The Piano Lesson (2024)

Jack and I liked very much this latest iteration of August Wilson's 1987 Pulitzer-winning play about a 1936 Pittsburgh family's prized instrument. It's getting lots of love, especially for Danielle Deadwyler who stars as Berniece. Samuel L. Jackson gets top billing as Doaker, the uncle of Berniece and her brother Boy Willie, the lead character, played by John David Washington. Supporting strength comes from Ray Fisher as cousin Lymon, Corey Hawkins as Berniece's boyfriend Avery, Michael Potts as her uncle Wining Boy, and I'm always happy to see and hear Erykah Badu, this time playing Lucille.

Malcolm Washington (Denzel's son and John David's brother) makes his feature directing and co-writing debut with co-writer Virgil Williams. Denzel does not appear on screen but is one of the producers, and Malcolm's twin sister Olivia Washington has a small part as Young Mama Ola. I'm streaming Alexandre Desplat's score on Apple Music as I type.

The production design, led by David J. Bomba, of the 1930s and flashbacks, is in beautiful sepia.

Jackson was the first to play Boy Willie in the 1987 Yale Repertory Theater production, and he, John David Washington, Fisher, and Potts all starred in its Broadway production from 2022-2023. After and between the stage version, there was an award winning 1995 TV movie, too.

Jackson was last blogged for Death to 2020, John David Washington for Amsterdam, Hawkins for The Tragedy of Macbeth, Potts for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Badu for House of D, Williams for Mudbound, and Desplat for Nyad. 

Deadwyler starred in and earned nominations and wins for Till (2022), which I forgot to see, among many credits, and Fisher is new to me. Olivia Washington co-starred in the surreal series I'm a Virgo, about a 13 foot tall Oakland teenager. Bomba has several nominations and wins, including for this, Mudbound, and the series Ozark.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics are in tune, with an 88% average, but its audiences are hitting clunkers at 68. We streamed it on Netflix on December 10. Stick around for a Badu song and two others at the end of the credits.