The mouthy matriarch Madea bids farewell after a nearly 20-year run!
Tonight, Sheronda and I enjoyed Tyler Perry and his team in Madea’s Farewell Play Tour.
We found hope and hilarity in the cast. The intermission commercials (i.e. “Throw Hands” and “Madea’s My Feet Hurt Slippers” were just as funny. The music moved us and the show started on time. I particularly loved the moments when Madea cracked up at various cast members and had to collect herself before continuing her tirades. And in trademark Madea fashion, she reprimanded everyone who arrived after the show started at 7 pm. We were hysterical!
Perry shocked the world when he recently announced that he would end the near 20-year run of his most-beloved character Mabel “Madea” Simmons. Yet, fans are getting their final fix with Perry’s 21st stage play, which also stars Tamela Mann as Cora, David Mann as Mr. Brown, and Cassi Davis Patton as Bam. The play runs until mid-May and ends with a four-night stint at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. Tickets are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.com.
Perry will also bring the Simmons family together one last time for A Madea Family Funeral, which opens on March 1 and concludes a series of 10 films with the mouthy matriarch.
Tyler Perry’s Rise and Reign
Madea’s character is a combination of Perry’s mother, aunt, and his creativity. As a young boy, Perry endured a traumatic childhood and, in his words, “would go in my head, in my imagination, and leave the situation.” But this practice paved the way for his success. That place in his mind where he went as a child is now where he goes to write. To date, Perry now owns over 1,000 episodes of television, 20 films, six number-one movies, the number-one cable TV show on Tuesday nights, and he is writing, directing, producing it all. Movies usually take 18 months to shoot. Perry’s last movie was shot in eight days.
By God’s grace and Perry’s and his team’s hard work ethic, he is now the most successful African-American filmmaker in history and the ruler of an entertainment empire of hit movies, TV series, and plays. In fact, Perry is so prolific that he is starting his own Tylervision network.
Tyler Perry, we salute you for your trailblazing spirit, your excellence and your tireless commitment to your vision. Madea may say farewell to us, but hers and your influence will live on forever.
