Greta Oglesby, Ronnie Allen, Brian Bose and Rajané Katurah in THUNDER KNOCKING ON THE DOOR. Photo by Paula Keller.
This terrific show puts me in mind of the Greg Brown lyric: “I get the good blues / When I think about you.”
Keb’ Mo’ and Anderson Edwards have the good blues. These two have put together the tastiest, bluesiest score in recent memory for Thunder Knocking On The Door (Ten Thousand Things Theater Co., through April 5, performing in various venues; consult the TTT website). Local A Listers – performers Greta Oglesby and T. Mychael Rambo, along with newcomers (to me, anyway) Ronnie Allen, Rajané Katurah, Brian Bose, (all of whom exude stage grabbing charisma and boffo singing talent) and book writer Keith Glover – working with über-accomplished Music Director Sanford Moore and guitarist extraordinaire Deevo… Who am I leaving out? The director! Of course. Marcela Lorca‘s work is precise, restrained and energetic in just the right places. Bravo to all. If you want to see tip-top theatrical prowess, Thunder Knocking On The Door is your man.
These artists have created the toe-tappingest, wonderfulest show in town. Anyone who can watch Thunder Knocking On The Door without a permanent grin on their face amazes me. Rambo, Oglesby & Co., along with Moore and Deevo, and with Lorca’s intelligent direction, sing and play their hearts out and they will send you over the moon. Guaranteed.
The play? Well, here we’re shakier ground. Something about twins and blindness and dueling guitars. A tad garbled, maybe, but hey, ignore me. This is a play about wild musical blow-your-hair-back exuberance. It delivers. If there’s a must-see show in town, Thunder Knocking On The Door is it.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this piece, like all TTT plays, is performed without stage lights, with minimal set pieces, in a small space, relying on the actors and the music to carry the show, Which they do, gloriously.
TTT can be a tough ticket. Make your rezzies asap.
John Olive is a writer living in Minneapolis. His book, Tell Me A Story In The Dark, about the magic of bedtime stories, has been published. John’s The Voice Of The Prairie has been performed 100 plus times and ditto Minnesota Moon and his adaptation of Sideways Stories From Wayside School. His The Summer Moon won a Kennedy Center Award For Drama. John has won fellowships from the Jerome Foundation, the Bush Foundation, the McKnight Foundation and from the National Endowment For The Arts. Please visit his informational website.
