When it comes to saying what’s on her mind, no one and no situation are safe from Whoopi Goldberg’s opinion. That’s one of the things that resonates with Whoopi fans across the country. From her start as a stand-up comedienne to her current hosting duties on ABC’s The View, Whoopi has been a staple of African-American entertainment history. Not only has she enjoyed a successful career in entertainment; her opinion and overall outlook are well-respected by her peers and her fans.
Getting back to what made Whoopi famous, Goldberg spent last weekend at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, and the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, performing her latest one woman show. The topic on the chopping block this time around? Menopause.
I attended the Miami show, and as I have stated, nothing is safe from Whoopi. Goldberg talks menstruation, bathroom etiquette, unruly children, technology, and smoking marijuana.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Whoopi considers her Miami show her most memorable South Florida show of 2011. I should have known that her show would be interesting when the 60-something year-old man that I was sitting next to nudged me and said he would be asking me to repeat some of what Whoopi said and then chuckled.
Instead of asking for repeats, however, he spent far too much of his time staring at my (ahem) assets. He was creepy, but not the creepiest person in the audience.
After Whoopi’s fabulous show – in which she spoke in support of President Barack Obama and gay marriage, and against the crack down on immigration in the Southwest – the Miami audience proved to be quite the interesting characters.
During the surprise question and answer portion of Whoopi’s show, some of the oddest audience members decided to speak up. One woman relayed a message to Whoopi that her deceased son, who was an editor in Los Angeles, died the same year that Whoopi won the Oscar for her role in Ghost, and that his cat was named Ghost. She also said that her son’s ashes were in the necklace she wore around her neck. I’m not sure if she was trying to give Whoopi the necklace or what.
If only that were the weirdest audience member. No, that distinction goes to a man from Venezuela who tried to direct Whoopi in the final scene of The Color Purple. You know the scene where Celie is reunited with her son and daughter whom she hadn’t seen since they were babies? This man wanted Ms. Goldberg to recite the lines, which included Swahili language, and re-enact it because that scene makes him cry.
Despite interesting characters being the highlights of the Miami show, inducing much laughter, Whoopi still commanded the room. I feel compelled to share a few memorable quotes from the evening. In answer to her ultimate career goal, Whoopi said: “I’ve been very lucky in my career. Let me knock on some wood” (knocks on stool on the stage).
“Nichelle Nichols showed me as a kid that there would be black people in the future,” Goldberg said about the Star Trek television series and why she asked to be a part of it.
Beginning a rant about a small child who recently terrorized her on a train ride, Whoopi expounded: “I like the concept of living in peace with people, but, in my old age, that’s not the case. Especially people with small children.”
The best line of the entire night was about President Obama, who has been receiving a lot of unfair criticism.
Whoopi simply said: “People think Obama’s going to change colors mid-stream. He’s going to be black all four years!”
You never know what to expect from a Whoopi Goldberg show. She says what she feels and handles graciously the odd people that she attracts to her performance. With the antics and shenanigans of Ms. Goldberg’s show last weekend, it’s sure to be a mention on The View. And, Whoopi just found a new fan in me, because she’s good at handling crazy.
Kimberly Grant may be contacted at KAliciaG@aol.com.
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