At least once in a lifetime most of us find ourselves in the theater witnessing an artist who is truly head and shoulders above others — a dyed-in-the-wool genius with a larger-than-life gift of talent and performance ability. Being present at a live performance by Mahalia Jackson must have been such an experience. She crossed the line from professional theater into that realm that one feels is touched by forces greater than any human potential.
And so, singer and actress Tasha Wilson stepped into some rather daunting shoes when the lights dimmed in the Reichhold Center for the Arts on Saturday night. Her voice , a rich contralto, and her acting — sensitive to and energized by the life of Mahalia — carried the day, introducing and reminding us of what a great talent the gospel singer's voice represented.
Gospel music, which has its own niche in our society, is not a daily diet for many of us, but, as in this performance, it certainly has the power to move and to entertain. The bending of sustained notes, the driving beat, the power of the lyrics mirroring the Biblical writings rocked the audience. As long as Wilson was singing, all was well — as was also the case with the a cappella songs of the trio made up of Wilson, Sharlene Nelson and Don Corey Washington: superb, well tuned and perfectly blended.
As for the play: We were taken through Mahalia's life by the singer herself, from the early days in the church choir in New Orleans to the exciting solo performance in Carnegie Hall; we toured Europe with her and relived her moving appearance with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington, D.C., before he made his "I Have A Dream" speech. Hers was truly a charmed life, full of grand performances in famous venues in the company of dignitaries and astounded audiences. She was decorated with wealth gained from her music and recordings, and blessed with a deep and unfailing faith in her God.
One humorous aspect of her life was her apparent attachment to money — of which there was always an ample amount tucked in her bosom!
Although the evening and the play itself were somewhat overextended, the audience seemed well pleased with the entertainment. (We remember with a shudder the days when the Reichhold was dark for months and there was even talk of closing it permanently!)
And although the season now is abbreviated from what it used to be, it is a pleasure to have this caliber of theater (such that when it seems "easy" is actually being well done) on St. Thomas. "Bus and truck" — as traveling musicals are known in the business — is alive and well, taking shows such as "Mahalia" to audiences otherwise removed from the large urban theatrical centers of the mainland.
