Cicely Tyson captivates in “The Trip to Bountiful”

Cicely Tyson reprises her Tony Award-winning performance as Mrs. Watts in her career-defining role in “The Trip to Bountiful” at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in downtown Boston. The limited run will end on Sunday, Dec. 7.

Tyson (“The Help”) plays Carrie Watts, an aging woman who longs to return to her hometown of Bountiful, Texas. She had been living in Dallas with her son and his wife, Jesse Mae, who is played by Vanessa Williams (“Ugly Betty”, “Desperate Housewives”) and was Tyson’s co­star in the Broadway production.

The show centers around Mrs. Watts’s wish to return to Bountiful before her death and her family’s wish against it.

Ignoring their wishes, she sets off on her adventure in which during she meets many heartbroken and disheveled characters, including a young woman, Thelma, whose husband has just been deployed overseas. Deeply moving and incredibly powerful, “The Trip to Bountiful” expresses our deep connection to what we call our home.

Tyson’s reputation for her acting is truly demonstrated in this fascinating piece. She has more energy in her performance as an 89-year-old women than most people have in a day. She captivates the audience the second she is seen on stage, and has the ability to blend laugh-out-loud comedy with gut-wrenching drama.

Williams, who has been nominated for Grammys, Tonys, and Emmys, was truly dazzling. She supports the show by giving the audience a person to dislike, as her character is mostly bossy and self-­centered. But by doing that she’s able to paint a picture of realism throughout the show and give the audience a true feel of what it’s like to be in the Watts family.

This classic play stands the test of time as it continues to allow audience members to experience the joy of returning to the place that made you the person you are today.

–Dec. 2, 2014–