Lorraine Hansberry's profound, funny, powerful play, A Raisin in the Sun,, now on Broadway, is as poignant and relevant today as it was in 1959 when it was first produced. This story of the struggles of a black family in Chicago in the 1950s to survive, to grow, to make it in a difficult, frustrating world, is a gripping domestic drama with a fine cast. Hansberry was a wonderful writer with a keen ear for the nuances of the flow of people's speech and deep insight into their inner workings. The penetrating humanity of her writing creates an empathy in the audience that is emotionally and spiritually uplifting.
Audra McDonald and Phylicia Rashad are superb as the wife and mother of the troubled man of the house, played by Sean Combs, who does a good job in his first Broadway role. Sanaa Lathan brings a dimension of pure entertainment to her role as an aspiring doctor as she dances, and her smile and spark light up the stage. Young (former Simba) Alexander Mitchell is the perfect cub with a mind of his own, and both Teagle F. Bougere and David Aaron Baker perfectly fill their roles, as quintessential African and quintessential white bigot, with verve and conviction. Director Kenny Leon, aided by Thomas Lynch (set), Paul Tazewell (costumes) and Brian MacDevitt (lighting), gives us a splendid production that will move you, shake you, make you laugh, and ultimately touch you down deep in your soul.
