Billy Porter resurrects ‘The Life’ in his NYC directorial debut
“We are at war to save the soul of humanity. Thoughts and prayers don’t mean shit. Hate is an action. Love is an action. Peace … is an action.” The words are spoken by Old JoJo, the narrator of a new concert production of The Life.
But the imprint is decidedly Billy Porter, who has reimagined the musical for a new generation. And he’s taking no prisoners.
Featuring music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Ira Gasman, and a book by the pair along with David Newman, The Life was nominated for 12 Tony Awards (winning two) when it premiered 25 years ago.
But the production exposed its creators’ disconnect from the subject matter, which portrayed the life of sex workers in 1980s New York City.Related: Billy Porter came out as HIV+ to liberate himself–and others–from shameNew York City Center Encores!, which has produced 81 concert revivals of musicals to date, and more recently, asked artists to “reclaim work for our time through their own personal lens,” approached Porter to direct.
