The Piano Lesson

Starring:Charles S. Dutton, Alfre Woodard, Carl Gordon, Tommy Hollis, Lou Myers, Courtney B. Vance, Zelda Harris, Rosalyn Coleman, Tommy Lafitte, Lynne Innerst, Harold Surratt, Elva Branson, Tim Hartman, Ben Tatar, Alice Eisner, Bob Tracey
Director: Lloyd Richards (II)
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The only one of August Wilson's plays to be filmed (and for television, at that), this 1990 Pulitzer Prize-winner is an amazing piece of work. Adapted by Wilson and directed by Lloyd Richards, who staged it on Broadway, the play deals not just with racism and its effects but with the ongoing legacy and curse of slavery on modern blacks. Set in 1920s Pittsburgh, the story deals with the arrival of Boy Willie (Charles Dutton) from Mississippi, to claim a family heirloom from his sister Berniece (Alfre Woodard): the piano, carved by their ancestors with symbols of slavery. He wants to sell it to buy the land his grandfather worked as a slave; Berniece refuses to give it up because it represents a horrifying episode from the family's past. Add in ghosts, superb performances, and Wilson's poetically charged writing, and you have a startlingly solid piece of theater that works well as a film. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

Learn Your Lesson.......2007-06-13

August Wilson's 'The Piano Player' with Charles Dutton and Alfre Woodard is such an engrossing play. This screen adaption brings you into there lives and makes you feel for every one in the movie. The writing 'superb'. The acting 'superb'. And the supporting cast is so top notch, you have to watch it more than once just to see all the scene stealers. This is a group that can send a complete message with just the raising of an eye, the shrugging of a shoulder, or the shaking of a head. You know what every gesture means. I now need 'Fences'.

"As long as Sutters had that piano, they had us as slaves.".......2004-12-27

Winner of the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, August Wilson's lively domestic drama focuses on a black family in the 1930s and their piano, which dominates the living room of Doaker Charles and his niece Berniece in Pittsburgh. The piano is adorned with the faces of their slave ancestors, carved by a distant relation who was owned by the Sutter family in Mississippi before Emancipation. Berniece's brother Boy Willie, recently released from a prison farm, has come to Pittsburgh from Mississippi with his friend Lymon, determined to sell this ancient piano in which he claims half-ownership.

Charles Dutton, as Boy Willie, Berniece's brother, endows his role with a humor and good-naturedness not obvious from a reading of the play, and his passion to use the money from the sale of the piano to buy a hundred acres of Sutter farmland, which his slave ancestors once worked, is palpable. Courtney B., as Boy Willie's friend Lymon, is credulous and innocent as he explores the city, responding to its differences from the life on the farm, and bringing Berniece (Alfre Woodard) out of the grief she has borne since the shooting death of her husband three years before. Woodard herself is a fierce Berniece, protective of her young daughter and determined to preserve the piano and its heritage.

Directed by Lloyd Richards for the Hallmark Hall of Fame in 1995, the screenplay was adapted by August Wilson from his own play. A bit shorter than the original, with offensive expletives omitted for television, the script remains close to the original. When Sutter's ghost makes several appearances, the superstitions and folklore which have been part of the family's culture become both real and violent, and when Willie Boy, Lymon, Wining Boy (his gambler uncle, played by Lou Meyers), and uncle Doaker (Carl Gordon) sing, on several occasions, the viewer is reminded of the role of spirituals in black culture, their unifying spirit, and the dignity they inspired.

The appearances of Sutter's ghost and Boy Willie's battle with him create a sense of melodrama in this otherwise thoughtful battle between the reverence for the past (as seen in Berniece) and the hopes for the future (as seen in Boy Willie). As a record of the era in which many blacks left the farms for the opportunities of the city, however, the play is unparalleled in its insights. Mary Whipple

A battle between the historic past and dreams for the future.......2004-10-12

If you are seriously into dramatic theatre plays, you may agree that re-creations made for movies or televisions are often substandard to the book! In this case, the re-creation was geared toward television/movie quality rather than a reproduction of a stage theatre performance.

