Review Roundup: Jordan E. Cooper's OH HAPPY DAY Opens At The Public Theater

OH HAPPY DAY! opens tonight at The Public Theater. The play is a theatrical reimagining of Noah’s Ark from Tony Award-nominated writer and director duo Jordan E. Cooper and Stevie Walker-Webb. Read reviews for the production!

OH HAPPY DAY! begins in Laurel, MS, at a birthday BBQ for Lewis, the patriarch of the family. Shortly after his estranged son Keyshawn (played by Cooper) makes a surprise appearance, absurdity ensues on a day that will change their world forever. Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Donald Lawrence writes original songs for this biting new play about confronting the divine.

The cast of OH HAPPY DAY! includes Donovan Louis Bazemore (Kevin), Jayna Elise (Understudy), Brian D. Coats (Lewis), Jordan E. Cooper (Keyshawn), Tamika Lawrence (Niecy), Tiffany Mann (Holy Divine), Sheléa Melody McDonald (Mighty Divine), Latrice Pace (Glory Divine), and Cole Taylor (Understudy).

OH HAPPY DAY! features scenic design by Luciana Stecconi, costume design by Qween Jean, lighting design by Adam Honoré, sound design by Taylor J. Williams, hair and wig design by Mia Neal, makeup design by Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche,  prop management by Samantha Llanes Gordon, choreography by Eboni Nichols, and dramaturgy by Jack Phillips Moore. Jakob W. Plummer will serve as production stage manager and Monét Thibou as stage manager.

Michael Sommers, New York Stage Review: Opening on Wednesday following its 2024 premiere at Baltimore Center Stage, Oh Happy Day! turns out to be, oh well, not such a happy event for theatergoers due to its overabundance of content and an underwhelming resolution. The show looks to be none too pleasant a time for Cooper either, who struggles with a strenuous leading role.

Austin Fimmano, New York Theatre Guide: Under the direction of Stevie Walker-Webb, Oh Happy Day! covers a lot of ground, but its main theme is the age-old question: What is the role of God in the face of unimaginable suffering? To that, Oh Happy Day! says to "lean not on your own understanding,” before God drops an excellent metaphor about spilled milk and carpet cleaner.

Robert Hofler, The Wrap: For Cooper, “Oh Happy Day!” is not so much a step forward from “Ain’t No Mo’” as it is a step sideways. It shows that he can also write a full two-act 130-minute family drama. Not that this playwright has abandoned his irreverent comic streak. God takes many forms in “Oh Happy Day!” and the ones that can be written about in this review are the fiercely attired (costumes by Qween Jean) girl group that features Holy Divine (Tiffany Mann), Mighty Divine (Shelea Melody McDonald) and Glory Divine (Latrice Pace). They sing so many great gospel-inspired songs, by Donald Lawrence, that “Oh Happy Day!” at moments turns into a rollicking musical.

Jonathan Mandell, New York Theater: “Oh Happy Day!” may sound like church: The plot retells the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark; a divinely-dressed trio called the Divines belt out original gospel songs; we hear theological discussions and sermon-like exhortations. But playwright and actor Jordan E. Cooper peoples his play with a struggling family in present-day Mississippi who are full of angry resentments and bitter memories. And Cooper, whose play “Ain’t No Mo’” on Broadway three years ago presented a collection of barbed satirical sketches, here largely puts drama and trauma center stage.

Average Rating: 52.5%