Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at Detroit Repertory Theatre

In a rundown Chicago recording studio in 1927, tempers rise and simmering conflicts erupt when the “Mother of the Blues” and her band record a set of jazz and blues standards.

Fiery and determined, Ma Rainey fights to retain control over her music, while her cocky trumpet player Levee dreams of making his own name in the business. More than music goes down in August Wilson’s riveting portrayal of rage, racism, self-hatred, and exploitation.