And if you are familiar with the works of August Wilson, you will recognize that to adher to the vernacular - spoken language of a region - is critical to the element of his works. In this DVD movie, the use of the N word was omitted and that omission is part of history.

African American playwright, August Wilson was born in 1945 and has received numerous, that include Pulitzer Prize honors, "Fences" in 1987; and "The Piano Lesson" in 1990. Each of his works chronicle a decade in black experience. The Piano Lesson takes place in the depression era, the 30's.

The story revolves around an old carved upright piano that is symbolic with rich family history that dates back to trading slaves. The carvings are stunning and each scene depicts a story filled with vivid description. The plot includes supernatural elements.

Actor Charles Dutton has performed as other characters in Wilson's plays and here he plays Boy Willie. With dreams of owning land like his ancestors, his plan involves selling a piano that belongs to him and his sister Berniece, played by the well-known Alfre Woodard. However, the piano, an heirloom, is a representation of the past and she refuses to sell it. The carvings were done by her grandfather, an enslaved plantation carpenter.

The movie version of the Piano Lesson was done quite well with some stunning performances by seasoned actors. Like any well-written play with all the elements required, it lays heavy on meaningful and lengthy dialogue.

The Piano Lesson opened onstage in 1984 and became Wilson's second Pulitzer Prize in 1990. Supposedly, this Hallmark version is shortened and since I have not read the book, I cannot say how true to the book it is. ....MzRizz

Hallmark censorship.......2004-02-25

An already posted review claims that this TV version is true to August Wilson's play. Only partly--and the differences are almost certainly attributable to Hallmark. Wilson adapted his own original stage script, but this version is shorter than the original (which may be a good thing--Wilson does like to let his characters gab) and the language is very different. For example, the nice, politically correct folks who want to sell greeting cards at Hallmark no doubt forced Wilson to remove the numerous instances of the word "ni____" from his play. Some other "rough" language (which can now be heard on the evening news, much less TV fiction) also failed to pass Hallmark's censors.
The TV production also "opens" the play from its original setting in Doaker's living room and kitchen and adds a silent, visual accompaniment to Doaker's marvelous tale about the family piano.
Do these changes damage the play? No, but they certainly do alter its flavor.
On one hand, I'm very happy that this great Black American playwright allowed one of his scripts to have a TV production and that we now have this video record of that production. On the other hand, it seems a shame that Wilson had to compromise his artistry in order to reach a wider audience than theatre itself can supply.

A Lesson of My Own.......2004-01-18

I teach language arts, including drama, at a rural high school. I read "The Piano Lesson" and was hoping for a film version that I could show to my students to go along with their reading. This film is true to the play and shows viewers what happens when we don't carry on family traditions and make good use of the gifts and talents we have. The cast and production crew have done a marvelous job of creating a compelling version of this Pulitzer Prize winning play. I highly recommend it for its many levels of enjoyment and learning.

DVD-Dr John Teaches New Orleans Piano -Lesson One

Average customer rating:

Great for experienced piano players
Doctor John Teaches New Orleans Piano
Fantastic!

DVD-Dr John Teaches New Orleans Piano -Lesson One
Starring: Dr John
Manufacturer: Homespun Tapes
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009OBHNQ
Release Date: 2005-05-01

Product Description

Imagine being able to see as well as hear the amazing piano styles of the great Dr. John up close! This one-hour DVD is jammed full of powerful playing, slowed-down instruction, and the wonderful personality of one of the premier artists of our time. Mac (Dr. John) Rebennack discusses and demonstrates the playing styles of the great New Orleans piano stylists. 60-MIN. INCLUDES MUSIC EARLY INTERMEDIATE TO INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

Customer Reviews:

Great for experienced piano players.......2006-07-21

Dr. John is not going to teach you how to play. In fact, he's not going to teach you anything, but if you can learn by watching his hands, then you will gain a lot. I've learned a ton of new licks just by watching him play. But if you're anything other than an advanced blues player already, you're not likely to gain from this DVD.

