After a five year hiatus Tyler Perry's most popular creation, Madea, is returning to the stage for a 5o city tour.  The show is titled Madea's Big Happy Family and Perry said on his web site: "If you have not seen 'Madea' live onstage, you haven't seen Madea at all. In the movies, I'm limited, but onstage ... FREEEEDDOMMMM!!!"  Considering his recent tragedy, it's great to see him back to work.\r
Madea's Big Happy Family opened yesterday in El Paso, Texas and received a mixed review from The El Paso Times.  Here is an excerpt:\r
He manages to direct the play while onstage, fully acknowledging the performance's occasionally unpolished, dress rehearsal quality of the some moments in an otherwise inspired performance.  He often kept the audience, cast members and himself in stitches over his occasional interruption - in character, no less - for self-deprecating remarks about his own inability to remember his lines and his desire to "pop, pop, pop a gum-chewing fan in the front row who was distracting him.\r
The tall, 40-year-old, funny and religious Perry - who infuses a strong dose of old-time religion into his narrative - also paused the show to tie back a curtain so the audience on far stage right could see better, picked on cast members for rushing scenes or missing lines, not delivering a line with enough conviction, and, apparently, eating Doritos when off stage."\r
The show will run until May. Here are the dates:\r
Jan 5th, 2010\r
Phoenix, AZ\r
Dodge Theatre\r
Jan 6th, 2010\r
San Diego, CA\r
San Diego Sports Arena\r
Jan 9th, 2010\r
Seattle, WA\r
Key Arena\r
Jan 10th, 2010\r
Portland, OR\r
Memorial Coliseum\r
Jan 12th, 2010\r
Fresno, CA\r
Selland Arena\r
Jan 13th, 2010\r
Sacramento, CA\r
Arco Arena\r
Jan 14th - 16th, 2010\r
Oakland, CA\r
Paramount Theatre\r
Jan 19th - 24th, 2010\r
Los Angeles, CA\r
Kodak Theatre\r
Jan 27th - 31st, 2010\r
New York, NY\r
WaMu at Madison Square Garden\r
Feb 2nd, 2010\r
Florence, SC\r
Civic Center\r
Feb 3rd - 5th, 2010\r
Raleigh, NC\r
RBC Center\r
Feb 6th, 2010\r
Fayetteville, NC\r
Crown Center Coliseum\r
Feb 7th, 2010\r
Charlotte, NC\r
Bojangles' Coliseum\r
Feb 9th, 2010\r
Macon, GA\r
Macon Centreplex\r
Feb 10th - 11th, 2010\r
Charleston, SC\r
North Charleston Coliseum\r
Feb 12th - 13th, 2010\r
Columbia, SC\r
Colonial Life Arena\r
Feb 14th, 2010\r
Columbus, GA\r
Columbus Civic Center\r
Feb 16th - 17th, 2010\r
Jacksonville, FL\r
Veterans Memorial Arena\r
Feb 18th, 2010\r
Chattanooga, TN\r
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium\r
Feb 19th - 20th, 2010\r
Winston Salem, NC\r
Veterans Memorial Coliseum\r
Feb 21st, 2010\r
Richmond, VA\r
Richmond Coliseum\r
Feb 23rd, 2010\r
Albany, GA\r
Albany Civic Center\r
Feb 24th - 25th, 2010\r
Nashville, TN\r
Municipal Auditorium\r
Feb 27th - 28th, 2010\r
Memphis, TN\r
Orpheum Theatre\r
Mar 2nd - 6th, 2010\r
Chicago, IL\r
Arie Crown Theatre\r
Mar 9th, 2010\r
Minneapolis, MN\r
Target Center\r
Mar 10th, 2010\r
Omaha, NE\r
Qwest Center\r
Mar 11th, 2010\r
Wichita, KS\r
Wichita Convention Hall\r
Mar 12th - 14th, 2010\r
Dallas, TX\r
Nokia Theatre\r
Mar 16th, 2010\r
Milwaukee, WI\r
US Cellular Arena\r
Mar 18th, 2010\r
Bridgeport, CT\r
Arena At Harbor Yard\r
Mar 19th - 21st, 2010\r
Hartford, CT\r
The Bushnell Theatre\r
Mar 24th, 2010\r
Augusta, GA\r
James Brown Arena\r
Mar 25th - 26th, 2010\r
Greenville, SC\r
Bi-Lo Center\r
Mar 27th, 2010\r
Birmingham, AL\r
Birmingham Civic Center\r
Mar 28th, 2010\r
Mobile, AL\r
Mobile Civic Ctr Arena\r
Apr 6th, 2010\r
Dayton, OH\r
Nutter Center\r
Apr 7th, 2010\r
Cincinnati, OH\r
Cintas Center\r
Apr 8th, 2010\r
Louisville, KY\r
Freedom Hall\r
Apr 13th - 14th, 2010\r
Savannah, GA\r
Savannah Civic Center\r
Apr 15th - 18th, 2010\r
Atlanta, GA\r
Fox Theatre\r
Apr 20th - 21st, 2010\r
Norfolk, VA\r
Norfolk Constant Center\r
Apr 23rd - 24th, 2010\r
St. Louis, Mo\r
Chaifetz Arena\r
Apr 25th, 2010\r
Kansas City, MO\r
Sprint Center\r
Apr 27th, 2010\r
Buffalo, NY\r
HSBC Arena\r
Apr 29th - May 2nd, 2010\r
Philadelphia, PA\r
Liacouras Center\r
May 4th, 2010\r
Columbus, OH\r
Nationwide Arena\r
May 5th, 2010\r
Toledo, OH\r
Lucas County Arena\r
May 6th - 9th, 2010\r
Detroit, Michigan\r
Fox Theatre Detroit\r
Go to TicketMaster.com for ticket information.