“Fat Ham” is a delicious comedic feast fit for a king! The way that James Ijames takes on William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” with this 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winner for Drama will have you engaged and hungry for more.
Ijames has taken the Shakespearean story and served us up a Black family with a hot, sizzling tale of sibling betrayal/murder and marrying your dead brother’s widow, with a cool, tasty side of potato salad and a thirst-quenching drink of juice to wash it down. He adds to the tale a story of the struggle that young, gay Black men have to face with their families and within themselves.
This delectable dish is being served at the American Airlines Theatre on W. 42nd Street.
We start off in the backyard of the house where Juicy, a Black gay college student, is preparing for a wedding reception for his mother Tedra and his Uncle Rev; a backyard that recently was the location of a memorial for his father Pap.
Juicy is a sensitive young man who is having mixed feelings about the death of his father—a cruel man, who would beat and chastise him for being “soft.” Juicy misses his father, but also feels anger about the way Pap mistreated him.
As Juicy prepares the yard, he is visited by the ghost of Pap, who says that Uncle Rev had him murdered and he wants his son to take revenge. Now, there’s the rub.
As you meet the other characters, each one is very well-defined and engaging. Rev is as mean as Pap was and has no patience for Juicy’s soft ways. Tedra is the only adult who accepts Juicy, and loves and defends him. There’s also Tio, the pot smoking, porn-watching cousin, who is Juicy’s friend and confidante and is also quite the philosopher when he is high.
Juicy’s Aunt Rabby is very judgmental of him and not willing to recognize the issues of her own children. His cousins Opal and Larry are suffering because they cannot truly be who they are because of their mother Rabby.
One of the marvelous elements of this play is the hilarious and continuous breaking of the fourth wall. It is such fun when the characters speak directly to the audience and question each other as to “what did you say to them?”
One of the many wonderful aspects of this production—which was originally presented at the Public Theater and was magnificent then—is that the Broadway production maintained the same delightful cast in their entirety.
Marcel Spears is Juicy and he gives one of the most enjoyable, delectable performances you will see on Broadway. He is sensitive, funny, and quite intelligent. Nikki Crawford is sexy, protective, funny, and a bit defensive as Tedra. This lady has the look, the moves, and sweetness to pull off this role with ease and joy.
Billy Eugene Jones plays both Rev and Pap, and he is absolutely amazing! This actor always gives a stunning performance in anything I’ve seen him in. In this play, he can be funny, sexy, and even brutal.
Chris Herbie Holland as cousin Tio is perfectly cast. This actor brings so much silliness, joy and laughter to his character. Benja Kay Thomas is marvelous as Rabby, a judgmental aunt with her own secrets. Adrianna Mitchell is spirited and funny as Opal. Calvin Leon Smith is engaging as Larry. He plays the role with sensitivity and empathy.
It’s no wonder this cast stayed intact—together they make a delicious combination. This play also has the superb, hilarious direction of Saheem Ali, who also directed it at the Public Theater.
The creative team for “Fat Ham” serves it up right and includes set designer Maruti Evans, costume designer Dominique Fawn Hill, lighting designer Bradley King, sound designer Mikaal Sulaiman, choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie, hair and wig designer Earon Chew Nealey, and illusions designer Skylar Fox.
“Fat Ham” proves that when something is phenomenal, a lot of others will recognize that and jump on the bandwagon. When the production originated at the Public Theater, it was co-produced by the Public Theater and National Black Theater; for the Broadway run, a lot of companies and individuals have also come aboard. “Fat Ham” is produced on Broadway by No Guarantees, Public Theater Productions, and Rashad V. Chambers; co-producers include National Black Theatre, Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, Tim Levy, Bob Boyett, Cynthia Stroum, Adam Cohen, Blake Devillier, the Forstalls, John Gore Organization, David Miner, and the Wilma Theater. Andy Jones and Dylan Pager serve as executive producers.
“Fat Ham” is a play you will want to sop up with some biscuits and gravy. For tickets, visit FatHamBroadway.com.