Brainy David Byrne

David Byrne singing the song “Bullet”The bullet went into him His skin did part in two Skin that women had touched

During the Janelle Monae song “Hell You Talmbout,” the cast of American Utopia sings the names of murder victims, director Spike Lee adds this shot of Amadou Diallo’s mother, Kadiadou Diallo, holding up his photograph.

Spike Lee filmed David Byrne’s American Utopia on the stage of Broadway’s Hudson Theater earlier this year; it is arriving on HBO on October 17,  in a completely different era. Taking evident advantage of the publicity surrounding the HBO film,  the producers have just announced  the rescheduling of a four-month return engagement of the show on Broadway starting on Sept. 17, 2021. Tickets are already on sale, which at this point feels…optimistic. In the meantime, what we have is a film of an energetic live concert during a period when its main theme — a celebration of the need and the pleasures of connecting – feels both resonant and wistful.

Full review on DC Theatre Scene