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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2002)
febfuary 1. 2002 - J u s t a w t^ g U S O tour, performing and recording with the he story begins at the end. Hunter is likes o f Josephine Baker, Louis Armstrong and asleep onstage while the audience set Duke Ellington. tles in, then, like a grandmother Back in New York, at age 59, Hunters life warming up for a gixxl yam, she wakes and takes a sharp turn when she decides to become begins to tell her tale. a nurse after the death of her mother. She The singer takes us hack to 1909, when the works for more than 20 years in that profession spunky 12-year-old runaway lies about her age to before a forced retimement get her first singing job in a whorehouse called due to age. Dago Frank’s. From there, she learns her craft and In 1977, at 8 2 , she goes on to become famous in returns to the stage and Chicago as the “Sweetheart plays to sold-out audi of the South Side.” ences at the Cookery in Dtring this time Hunter New York, as well as meets her biggest fan, Lottie recording three new LPs Taylor, the niece of famous and performing for Pres African American theatrical ident and Rosalyn entertainer Bert Williams. The Carter in 1978. two become lovers for many years, eventually moving to New ot only is York, where Hunter begins an Hunter’s extensive recording and Broadway story career. She also writes many stan incredibly interest dards, including “Diwn Hearted You can find ing, Hall does a Blues,” made famous Alberta Hunter on upward superb job of bring by Bessie Smith. of 3 0 albums, including collections, ing her to life. Her T h e play handles the relationship imports and as a featured artist descriptions, vocal between Hunter and Taylor with inflections and movements allow the audience great sensitivity and reminds us o f a time when to visualize what she describes. lesbians weren’t considered “ch ic.” T h e singer struggles with her own homophobia during a Hunter is a challenge to voice, having had two different speaking voices and three distinct time when same-sex relationships were simply singing voices, possibly because she recorded with not discusssed: “It takes so much age,” she a variety of labels under three different names to remarks during the play’s intrcxiuction, “before avoid breaking contracts with major studios. we’re smart enough to live.” Hall’s voice shifts without missing a heat, from a sassy teen-ager to a toughie doorman at Dago n the '30s, Hunter and her partner travel Frank’s to a woman who’s been around the way a to Europe, where the performer again few times. The actress makes it all kxik effortless. enjoys phenomenal success until forced home by World War II. She then embarks on a Alexander describes working hard in collabo The Fantasy Creature Store f n H m u r f n m * - Computer Repair and Consulting PC or Mac / New or Old le g e n d f Onsite Repair f Dragons - Gargoyles - Fairies Jewelry - Incense - Celtic Custom Built Systems 3106-B NE 64th 503.730.5185 503-241-8888 Ask@BrainSci.net Thinking of Buying a Home in 2002? Take the fear out o f home ownership with a team o f dedicated sisters. W e w ork diligently for our clients from the beginning to the end on the journey to home ownership! Remember with RE/MAX we can help you find a home across town, on the other side o f the country, o r anywhere in the world! Count on us fo r friendly, dependable and honest service. RE/MAX View o u r website for valuable information and to see o u r current listings, as well as all homes listed for sale in the entire m etro area! Call us to see any property. T S ignature P WELCH, W COME IN FOR A NO HASSLE PRICE! www.BrainSci.net Thurs 12-6 • Frl 12-6 • Sat 12-7 • Sun 12-5 in d a I'Lll'I.lilJIHIhMH Home / Office Consulting Near the corner of 64th & Sandy Blvd next to It's My Pleasure L the time.” T h e sparse stage effectively uses platforms and dressing room barricades com bined with lighting to transition from city street to stable to nightclub dressing room to New York apartment with ease. This is A lexander’s first production with ART, and he has nothing but praise for the company, declaring that everyone was “so sup portive." Previously, he worked with Stark Raving Theatre, Northwest C hildren’s Theatre and triangle productions! “I hope we’ll start trying to take a little moment out of our lives and think about a woman like Alberta Hunter and the contributions of all black artists,” Alexander con cludes. “Here’s a very vital style of music that’s been around for well over a hundred years in America. It’s a truly American forum, and it came from voices like [hers]. I also hope people will have a good time. Hunter made a remarkable T hat’s why I go to the theater— to musical theater comeback get blown away.” lexander, who also in her 80s W hat better time than Black serves as the play’s musi History Month to enjoy a solid production about cal director, jokingly says he knew a black blues legend? See you in the theater. J H enough to stay out of Scroggins’ way. “1 started to give her notes," he remembers, “and she kinda M y C astle ’ s R ockin ’: T he A lberta H unter hunkered down on the stool and said, ‘Well, this STORY runs 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and intro is gonna be whatever 1 play.’ I just gave her 2 p.m . Sunday through Feb. 17 at Interstate the vitals and let her go.” Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340 N . Interstate He seems to appreciate the freshness Scrog Ave. Tickets are $16 from 503-241 -1278. gins’ approach gives the show, noting she doesn’t use the score hut works from her own observa KRONDA A dair is a book-selhn’ , coffee-pim pin’, tions and from interacting with the cast. “She theater-goin entrepreneur who loves to write and and Demene really talk to each other," he says. sometimes gets paid for it. Write her at Kudos as well to scene designer Mark Lor- ephany@m yexcel. co m . ing, who Alexander says “read my mind a lot of BRAIN J<IBM<E // Gifts Jrom myth and LIN D A ration with Hall on stage focus— where to look, who is talking, where the (imaginary) doors should he. “I’ve never seen someone work so hard and so effortlessly and he able to incorpo rate all those things," he says. “W hen I ask peo ple if the play was confusing to them— could they tell who was speaking— usually they haven’t even thought about it. It’s not an issue.” T he creative pair also helped each other with world views. “We did a lot of work on the script, changing some lines and scenes around. Demene could tell me the black woman’s perspective, and I could tell her the gay perspective. Sh e’d tell me, ‘A black woman would not say th at!’ ’’ Because of the diverse richness of Hunter’s life, Alexander ex plains, “There’s no way we could cover everything.” But, he adds, “certain things were emphasized, like her love affair with Lottie.” BROKER/GW NER e l c h @ r e m a x [. . 5D3. 282. 4DDD / roperties I LA U RIE NET / L w w w . a u r ie WELCH, W e l c h @ SALES r e m a x et l a u r i e a n d l i n d a . c WE’LL MATCH ANY ADVERTISED PRICE IN ORECON SUBARU. © A SSO C IA T E . n F WE'RE NOT THE CHEAPEST.. Ihc Beauty o f All Wheel Drive. On an exact MSRP in stock • Expires 2/14/02 d m WENTWORTH www.wentworthsubaru.com 107 SE Grand • 4 Blocks South of the Convention Center • 503-232-2000
