Joe Turner’s Come and Gone opened in New York City on April 25, and Black Hollywood showed up and showed out to support.
Cameras caught LL Cool J and his wife Simone Smith, Tyler Perry, Meagan Good and Jonathan Majors, Eva Marcille, Kandi Burruss, Tiny Harris, Shamea Morton, Riley Burruss, Maya Boyd, and more on the red carpet.
Even Michelle Obama dropped by the historic Broadway debut.
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone: Taraji P. Henson And Cedric The Entertainer Lead The Revival
Directed by four-time Emmy winner Debbie Allen, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is playing at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, the same theatre where the play premiered on Broadway in 1988. The revival brings August Wilson’s classic back to the stage with Taraji P. Henson and Cedric the Entertainer leading the cast.
Taraji plays Bertha Holly, while Cedric plays her husband, Seth Holly. The two stars arrived on the red carpet together. Taraji, known to serve the girls a look, did not miss her main character moment.
Styled by Kollin Carter, the DMV native wore a brown leather dress from Jagne. The strapless gown featured a sculpted bodice, layered leather detailing across the bust, and a floor-length skirt.
Cedric matched her fly. The legendary comedian and actor wore a gray double-breasted suit with a wide-brim hat, layered chains, a statement brooch, and detailed pocket squares.
Set in 1911, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone takes place in a Pittsburgh boarding house run by Seth and Bertha Holly. The home becomes a refuge for Black travelers navigating the Great Migration. Among them is Herald Loomis, a man searching for his lost wife and for the self he lost after seven years of illegal enslavement under Joe Turner.
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone: Black Hollywood Came Dressed For Opening Night
The work is the second play in Wilson’s American Century Cycle, and its history alone is enough to keep us locked in. But opening night gave us even more to love.
The red carpet had fashion, cultural pride, and the kind of support we love seeing from Black Hollywood. Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is a production that reminds us how far we have come, while honoring the stories that make us who we are. And on opening night, the stars understood the assignment.
Keep scrolling to see the red carpet looks we loved.