The story of "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," about a 1920s blues singer's difficult recording session, is one of talent marred by tragedy. But the film adaptation of August Wilson's play is also one of those occasions when the story behind the scenes is just as compelling – and equally tragic. Correspondent Tracy Smith talked with Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis, Oscar-winner Denzel Washington (the film's producer), and Tony Award-winning director George C. Wolfe about the project, and about working with the late "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman, who gave a heartbreaking performance as a trumpet player while secretly battling colon cancer.
Air Date: Dec 13, 2020