Doctor John Teaches New Orleans Piano.......2006-07-03

Very much into the New Orleans blues and get down boogie woogie . Doctor John has listened closely to the great New Orleans piano players and he is now a great one and legend in his own right .If you cherish plain get down earthy blues and a boogie woogie beat then this DVD is for you . Doc John also teaches you about the so rich black music culture still cooking in New Orleans . Suggest you purchase both volumes of his DVD's on this subect you will not regret .

Fantastic!.......2005-10-04

This DVD is for anyone who truly wants to learn how to play blues piano properly. Dr. John is a fantastic musician with an outstanding repertoire. Perhaps the only downside is that not all of the songs are transcibed which is a pity, especially with Swanee River Boogie, but that shouldn't deter anyone from buying this DVD. He is a true master and the opportunity to have him personally show you how to play blues piano should not be passed up. Absolutely fantastic!

A Lesson With Steve Allen: An Introduction to Jazz Piano

Average customer rating:

Intro to jazz piano playing
Perfect for any jazz piano enthusiast or student

A Lesson With Steve Allen: An Introduction to Jazz Piano
Starring: Steve Allen
Manufacturer: Homespun Tapes
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Learning Rock N' Roll Piano

ASIN: B0002PYS1A
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Description

One of America's most beloved entertainers divulges his personal tricks of the trade (trills, octave vibrato, "fake runs," blues riffs etc.) and shows you how to build arrangements and spice up jazz pieces with a variety of easy techniques.

In his only instructional lesson, Steve Allen covers basic blues, boogie woogie, stride, walking basses, the use of 10ths, descending bass lines and more, while he plays and analyzes "Honeysuckle Rose," "Spring Is Where You Are," "I'm Confessin' That I Love You," "You Can Depend On Me," "A Time For Love" and other jazz standards.

You'll get inside tips about the musical contributions of several jazz masters too, including Erroll Garner, Oscar Peterson, Count Basie and Art Tatum in Steve's entertaining and informative overview of jazz piano. A great springboard to further jazz studies!

Customer Reviews:

Intro to jazz piano playing.......2007-05-12

The late Steve Allen was a modern renaissance man or maybe just a jack of all trades in music and performing. He wrote and played popular jazz standards as well as being a funny comedian, an author, and a very likeable TV personality. In this DVD made from a 1994 tape he shares a lot of little 'tricks' which he either discovered or learned from the greats of jazz like Art Tatum and others.

I'm just a beginner in piano and I can't pick up eveything he is doing the first time going though this. It will be something you will want to go over many times. There are a lot of things here that if you go over them on your own or better with a teacher can make you sound a lot better than you are.

The DVD is divided into 33 sections of 2-3 minutes each so you can find any of tricks to go over easily.

Perfect for any jazz piano enthusiast or student.......2006-04-01

This DVD presents a great insight into the world of jazz piano. Taught by Steve Allen, this is a great how-to on the tips and tricks of being a successful jazz pianist. Includes a number of great arrangements of standards.

DVD-Dr John Teaches New Orleans Piano-Lesson Two

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DVD-Dr John Teaches New Orleans Piano-Lesson Two
Starring: Dr John
Manufacturer: Homespun Tapes
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0009OF8V8
Release Date: 2005-05-01

Product Description

Dr. John continues his discussion and demonstration of the styles of the musicians he heard and worked with as a youngster in New Orleans. Mac breaks down the tunes, turnarounds, left-hand patterns, and right-hand improvisations of legendary greats Huey Piano Smith, Tuts Washington, Herbert Santina, Allen Toussaint and others, including some originals by Mac Rebennack himself. 60-MIN. INCLUDES MUSIC EARLY INTERMEDIATE TO INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

