Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020) Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, & August Wilson

<b>Book Vs. Movie: </b><br /><b>Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom</b><br /><b>The August Wilson Play Vs. the 2021 Movie <br /><br />Pittsburgh native <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/August-Wilson" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">August Wilson</a> (1945-2005) is one of the most successful playwrights of the 20th Century; with a collection of works that came to be known as <a href="https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/august-wilson-pittsburgh-cycle-century-cycle-plays-summary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Pittsburgh Cycl</a>e, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice in his career and was inducted into American Theater Hall of Fame in 2006. His 1984 work <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_Rainey%27s_Black_Bottom_(film)" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom</a> is the subject of today’s episode. </b><br /><b><br /><a href="https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/gertrude-ma-rainey" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gertrude Pridgett (Ma Rainey’s</a> birth name) was dubbed the “Mother of the Blues” for her outrageous stage presence and ability to hold audiences in her trance. The Blues being one of America’s native art forms, the combination of the gospel with jazz music enticed the world with the earliest recordings featuring African American culture and is revered to this day. Rainey learned the ropes of show business through her husband “Pa Rainey” and was a mentor to a young <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Smith" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bessie Smith</a>. </b><br /><b><br />Wilson’s 1984 play is a fictional account of Rainey attending a recording of her work at a Chicago studio in 1927. By this time in her career, her known toughness and business acumen were legendary, and when she takes center stage in the story--it's hard to take your eyes off her. The studio musicians (Levee, Toledo, Cutler, and Slow Drag) watch her handle recording executives getting rich from her talent. The