THE PIANO LESSON: A STARRY, BUT OFF-KEY, RENDITION
6 / 10
Boy Willie is, by definition, insolent and impetuous, and Washington-so captivating as an undercover cop in Spike Lee's Oscar-winning drama BlacKkKlansman-captures both with ease, and has presence to spare. Unfortunately, he's also pretty much at full volume, and full speed, from the jump. To be fair, Charles S. Dutton's performance at Yale Rep and on Broadway received some of the same criticism-too big, too loud, too fast. And if Boy Willie didn't drive at 55 mph, the play could easily be 20 minutes longer. That's how massive the part is. One suspects, however, that Washington will be dynamite in the Netflix Piano Lesson adaptation.
