'Joe Turner's Come and Gone' Broadway review —
Read our review of August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone on Broadway, starring Taraji P. Henson and Cedric "The Entertainer" under the direction of Debbie Allen.
Summary
- Joe Turner's Come and Gone is set at a Pittsburgh boardinghouse for Black travelers during the Great Depression
- Ruben Santiago-Hudson is the standout of a strong ensemble cast also led by Taraji P. Henson and Cedric "The Entertainer"
- The show is recommended for fans of August Wilson's work and those interested in works about the Black American experience
In March 1988, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone made its Broadway debut at the Barrymore Theatre. Nearly 40 years later, the same venue is home to August Wilson’s play once again in its second Broadway revival. From the opening scene, this production, directed by Debbie Allen, feels lived-in thanks to the immediately established chemistry between Cedric "The Entertainer" and Taraji P. Henson as married couple Seth and Bertha Holly, who run a boardinghouse in Pittsburgh.
It’s 1911, a time of great turmoil for the Black community amid the Great Migration. While Seth and Bertha are relatively fixed in their ways — Seth even boasts about being born in the North to free parents, something that sets him apart from other characters — their boardinghouse sees people coming in and out from all over the country, most of them desperate to find something. It’s the collection of all these stories that make up the beating heart of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.
Tenants come and go from the boardinghouse with tales of the outside world, which the audience never gets to see for themselves. Jeremy (Tripp Taylor), a young musician, starts the show as a permanent tenant but follows his wandering heart out the door when the glamorous Molly (Maya Boyd) comes through. Mattie (Nimene Sierra Wureh), a young woman pining for the man who left her, represents a new generation of people so lost, they don’t even know how to begin looking for what they want — though we can hope Bertha’s advice about love and laughter will set her on the right path. Rutherford Selig (Bradley Stryker), the only white person in the ensemble, drops by every Saturday to commission work from Seth and share stories from the road. (Stryker’s deliberately tone-deaf delivery of how Rutherford is carrying on his ancestors’ legacy elicited a vocal reaction from my audience.)
But the most mysterious tenant of all to darken the door — quite literally, and cinematically, thanks to set designer David Gallo's boardinghouse front door with a shadow-amplifying glass pane — is Herald Loomis (a magnetic Joshua Boone), in search of his wife. With a greatcoat and wide-brimmed hat, often possessively clutching the hand of his young daughter, Zonia (a darling Savannah Commodore at my performance), he cuts an intimidating figure and seems to be overflowing with unbridled emotion jsimmering ust beneath the surface. When he finally releases it, it is truly terrifying. Boone's performance is matched in the final minutes of the play by Abigail C. Onwunali, bringing as much power to her brief appearance as Martha as she did to King Lear and Edward in La MaMa’s recent King Lear.
Cedric and Henson are the slow-moving center of the show, keeping the boardinghouse running while dramas of their tenants, big and small, orbit around them. Cedric is steady, authoritative, and funny. Henson isn’t given much to do with the relatively small role of Bertha, but she certainly makes the most of it — she may be on stage more than any other character, always in motion, anticipating tenants’ needs by pulling out chairs and food for them before they ask. At one point, she even makes and kneads what appears to be real dough.
Inhabited by this talented ensemble, it feels like each one of these characters could step off the stage into real life with the snap of a finger. But none more so than Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Bynum Walker, the anchor of the narrative. The play opens with Seth and Holly discussing his odd ways behind his back, and at first he appears to be a loony old man. But as the audience gets to know him, the more it seems that Bynum is the only character who has it all figured out. Santiago-Hudson’s performance is real, grounded, and a true joy to experience. And it all contributes to the tapestry of this production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone: rich, complex, deliberately unhurried (though perhaps a tad too long), and full of deeply layered performances.
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone summary
Seth and Bertha Holly, married for 25 years, run a boardinghouse in Pittsburgh in 1911. The city is alive with industrialism but straining under tensions deepened by the Reconstruction era. Amidst the usual hustle and bustle of the boardinghouse, a mysterious man named Herald Loomis arrives on the Hollys’ doorstep with his young daughter, Zonia. Like many passing through the city, Loomis is in search of something: his long-lost wife Martha, the mother of his daughter. The spiritual journey that lies ahead of him will end up sweeping up the other residents of the boardinghouse before it reaches its conclusion.
