Maya Angelou: A Rainbow in Our Clouds

 An Evening with Maya Angelou at Boston Opera House

With vocalist Ray Greene Thursday, May 31, 2007

I don't know how it is possible to make the cavernous, 2500-seat Opera House feel like a living room, but Maya Angelou did just that as she sang, told stories, laughed, cried, recited poetry, and welcomed us all with open heart. Well, I guess I just answered my own question. She has the magical capacity to make each member of the audience feel as though she is speaking directly to them, with a personalized message straight from her soul.

After she was introduced as a "living legend," Dr. Angelou began by singing in her distinctive alto, "When it looked like the sun wasn't going to shine anymore, God put a rainbow in the clouds." She spun this metaphor throughout her talk, using examples from her own life to demonstrate how one person's life touches another, symbolizing hope for humanity in times of hardship. As the progeny of divorced parents, Maya and her brother spent their formative years under the guidance of grandparents and a special uncle. She was made to believe that she, too, was special, but more importantly that she was human. Realizing that we are all more alike than we are different, she said, "I am at home wherever there are human beings."

Dr. A. expressed how happy she was to be in Boston, reflecting on the importance of this city to African-Americans for over 200 years. She talked about the irrelevance of where our ancestors come from because they all had struggles, but persisted so that we can lead the lives we do today.  She said we owe them and must pay it forward. "Each one of us has so much power, we have no idea." This was the message of the evening and Maya found a multitude of ways to convey it, always with a warm and positive approach. Her constant reinforcement of the message gave it power and force.

Maya Angelou is a force. At the age of 79, she is on a nine-city tour and shows few signs of slowing down. Talk about inspiration! Seated on a tall leather stool behind a Plexiglas lectern, she looked elegant in an understated copper brocade gown. Behind her, three overstuffed brown leather chairs and a couple of potted palms provided a homey effect. In tandem with the cadenced recitations of the poet, two sign language interpreters stood off to the side and alternated their rhythmic artistry, adding to the feeling of inclusiveness. Maya featured not only her own works, but also a poem by her favorite poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, "Little Brown Baby" (1894), and Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Conscientious Objector" (1931).

The story of her life is astonishing and one wonders how she ended up becoming Maya Angelou, but she is delightful and so at ease with herself. To sit in her audience is like having a conversation over the backyard fence. She talks about her airport experiences, her travels by bus in the Star Coach formerly owned by Prince, as well as introducing us to her family and famous heads of state. Because of, or in spite of, her long and impressive cv, she holds court center stage as just Maya, with everybody hanging on her each and every word. From the opening pair of songs by Boston singer/producer Ray Greene, sung a capella in his strong, yet mellow voice, to Dr. A.'s closing poem written for the 50^th anniversary of the United Nations, this was a lyrical and uplifting evening. Be on the lookout for 2500 rainbows in the clouds. Better yet, become one yourself.

 

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