Review: Avant Bard's Timely Revival of THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS

What if gospel music was taken out of church? What if its structure, soul and power were applied to some other ancient stories, such as, for example, Sophocles, where actors talk about gods plural?

That's the audacious and kind of genius premise behind "The Gospel at Colonus," which brings gospel's power to tell the tale of Oedipus at the end of his life, after all of his tragedies, looking to settle in a village near Athens to live out his final days.

The musical by Lee Breuer and Bob Telson gave vibrancy to the tale as well as creativity in casting - the blinded Oedipus was originally portrayed by the Five Blind Boys of Alabama on Broadway.

Created 35 years ago, with a pre-Broadway production at Arena Stage in 1984, the piece was also revived last year by Arlington's Avant Bard. It did so well, the 2017 production has been revived, amid all of its Helen Hayes Award nominations, in a rare second run only a year after the first, with much of its remarkable cast intact.

That cast is topped by William T. Newman Jr., using his regal bearing as chief judge of Arlington County's Circuit Court behind the pulpit as the preaching version of Oedipus who narrates the story and does something resembling preaching before it's all over.

Doing the singing version of Oedipus is a gospel recording artist and off-Broadway actor Kenton Rogers, who brings a gruff, Levi Stubbs soulfulness to the blinded Oedipus looking for a new landing space.

Also new to the cast are the fine voiced daughters (and, alas, sisters) of Oedipus, Antigone, played by Ayana Reed, and Jessa Marie Coleman as Ismene.

But there are a lot of strong voices on stage including the returning A.J. Colbert, Greg Watkins and Rafealito Ross.

And in the back, in African finery, are Minister Becky Sanders and the Women's Ecumenical Choir, doubling the power. All are backed by e'Marcus Harper-Short on crucial gospel piano and organ shadings, with the addition of Jabari "X Factor" Exum on percussion. One of his recent gigs, apparently, was playing on "Black Panther."

That stripped-down backing - minus the electric bass and guitar that round out a lot of church gospel bands - but had enough snap and verve to back the remarkable set of songs, which begin with the stellar one-two punch of "Live Where You Can" and "Stop Do Not Go On" to the reverie of "Never Drive You Away" and the double climax of "Lift Him Up" and "Now Let the Weeping Cease."

Choreographer Sandra L. Holloway already had her hands full - it's tough to get people dancing on that set of slabs, constantly going up and down steps. But she restaged the musical this time as well, based on the original direction by Jennifer L. Nelson.

The sprawling work takes up most all the space in the Gunston Arts Center Theater Two; audiences are left to sit in one or two rows along the sides. And while Newman and the cast often look up to the heavens (only to see the plumbing and electricity fixtures of the black box theater), their investment in the material and the uplift of the music help us see where they are focusing.

And while it's enough to get caught up in the sweep of the music, and dos the structure of gospel can adhere to many life situations of tribulation and renewal, one is especially struck all at once by the contemporary immediacy of its central issue -- that of refugees, migration and where people belong.

It helps give an extra kick to a production that is already a solid hit.

And as a great an idea it was to bring back "The Gospel at Colonus" last year, it's just as great one to bring it back one more time, just in time to bask in its likely awards.

Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission.

Photo credit: Ayana Reed and Kenton Rogers in Avant Bard's "The Gospel at Colonus." Photo by DJ Corey Photography

"The Gospel at Colonus" continues through March 24 at the Gunston Arts Center Theater Two, 2700 South Lang St, Arlington, Va. Tickets at 703-418-4808 or online.

To post a comment, you must register and login.