Viola Davis brings another transformative role to the screen in “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,” playing the legendary blues singer. The film, based on the award-winning play by August Wilson, is directed by George C. Wolfe, and takes place on a blistering day in Chicago in 1927 where the heat and the tension rises as the singer and her band begin to record a new album. Entertainment reporter Katherine Tulich spoke to Davis and Wolfe about the dynamics of the film, and the legacy of its co-star Chadwick Boseman, who plays an ambitious horn player in Rainey’s band. 

Katherine Tulich

Katherine Tulich is an Australian-born entertainment journalist now living in Los Angeles, where she covers music, movies and television. She is a contributor to the Los Angeles Times.

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