m.

Saturdays  3  and 8 p.m.

Sundays  3 p.m.

Tickets range from $55- $65 and can be purchased at the theater box office, 4450 N. Clark Street, by calling 773-769-4451 or online at www.blackensemble.org

10% discount for students and seniors

Street parking is available, some metered, some not ( problems when the Cubs have a night game), but there is also indoor valet parking at the theater.

To see what others are saying, visit http://www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Rick Stone: The Blues Man”.