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Fried Chicken & Latkes, written and conceived by Rain Pryor, is a hero’s journey from the standpoint of a person born into a world of “Us vs. Them” – but not quite an “us” and not quite a “them”. Told through heavy characterization and a few songs, the story takes us on a journey of racial identity, family, spiritual growth and love. She gives us a glimpse into the universe that was her childhood and is her life, morphing effortlessly, into the people around her, we all end up completely identifying with her story.
Rain Pryor grew up Black and Jewish in Beverly Hills. The year was 1969, the year was of shout and protest against mans inhumane spirit. Through hate, racism, fear, loss and love – Rain dives into her search for heritage and meaning by “becoming” her grandmother Bernice – discussing everything from her shana madel’s marriage to the black comedian Richard Pryor, to the fact that Jews have been Jews for six thousand seven hundred and sixty six year. She equally inhabits her other grandmother, Mamma – discussing “niggers”, white folk, and running a whore house in Peoria, IL, : these were two cultures that helped her to triumph over racial lines and stereotypes.
Rain’s father, legendary actor/comedian, Richard Pryor, gave her a sharp sense of timing and character. Her mother imbued her life with political consciousness to stand up for what you believe in!
Fried Chicken & Latkes, teaches us that living an authentic life is not about “where do I stand”- it’s about “ Here, I stand.” It will take you back in time and move you forward making you laugh, think and cry.
"Make no mistake: Rain Pryor, the star of the autobiographical solo show Fried Chicken and Latkes, is not just defined by her father, the comedian Richard Pryor. There are many dimensions to this robust, ebullient performer, all evident in this trim production, which sails by in an effervescent 70 minutes. Her show is a parade of friends, relatives and tormentors, in which she also sings — with impressive power — accompanied by a skilled jazz trio led by Charles Lindberg. But she has an outsize presence built for Broadway; at times her salty banter suggests Bette Midler without the camp. But she certainly seems right at home in Manhattan." - New York Times Critic's Pick
"Funny, energetic... Pryor provides plenty of laughs, along with poignant glimpses of what it was like to be a bi-racial child. The show is capped off by Pryor ably impersonating Billie Holiday while singing "God Bless the Child," an apt song for a woman who needed to figure out who she was and "get her own" identity." - Associated Press
Rain Pryor
Written by: Rain Pryor