Blues for An Alabama Sky
Closed 2h 30m
Blues for An Alabama Sky
86

Blues for An Alabama Sky NYC Reviews and Tickets

86%
(95 Ratings)
Positive
99%
Mixed
1%
Negative
0%
Members say
Great acting, Absorbing, Great writing, Relevant, Thought-provoking

About the Show

Keen Company presents a revival of this drama set in 1930s New York, where four friends' lives and passions collide when an innocent newcomer arrives from Alabama. 

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Show-Score Member Reviews (95)

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247 Reviews | 61 Followers
100
Thought-provoking, Great acting, Great staging, Entertaining, Absorbing

See it if Outstanding in every way: stellar acting, marvelous writing, wonderful stage design! We loved every minute of it & will be back with friends

Don't see it if you are homophobic, believe in temperance or don't support abortion. But actually just see it anyway - it's relevant, then and now!

don
506 Reviews | 1005 Followers
94
Thought-provoking, Great writing, Great acting, Absorbing, Wrong show

See it if So so good. So much to think about. All 5 performers superb. Perfect theater for this intimate work

Don't see it if Sorry no negatives for us.

536 Reviews | 279 Followers
92
Great acting ensemble, Riveting, Masterful, Great writing, Absorbing

See it if you want to see an old-fashioned play that is timely. This play is very well constructed. Great introduction to the writing of Pearl Cleage.

Don't see it if 2.5 hours is too long for you to sit. Read more

155 Reviews | 23 Followers
91
Must see, Masterful, Intelligent, Great writing, Great acting

See it if you want to enjoy a well acted play where you will learn about life in 1930s Harlem.

Don't see it if you prefer musicals or plays without intense dramatic plots.

194 Reviews | 136 Followers
90
Riveting, Great writing, Great acting

See it if you enjoy plays with such interesting characters, you’ll spend the subway ride home wondering what happened to them after the curtain fell.

Don't see it if It’s a bit too long, but I enjoyed spending time with these characters so much, it hardly mattered. Read more

774 Reviews | 246 Followers
88
Melodramatic, Well developed, Intelligent, Funny, Absorbing

See it if Act 1: deliciously long buildup of characters with wit, irony & insight. Act 2: melodramatic explosion & satisfying ending. Great acting.

Don't see it if You aren't up for a 2 1/2 hour old-style period piece with a lot of attention to characters & setting. You want a realistic conclusion. Read more

131 Reviews | 6 Followers
87
Relevant, Masterful, Great staging, Great acting, Exquisite

See it if You enjoy well acted dramas, with lots of sass, clever dialogue, surprising twists, and ageless topics.

Don't see it if You don't want to deal with adult topics or you prefer a comedy with singing and dancing.

165 Reviews | 23 Followers
85
Relevant, Great writing, Intelligent, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if you want a play set in 1930's Harlem that examines the consequences that come about based on the choices people make.

Don't see it if you want a light comedy.

Critic Reviews (11)

The New York Times
February 26th, 2020

"Review: Name-Dropping Harlem in ‘Blues for an Alabama Sky’: The neighborhood is referrred to constantly, insistently, but doesn’t come to life in Pearl Cleage’s play about a nightclub singer from the 1930s."
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New York Magazine / Vulture
February 24th, 2020

"Men to Watch in 'Cambodian Rock Band', 'Blues for an Alabama Sky,' and 'The Headlands'"
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The Wall Street Journal
February 20th, 2020

"Engrossingly Old-Fashioned: Struggling New Yorkers get mixed up with a fresh-off-the-bus widower in Keen Company’s staging of Pearl Cleage’s play"
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Theatermania
February 21st, 2020

"Dreams Deferred and Fulfilled in 'Blues for an Alabama Sky': The Keen Company gives Pearl Cleage's 25-year-old play an overdue New York premiere."
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Lighting & Sound America
February 19th, 2020

"Its account of characters caught up in rapidly changing times and shifting social mores remains highly pertinent. It is as engrossing as a good novel, offering a trip to another time while commenting on issues that remain vital today."
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New York Stage Review
February 19th, 2020

4/5 Stars. "Playwright Pearl Cleage looks at 1930s Harlem dreaming, with five figures running for their natural lives"
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New York Stage Review
February 19th, 2020

3/5 Stars. "Cleage's absorbing 1995 drama receives its overdue New York premiere in this disappointing Keen Company production"
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TheaterScene.net
February 26th, 2020

"Set as the Harlem Renaissance was turning into the Great Depression among artists and professionals alike, Cleage's conventional melodrama is old-fashioned in structure, but the characters are three-dimensionally drawn and the plot is engrossing."
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