Fans love it. Critics don’t. After Tyler Perry, can urban theater cross over? By

It's a warm Saturday night and the
promenade leading into the Warner
Theatre is electric; a static energy
buzzes above the crowd that you
can practically poke. The laughter,
the "lewks," the shared language. The marquee reads "Set It Off: Live
on Stage," but this is hardly your
average night at the theatah. Sorority girls call "oo-oop" to find
one another in line. One woman
leans heavily on her date as they
make their way through metal
detectors to get to their seats.
There's the polite suggestion — whispered to the air — that they head
back to the car so that she can
switch into more forgiving flats. The
no is nonnegotiable. Who wears sky-high heels to a
play? Answer: This isn't just a play. This is a scene, honey. This is
an event. The crowd juggles
cocktails and popcorn as the DJ,
who has been spinning late-'90s
R&B, turns down the music and the
curtain goes up. Chances are, even if you've never
seen an "urban play," you'll
recognize its core elements: Washington post