4 out of 5 stars

Don’t let its moments of easy, everyday conversation fool you. August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” is a play of big ideas -- about the Black-American experience a half-century after slavery, about voodoo-like mysticism, and about the search for identity -- a person’s “song,” as it’s described. Fortunately, this Debbie Allen-directed revival is big in many ways itself, from its stellar cast (who knew Cedric the Entertainer was such a great stage actor?) to its scenes of Shakespearean intensity. At times, it’s a bit much, but don’t forget those casual moments – in this staging, they make a complex drama fully relatable. — Charles Passy

At the Barrymore Theater, through July 26, 2026; joeturnerbway.com. (Review date: April 25, 2026)