Tyler Perry touring for first time in 5 years with “Madea’s Big Happy Family”

It was sad news to read on Tuesday, December 8, 2010 that Tyler Perry’s mother, Maxine Perry, had passed away.  Maxine, Tyler’s muse for his character Madea, had been ill for several months leading to her death.  I’ve been reading Tyler Perry’s journal entries (he calls them”Email Messages from Tyler”) on his website www.tylerperry.com/_Messages, particularly the ones since Maxine’s passing, and it seems like hitting the stage was just what he needed to get back into life.  “Madea’s Big Happy Family” kicked off on January 4, 2010 in El Paso, TX and concludes May 9, 2010 in Detroit, MI.

If you’re in the New York City area, “Madea’s Big Happy Family” starring Tyler Perry as Madea is currently playing at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden (January 27-31, 2010).  For more information, visit Madison Square Garden’s site http://www.thegarden.com/events/madeas-big-happy-family.html for more information and ticket purchase.

Aha! I found a synopsis and some of the cast on Black Celebrity Men (blackcelebritymen.blogspot.com) entitled ‘Madea’s Big Happy Family’ cast, synopsis, and reviews.  Read a few excerpts from the post below:

I can now tell you Cassi Davis (who plays Aunt Ella on House of Payne), William Palmer Jr. (who plays Floyd on House of Payne), singer Cheryl Pepsi Riley, D’atra Hicks, Chandra Currelley, Tamar Davis, Stephanie Ferrett and Donnie Sykes (he also starred in Tyler’s stage play The Marriage Counselor) all star alongside Tyler, who of course plays Madea…

…Here’s the play’s synopsis (may include spoilers so read at your own discretion):

The family matriarch, Shirley, has experienced a recurrence of her unnamed cancer and the muscular, hunky doc gives her four- to six-weeks to live. She tries to convene the family – including her three warring daughters, two struggling sons and a crack-addled brother – to break the news. But they are so busy bickering and worrying about their own agendas – one’s a real estate agent in overdrive, another a frumpy “old maid” at 32, another resorts to selling drugs to please his brand-name addicted girlfriend – that mom can’t get a word in edgewise. When the family finally finds out her fate, it’s too late to clean up their acts.

After Shirley’s death, depicted in a lengthy scene that features one of the show’s most inspirational songs (performed by actress Chandra Currelley as Shirley) and a hokey video showing her ascension into a cloud-filled heaven, it’s up to Madea to set things straight, which she does with typically no-nonsense clarity and a lot of nostalgia for ’70s R&B music.

For those of us outside of the NYC metro area, here are the remaining tour dates. I have a DVD collection of Tyler Perry plays but have yet to see him live on stage. I see that he’ll be touring through Columbus, OH. I can’t wait to get tickets to this one!

Jan 27th – 31st, 2010
New York, NY
WaMu at Madison Square Garden

Feb 2nd, 2010
Florence, SC
Civic Center

Feb 3rd – 5th, 2010
Raleigh, NC
RBC Center

Feb 6th, 2010
Fayetteville, NC
Crown Center Coliseum

Feb 7th, 2010
Charlotte, NC
Bojangles’ Coliseum

Feb 9th, 2010
Macon, GA
Macon Centreplex

Feb 10th – 11th, 2010
Charleston, SC
North Charleston Coliseum

Feb 12th – 13th, 2010
Columbia, SC
Colonial Life Arena

Feb 14th, 2010
Columbus, GA
Columbus Civic Center

Feb 16th – 17th, 2010
Jacksonville, FL
Veterans Memorial Arena

Feb 18th, 2010
Chattanooga, TN
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium

Feb 19th – 20th, 2010
Winston Salem, NC
Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Feb 21st, 2010
Richmond, VA
Richmond Coliseum

Feb 23rd, 2010
Albany, GA
Albany Civic Center

Feb 24th – 25th, 2010
Nashville, TN
Municipal Auditorium

Feb 27th – 28th, 2010
Memphis, TN
Orpheum Theatre

Mar 2nd – 6th, 2010
Chicago, IL
Arie Crown Theatre

Mar 9th, 2010
Minneapolis, MN
Target Center

Mar 10th, 2010
Omaha, NE
Qwest Center

Mar 11th, 2010
Wichita, KS
Wichita Convention Hall

Mar 12th – 14th, 2010
Dallas, TX
Nokia Theatre

Mar 16th, 2010
Milwaukee, WI
US Cellular Arena

Mar 18th, 2010
Bridgeport, CT
Arena At Harbor Yard

Mar 19th – 21st, 2010
Hartford, CT
The Bushnell Theatre

Mar 24th, 2010
Augusta, GA
James Brown Arena

Mar 25th – 26th, 2010
Greenville, SC
Bi-Lo Center

Mar 27th, 2010
Birmingham, AL
Birmingham Civic Center

Mar 28th, 2010
Mobile, AL
Mobile Civic Ctr Arena

Apr 6th, 2010
Dayton, OH
Nutter Center

Apr 7th, 2010
Cincinnati, OH
Cintas Center

Apr 8th, 2010
Louisville, KY
Freedom Hall

Apr 13th – 14th, 2010
Savannah, GA
Savannah Civic Center

Apr 15th – 18th, 2010
Atlanta, GA
Fox Theatre

Apr 20th – 21st, 2010
Norfolk, VA
Norfolk Constant Center

Apr 23rd – 24th, 2010
St. Louis, Mo
Chaifetz Arena

Apr 25th, 2010
Kansas City, MO
Sprint Center

Apr 27th, 2010
Buffalo, NY
HSBC Arena

Apr 29th – May 2nd, 2010
Philadelphia, PA
Liacouras Center

May 4th, 2010
Columbus, OH
Nationwide Arena

May 5th, 2010
Toledo, OH
Lucas County Arena

May 6th – 9th, 2010
Detroit, Michigan
Fox Theatre Detroit

Related Links

Ifelicious Thoughts– Tyler Perry’s mother, Willie Maxine Perry, dies at age 64

2 Down Front Entertainment– Tyler Perry in Madea’s Big Happy Family WIN TICKETS

Ticket News– Tyler Perry tour showcases new play ‘Madea’s Big Happy Family’ in 2010