BWW Reviews: HELLO DARLIN'S at Langston Hughes Remembers a Comedy Pioneer
Imagine you go to see a comedienne. She talks about sex and drugs and racial issues and being a lesbian and any number of taboo subjects. Pretty fun night, right? Now imagine she's in her 50's, 60's or even 70's. Even more fun. Now imagine it's the 1970's or even earlier. And there we have the career of one of the funniest and most groundbreaking African American women of the last century, Jackie "Moms" Mabley. And in a tribute to this pioneer, writer Dan Owens and director Jacqueline Moscou and the folks at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute have come up with the world premiere of "Hello Darlin's: Mom's got something to tell you!" And while there may have been a few rough moments in the evening, it amounts to a hilarious and touching look back at a trailblazer of comedy whose career spanned over 50 years and who needs to be remembered.