When Tyler Perry burst onto the scene over a decade ago as the 6’5″ revolver-carrying matriarch Mabel “Madea” Simmons, he filled a niche that had largely been overlooked. Sure, African-American comedic theater had been done before, but not in this way. This was something different. Something refreshing. And a whole new take on laughter being the best medicine.
Aware of the stigma that is often associated with psychotherapy in the black community, Perry used the stage as an alternative source of help, replacing the traditional “therapist” with the comical figure of Madea, whose no-nonsense opinions on faith, love, forgiveness and self-worth resonated with audiences on an especially cathartic level. Perry’s brand of dramatic comedy struck a chord. Amidst all the laughs, people were paying attention.
So, when word spread that theater would no longer be Perry’s genre of focus, and that Madea would ultimately (though not immediately) take a backseat to his other artistic dealings, critics predicted his demise. They argued he would alienate his fan base by neglecting the very things that made his work special. They were wrong. In fact, away from the stage, Perry gained a more diverse following with the release of eight films (several without Madea) and two weekly television sitcoms, not to mention the highly anticipated sequel Why Did I Get Married Too?, in movie theaters now, and the 2010 Oscar-nominated Precious, which he co-produced with Oprah Winfrey.
Now the man, who at one time couldn’t get the folks of Tinseltown to glance his way, is the reigning king of black entertainment and a huge Hollywood hit maker — several of his films have opened as No. 1 box-office hits. In 2009, Forbes ranked him one of the 15 “Best Paid Celebrities,” along with the likes of Steven Spielberg and Jerry Bruckheimer. But to his fans, those who have sensed his star-power from the beginning, he’s the top doctor — the one who always has the best prescription for laughs. And to Atlantans, he’s the hometown success who’s created jobs for hundreds of local actors at his Tyler Perry Studios on 10th Street.
For the first time in five years, Perry gets back to his roots with his 12th stage play, Madea’s Big Happy Family. Currently in the second half of a 50+ city tour that included stops in Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago, the show plays the Fabulous Fox, April 15-18.
