The touching American classic, THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, tells the story of Carrie Watts, an elderly woman who dreams of returning to her small hometown of Bountiful, TX one last time, against the wishes of her overprotective son and domineering daughter-in-law. Her journey becomes a heartbreaking but ultimately life-affirming and inspiring tale that examines the fragility of memory and celebrates the enduring power of hope and faith.
For Carrie, played in the new Broadway revival (*** out of four) by a sparkling Cicely Tyson, Bountiful has become almost as mythic - a place she wants to revisit before receiving her greater reward. Standing in her way are her now middle-aged child, Ludie, and his self-serving wife, Jessie Mae, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. and Vanessa Williams. Ludie, struggling financially, frets about Carrie, while Jessie Mae frets about her mother-in-law's pension checks, which have been helping her sustain a modest but indulgent lifestyle.
[Tyson's] performance as Mrs. Watts is as remarkable for its spry, shuffling energy and wiliness as for its warmth and emotional transparency...Tyson's ability to convey stubborn resilience in the face of defeat is profoundly touching...But the production's tone is inconsistent, too often sacrificing truthful poignancy in favor of jaunty humor and manufactured sentiment. Instead of a quiet elegy that can cut deep with its sense of reaching for a past that exists now only in the imagination, it has become a heartwarming dramedy (a word I hate) of a kind regularly found on basic cable. It's still perfectly entertaining, just a long way from being all that this play can be.
1953 | Broadway |
Broadway |
2013 | Broadway |
Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Cicely Tyson |
2013 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Condola Rashad |
2013 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | 0 |
2013 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Cicely Tyson |
2013 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Vanessa Williams |
2013 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | 0 |
2013 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Cicely Tyson |
2013 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Michael Wilson |
2013 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Vanessa Williams |
2013 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | 0 |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play | Condola Rashad |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Cicely Tyson |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Charles Salameno |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Willette Murphy Klausner/Reginald M. Browne |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Raymond Gaspard/Andre M. Price |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Sharon A. Carr/Patricia R. Klausner |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Howard and Janet Kagan |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Joseph Sirola |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Fifty Church Street Productions/Hallie Foote/Tyson and Kimberly Chandler |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Ricardo Hornos |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Carl Moellenberg |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Philip Geier |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Wendy Federman |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Carole L. Haber/Philip Geier |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Kenneth Teaton |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Alia M. Jones |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Stephen C. Byrd |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | David R. Weinreb |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Paula Marie Black |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Kevin Liles |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Nelle Nugent |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | The Trip to Bountiful |
2013 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | John Gromada |
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