It's All Good from Englewood!
Rev. Lisa L. Bryant
Published: September 12, 2011
Join me in congratulating two products of Englewood for their stellar performance in-
The Mahdi Theatre Company’s “The Wiz – Chicago Style”, presented August 19 and 20, at the Harold Washington Cultural Center. The grand daughter and great-grand son of former Englewood Resident Isabel Joseph Johnson, who hosted a Gospel radio show on WVON, had roles in this most heralded production. Porald Harris Bordes, a background singer, and her son, Justice Z. Bordes, played a “Munchkin”, in the musical tailor-made for Chicago! It was good to see and hear them using their God-given talents to promote the arts in a cultural setting. Dorothy, The Scarecrow and the other characters put on a production that was both charismatic and artistic, complete with common “Chicago” references, to include the “South Side/West Side is the Best Side”, “Chinatown”, “Millennium Park” and “The Gold Coast”. The “Tin Man” entertained the audience by paying homage to Chicago’s very own R. Kelly by singing “his” version of “When a Woman Loves” as he explained his plight as it pertains to needing a heart.
In the scene when the Emperor of Emerald City gave directives regarding the color change for the day, some of Chicago’s Elite Steppers made their way onto the stage to set the “Red” tone for the day, as did the Jesse White Tumblers when they represented the “Green” theme and infused the audience with their acrobatic routine! Kudos to those representing Englewood in a positive light!