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is the second play in August Wilson’s The Century Cycle (also known as The Pittsburgh Cycle), a series of 10 plays chronicling the Black experience in America, one for each decade of the 20th century.
What to expect at Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
The title of the play derives from a blues song, “Joe Turner,” about a real-life white man (the brother of former Tennessee governor Pete Turney) who would illegally kidnap Black men and force them to labor on a chain gang. Bynum sings the song at the beginning of Act 2 in an effort to get Herald to reveal his closely kept dark past. Many of the people who pass through Seth Holly’s boardinghouse have memories of being enslaved or have formerly enslaved parents — that is to say, a past that’s not so distant from 2026 as many would like to believe.
The characters carry the scars of this recent past. Even Zonia Loomis, who isn’t old enough to remember slavery, has been forced into a childhood on the road after her family was torn apart due to continuing violence against Black people. Bynum, the Hollys’ permanent tenant and a local conjure man (a kind of witch doctor), was enslaved before Emancipation. Bynum claims to have a superpower: a song that “binds” people together. (But he can’t bind people who don’t “cling,” he warns.) Just like the blues song that inspires the play’s title, songs — either the one Bynum sings, or the one he says is inside everyone — are a recurring theme throughout the play, and they can be a balm against violence.
What audiences are saying about Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
At the time of publication, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone has an 87% audience approval rating on Show-Score, averaged from 106 total reviews.
- “There’s just as much happening underneath the surface as it does above, and the play has magical moments of theater that stayed with me for days.” - Show-Score user GreatAvi
- “It’s less about plot and more about the emotional journey of finding your ‘song’ again - who you are when the world has tried to erase you.” - Show-Score user Jennifer R
- “Very long, prepare to buckle up!” - Show-Score user Dan J
- “This ensemble has great chemistry - everyone just fit right in like pieces of a well-oiled machine. HIGHLY recommend!” -Show-Score user Denise J
Read more audience reviews of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone on Show-Score.
Who should see Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
- August Wilson is considered one of America’s greatest playwrights, and his powerful works are not to be missed. Fans of Wilson’s work and curious theatregoers alike will want to see one of his plays staged so thoughtfully.
- Audiences may (rightly) come to this show for the stars on the billboards, Cedric "The Entertainer" and Taraji P. Henson — but fans of a strong, cohesive ensemble cast will enjoy how these actors tell their characters' individual and collective stories.
- Theatregoers interested in plays about the Black experience in America, particularly in a historical context, will enjoy this unique slice of life with a dash of magical realism.
Learn more about Joe Turner’s Come and Gone on Broadway
Debbie Allen’s production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is a rich and emotional revival that brings a slice of Black American history to vivid life.
Photo credit: Joe Turner's Come and Gone on Broadway. (Photos by Julieta Cervantes)
Frequently asked questions
Where is Joe Turner's Come and Gone playing?
Joe Turner's Come and Gone is playing at Barrymore Theatre. The theatre is located at 243 West 47th Street, New York, 10036.
How long is Joe Turner's Come and Gone?
The running time of Joe Turner's Come and Gone is 2hr 30min. (Approx.) Incl. 15min intermission.
How do you book tickets for Joe Turner's Come and Gone?
Book tickets for Joe Turner's Come and Gone on New York Theatre Guide.
What's the age requirement for Joe Turner's Come and Gone?
The recommended age for Joe Turner's Come and Gone is Ages 12+. Children under 4 years old will not be admitted..
What is Joe Turner's Come and Gone about?
Joe Turner's Come and Gone is set in 1911, during the Great Migration, offering a moving meditation on memory, community, and the enduring hope of freedom reclaimed.
Who wrote Joe Turner's Come and Gone?
August Wilson, the famed writer of Fences and The Piano Lesson, wrote this drama.
Who directs Joe Turner's Come and Gone?
Debbie Allen, a stage and screen icon, directs this revival.
Is Joe Turner's Come and Gone good?
Yes; August Wilson is one of America's most cherished playwrights, and the show was nominated for the Tony for Best Play when it debuted in the 1980s.
Is Joe Turner's Come and Gone appropriate for kids?
The show has adult themes and audiences must be four and older to enter Broadway venues.
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