Earth, Wind and Fire Tribute a Celebration of Music and the Man Behind It

Music swirls through the fabric of every age.  In 1776 ballads, dance tunes, arias and sonatas were just a few of the styles of music Americans were listening to.   Almost 250 years later and not much has changed.  Some musical styles faded and new ones took root and flourished, just as they do today.  The musical banquet we all enjoy grows and evolves with us; filling our souls with the music we cherish over a lifetime. 

Founded in 1976, Black Ensemble Theater (BET) has spent decades capturing the magic of music’s timelessness and presenting it to hugely appreciative audiences.  Focusing on genres and artists who exemplify excellence in popular music rooted in the Black experience, BET turns back the clock and recreates the artistry and vision of creatives who electrified the world.

Few stars blazed brighter in the 70s and early 80s than Earth, Wind and Fire; a band with a sound and message that meshed beautifully with the tempestuous energy of the times.  Headed by a wonderfully talented musician itching to realize his own dreams of what music could be, Reasons:  A Tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire dives into the life that made Maurice White a musical oracle. Saturated with live performances of the music that earned the group seventeen Grammy nominations with six wins, the structure of Reasons makes it one of BET’s most ingratiating productions.

Written and directed by Daryl D. Brooks, Reasons opens with musical flash and flourish before slipping into an ever-engrossing narrative.  A mature Maurice White, masterfully played by Christian Denzel Bufford, looks back and chronicles the unfolding of his life.  A life whose early beginnings could have led to a far different outcome.  Left with a family friend to be raised in Memphis while his young mother traveled to Chicago in search of a more viable future, White’s early years could have been layered in foreboding.   But the people and influences that shaped his life turned out to be as steadfast as they were positive.  His mother had chosen wisely when she asked Ms. Robinson (Rhonda Preston) to care for her son. Neither of them knew her four-year-old would be twelve before she saw him again. But when she did, she was well pleased with what she found.  Employing love, sage judgment and careful guidance, White’s surrogate mother poured the kind of effort only the best of parents call to bear to raise a child.  Her most valuable gift to him may have been the sense of worth she instilled.  As his interest and proficiency in music grew, that self-worth would give him the confidence and courage to strike out and use all that he had learned to climb and conquer the world stage.

Playing White in his formative years, the youngster who’s discovering his love of drums, connecting with other musicians and mastering a panoply of musical styles to inch his way to professional status; RJ Griffith’s appeal only grows as the story of White’s life progresses.  As shrewdly led by his head as he is by his heart, young Maurice is someone who knows how to parlay the convergence of opportunity and talent into a stepping stone to the next level up.  Moving to Chicago as an adolescent to live with his mother and the family she built there, he brings his love for music with him.  When he comes of age, the scarcity of money and the need to chart a life plan forces him choose between a safe future or a fulfilling one in music.

Much of the music performed during the first half of Reasons showcased the sounds of the day.  In her alternate role as Fontella Bass, Preston’s impassioned take on Rescue Me nicely captured the original’s soulful urgency.  And a sumptuous rendition of a trill filled R&B version of Summertime left the audience in rapture.  The songs helped set the musical tone of the times when young Maurice ultimately decided to drop his studies to become a session player at Chess records.                

Brooks’ writing and direction persistently highlighted the humanity of the people in White’s life. That intentional and high regard for the power of individual character shepherded the audience into their orbit and filled it with a sense of investment. White’s mother Edna, who in this production goes by Mother Dear (Keya Trammell), encouraged through bottomless reservoirs of love.  That trusting bond she created with her eldest son extended to her other sons, Verdine (Rashun Carter) and Fred as well; who both would eventually join White in his legendary band.

Christian Bufford moves back to the forefront of Reasons shortly after White’s early career enjoyed even further growth and recognition.  He’d graduated beyond session playing by accepted Ramsey Lewis’s invitation to be a part of his trio. As lucrative as that brief association proved, the experience intensified White’s desire to create music that reflected his own unique musical aesthetic.  Reasons second act revels in the torrent of music Earth, Wind and Fire created and performed.  The hard-knuckled realities of surviving and thriving in a capricious industry were duly examined.  As were the human costs of leading a world renowned musical powerhouse. 

 The tsunami of hits the group unleashed during their reign buoyed the performance throughout. Shining Star, Boogie Wonderland, Devotion, and September count as a small fraction of the hits this tribute showcased so well.  Gregory Stewart as the silver throated Philip Bailey beautifully recalled the tenor’s signature sound. Quite surprisingly, Christopher Chase Carter’s choreography didn’t display the crisp wit and imagination usually tied to his work.  An unfortunate anomaly to a show that becomes more rewarding every time your mind journeys back to it.      

Reasons:  A Tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire

Extended to April 30, 2023

Black Ensemble Theater

4450 N. Clark Street

Chicago, IL  60640

www.https://blackensembletheater.org