‘JoBe’ musical situates Biblical Job story in black community

Toussaint Liberator as Jobe and Rachel Redd as Sara in JoBe the Musical. (Idly Galette photo) (Photo: Idly Galette)

From September 18 to 21, the third floor of 184 Dudley Street was transformed into the “First Born , New Born, Non-Denominational, Totally Inspirational, Functionally Congregational Church” as the setting for the world premier of JoBe the Musical, a modern-day interpretation of the book of Job from the Old Testament.

Written and produced by retired Judge Milton Wright, formerly of the Roxbury District Court, JoBe the Musical is set in Our Town in the City of Overtown where the full house on opening night was greeted with a chorus praising: “I found God Here!…I found God Here!…In this House!” filling Hibernian Hall in bass-thumping, hand-clapping feel-good hymns.

In that sanctuary is where we find Minister Anna Bell Thompson, played by Wright’s Grammy Award-winning sister Betty Wright, invoking the faithful congregation with a sermon about “the most noble man in town! A righteous man! A Man of God!…Job!…Talkin’ ’bout Job!,” referring to the husband and father of four; a symbol of perseverance and strong family values who ends up facing continued hardship — provoking him to question his creator.

“My people!” she called. “We have such a person in Our Town that embodies Job in present day — our neighbor — JoBe!”

In Wright’s adaptation we see JoBe (pronounced Joe-B), played by the young and talented Toussaint Liberator, go through what Wright refers to as “a Job-like experience.” As a father and husband to his wife Sara, Job is seen as a pillar in the family and a prosperous member of his community, yet faces multiple hardships losing both his wealth and family. Though weak at times in the face of adversity or conflict, JoBe ultimately finds strength in his steadfast faith and gets his family back.

It was the same sense of family and devotion to community that led Wright to put the production together. Involving his younger sister Betty Wright in the production was a no-brainer, Wright said. Recording and performing as a professional vocalist since the age of 12, and best known for her hits Clean up Woman and Tonight is the Night, she traveled from Miami to take on the role of the baptist preacher, but ended up imparting years of wisdom, experience and talent on the overall production.

“My family’s involvement was essential, and I don’t think I could have done this until we all got together,” Wright said, his face betraying a sense of pride.

Wright also enlisted his son, Kavayah Wright to do the sound design and music arrangement for the soul music production, complete with 16 songs and multiple dance sequences, one of which was performed by Wright’s granddaughter.

After his family, Wright turned to the community to fill the remaining positions in the cast and crew, starting with the Butterfly Project, a theater nonprofit he co-founded with the goal of getting (and keeping) young people involved in theater and performing arts.

From the Butterfly Project he picked up Charles Potter, who in his first-ever theater performance amazed the crowd as Satin, the devilish figure who continuously taunted JoBe and his family with temptation, lies and deceit, all the while exhibiting humor and poise with his stage presence and booming baritone voice.

Also from the Butterfly Project came Shaffany Terrell and young talents Cali Leonard and James McDonough, who remain active in the annual Black Nativity production.

Both Wright and director Vincent Ernest Siders knew that they wanted JoBe the Musical to be two things: extraordinary and local.

“I was familiar with his work and knew of his appreciation for musical productions and the community of Roxbury,” Wright said of Siders.

Perhaps no single talent was more local than that of Grove Hall native Rachel Redd. With over 15 years of experience as an actress in both television and film, Redd, a Spelman College and Boston Arts Academy graduate, previously starred on the hit PBS Kids TV show “ZOOM!” and in recent Tyler Perry productions. These roles more than prepared her for the lead role of Sara, the loyal wife and loving mother, and a role perhaps she has been destined to play.

“I remember being a little girl and hearing Milton go over songs and lines in the script quite often,” Redd said. “So it really was an honor and a pleasure to participate in this production.”

Though trained in Drama, Redd amazed the crowd with her flawless alto voice emoting songs of loss and sorrow as her family went through hardship after hardship.

“It forced me to challenge myself as an actress and I really enjoyed working with Milton, Vincent and the entire team they put together,” she said. “Everyone gets nervous, but I have always learned to trust the director and those involved in the production.”

“Having experienced talent like Betty and Rachel made my job easy,” Siders said. “They both were such great mentors to other cast members throughout the production and really made the show come alive. I wanted strong female voices as well, to compliment JoBe, and we got it.”

After the final curtain and the music, dancing and praising had subsided, Wright gathered the cast and crew at his home for fellowship and a collective thank you for what had been a long and rigorous production schedule.

It was there one got the sense that perhaps no one had worked harder, or certainly longer, on JoBe the Musical than Milton Wright, who as a judge was active in theater productions and the arts and continues to do so now as the chairman of the Boston Licensing board.

“This was about a 25-year-long process…because JoBe is such a complicated story, and every experience we face in life that we then overcome makes you step back and say ‘I found God here,’ and that is a JoBe moment,” said Wright.

Despite JoBe the Musical having a very local feel, Wright and his team have big dreams and high hopes for the future of the production, including a soundtrack and perhaps another run before Thanksgiving or early next year.

“This play was for the people. That’s where it belongs,” Wright said.