Theater Review: ‘A Boy and His Soul’

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NEW YORK—There's nothing wrong with someone taking a trip down memory lane, but the question is whether anyone will want to come along for the ride. They certainly will for A Boy and His Soul, Colman Domingo's brilliant autobiographical piece (which he wrote and stars in) now at the Vineyard Theatre.

When Domingo's parents decide to sell the family home in Philadelphia and move to Florida, it falls to him to go back and clean up the old homestead. It had been rented out for many years and had fallen into disrepair.

While straightening out the place from top to bottom, Colman finds, in a corner of the basement, boxes of old record albums by such artists as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Commodores, Gladys Night and the Pips, Barry White, Luther Vandross, and many, many more.

The sight of these albums take Colman back to a time when he was a young boy growing up in the late 1970s/early 1980s. As Colman notes: "The records still had glory in their groves. That day in the basement, the vinyl just hung in the air like ghosts."

More than a personal journey, Domingo demonstrates a deep love for that time period—with every line of dialogue a description—telling about the clothes he wore, the type of equipment used (anyone remember the little disc one would put in the middle of a 45 rpm to make it work on a turntable?), and the dances performed (i.e. "The Hustle"). Throughout, the actor literarily becomes one with the music, at one point inviting the audience to sing and clap along with the sounds of soul and disco flowing through his veins.

Domingo demonstrates the life-transforming power of music—like when he and his mother were sitting in their backyard on a hot summer night (the light of a new moon blazing down) and a certain tune made his mother, a woman tired and worn out by life, feel young and hopeful again. There was also the time when the young Colman, an aspiring classical musician (and a geek in training), was dragged to an Earth, Wind and Fire concert and discovered a musical style and form of expression he never understood before.

Domingo makes a perfect ringmaster for the evening, guiding the audience along, while not being afraid to make fun of himself. ("Tastes vary," he notes defensively at one point, when he comes across his old Carpenters album.) He also believably morphs into the various characters in his family, including his mother, stepfather, and two siblings.

The show is also a story about Domingo's coming of age. Not only from years ago, but also as time goes on and he starts seeing things through "adult eyes," a frequent phrase used in the play. As the years pass he starts to realize that the music and lyrics of the songs he loved were not just some nice sounding tunes with words that rhyme, but works filled with meaning about life, war, politics, sex, love, and understanding.

This nostalgic look back is leavened with the knowledge Domingo gains along the way; the most important point being that he still has a lot to learn—especially as he battles with the fact that his parents are getting older, as well as the question of just why those records were left in the house in the first place.

Tony Kelly's direction and Ken Roberson's choreography work wonderfully, giving Domingo free reign to take a journey into his past via the music from his childhood. Rachel Hauck's set of an old house with a circa 1974 stereo and turntable record player perfectly sets the mood, and Toni-Leslie James's costumes and Marcus Doshi's lighting come together nicely to add an extra element of believability to the work.

A Boy and His Soul is one of the best one-person autobiographical pieces to come down the pike in a long time. It’s not that the story is that unusual (it isn't), but rather that the show combines its various elements to awaken feelings of nostalgia, familiarity, and understanding in the audience, so that they can empathize with what Domingo is going through.

Just as important, Domingo makes the audience feel as if they are right there with him every step of the way. It also doesn't hurt that the music is enjoyable. As Domingo's stepfather notes, "They don't make them like that anymore."

A Boy and His Soul
Vineyard Theatre
108 East 15th Street
Tickets: 212-353-0303 or www.vineyardtheatre.org
Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Closes: Nov. 1

Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent from the London publication, The Stage.