Piano Lessons DVD on Contemporary Worship / Modern Gospel Styles

Average customer rating:

Great DVD
Good Investment

Piano Lessons DVD on Contemporary Worship / Modern Gospel Styles

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVD- Learn To Play Gospel Piano
Piano Lessons: Learning the Piano Keyboard, how to play piano instructional DVD
DVD-Learn To Play Blues Piano #1

Product Features:

Run Time: 2h 48m
15 Songs / 15 Styles
Close camera angles on keyboard
Martha Munizzi says: "An incredible tool to increase excellence in your music ministry."
Kirk Franklin says: "This DVD will help challenge church musicians to be more progressive in their musical presentation on Sunday mornings."

ASIN: B000EK9IZO

Product Description

Soulful Keyboard Styles: Concepts for Contemporary Worship - Philip Lassiter breaks down the concepts behind the modern gospel and contemporary praise & worship sounds. He addresses many different styles, instruments, sound settings, chord theory, rhythms, and grooves. Philip has produced with Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Israel Houghton, Martha Munizzi, & Marvin Sapp. Songs include: Amazing Love / Arms of Love / Draw Me Close / Forever / I Love the Lord / In the Sanctuary / Leaning on the Everlasting Arms / O Magnify the Lord / Oh Lord, You're Beautiful / Love You So Much / Revive Us Again / Show Me Your Glory / We Are Hungry / You Are Good | Check out some demo clips at soulfulproductions(dot)com!

Customer Reviews:

Great DVD.......2006-03-06

I would recommend this DVD to anyone wanting to spice up their keyboarding/piano skills. The DVD is good for beginners to experts.

Good Investment.......2006-03-03

I would highly recommend this dvd to anyone who needs to improve their keyboard skills. I actually purchased the entire set and it has really helped my church rhythm section to be able to play all of the modern styles found in today's worship music. Definitely check it out!

Average customer rating:

Learn Your Lesson
"As long as Sutters had that piano, they had us as slaves."
A battle between the historic past and dreams for the future
Hallmark censorship
A Lesson of My Own

The Piano Lesson
Starring: Charles S. Dutton , Alfre Woodard , Carl Gordon , Tommy Hollis , and Lou Myers
Director: Lloyd Richards (II)
Manufacturer: Lions Gate Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson": A Study Guide from Gale's "Drama for Students" (Volume 07, Chapter 14)
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf (Broadway Theatre Archive)
The Piano Lesson
A Raisin in the Sun
King Hedley II

ASIN: B00008G7WW

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Learn Your Lesson.......2007-06-13

"As long as Sutters had that piano, they had us as slaves.".......2004-12-27

A battle between the historic past and dreams for the future.......2004-10-12

Hallmark censorship.......2004-02-25

A Lesson of My Own.......2004-01-18

Average customer rating:

Piano & Keyboard Basics
Starring: Dan Mudd
Manufacturer: Music. Video Prod.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EU1ORY
Release Date: 2006-03-02

Product Description

Dan Mudd is a Los Angeles based singer/songwriter/composer and music teacher. Dan graduated from Boston's Berklee College of Music. He has written theme music for TV pilots which include Fox Television and Buena Vista Television. Dan makes learning the piano fun and interesting.

Charlie Rose with August Wilson; Cecelia Bartoli (March 25, 1996)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with August Wilson; Cecelia Bartoli (March 25, 1996)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

First, playwright August Wilson, responsible for such works as Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson, Fences, and Two Trains Running, has won two Pulitzer Prizes, one Tony, and had five Tony nominations. He talks to Charlie about his newest play, Seven Guitars. Then, 29 year old Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli makes her her stage debut at the New York Metropolitan Opera House this year. This comes after a long line of major successes off stage. She talks to Charlie about her big night.

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