watched this as part of my final paper "research" for script analysis. i've read the piano lesson about 3x through and i wanted to see people perform it. this was really great, especially bc i realized that most of the cast is from the original broadway cast so it was really cool to see, even partially, what the original production might've looked like. i thought that charles s. dutton's performance of boy willie was really exciting and much more open than the bits i've seen of john david washington's boy willie in the 2024 film. my idea of boy willie was more aligned with washington's performance as i read it, but dutton's performance was great and has made me a more open reader of the play and his character. i also really loved alfre woodard as berniece, she was absolutely electric. overall i think this was a really solid adaptation of the play, though a bit hokey because hallmark produced it.
watched this as part of my final paper "research" for script analysis. i've read the piano lesson about 3x through and i wanted to see people perform it. this was really great, especially bc i realized that most of the cast is from the original broadway cast so it was really cool to see, even partially, what the original production might've looked like. i thought that charles s. dutton's performance of boy willie was really exciting and much more open than the bits i've seen of john david washington's boy willie in the 2024 film. my idea of boy willie was more aligned with washington's performance as i read it, but dutton's performance was great and has made me a more open reader of the play and his character. i also really loved alfre woodard as berniece, she was absolutely electric. overall i think this was a really solid adaptation of the play, though a bit hokey because hallmark produced it.
