You know him for his Emmy Award nominated performance as the heroic adult Kunta Kinte in the ground breaking mini-series ROOTS, or as James Evans, the indestructible father from the hit television sitcom GOOD TIMES. You were delighted by his hilarious performance opposite Eddie Murphy in the box office blockbuster COMING TO AMERICA. Whether he was performing with Sylvester Stallone in LOCK UP or co-starring with Bruce Willis in Die Hard II, John Amos has always delivered outstanding performances.

Most recently you have enjoyed John on he hit comedy series FRESH PRINCE OF BELAIR and IN THE HOUSE, and now he presents us with yet another astonishing character portrayal in his own extraordinary creation, HALEY'S COMET.

This remarkable tour de force is the hilarious and moving story of an 87 year old man who shares the memories of a lifetime with the famous Comet he saw 76 years earlier as an 11 year old boy. He sets out in the wee hours of the morning, returning to the mountain top where he first met the Comet, and explains to his old friend " that things sure have changed since the last time you passed this way." He takes the audience on a whirlwind adventure back in time , beginning at the turn of the century when the world was full of dreams and the promise of wonderful things to come. The audience experiences a roller coaster ride through world wars, romance at a barnyard dance, fast food restaurants, the golden age of radio, brutality during the early civil rights movement, and the joys of childhood. Much has changed since the last time the Comet came to visit.

HALLEY'S COMET is a fascinating, incredibly funny, thought provoking theatrical human experience you will want to share with everyone. Don't miss this remarkable performance.

The Brushfire Theatre of Performing Arts located at 52nd and Locust streets, is presenting John Amos' one man tour de force, Halley's Comet March 7 to the 13th.

Amos transforms a cast of characters ranging in age from 11 to 87. He takes the audience on a spectacular journey from the turn of the century to the present. Show times are Tuesday to Sunday at 7:30 pm and 11:30 am matinees, Wednesday and Friday. Brushfire Theatre's spring season is in full swing, and the theatre offers quality performances right in the heart of West Philadelphia. Many of the actors associated with the theatre are members of Actors Equity.

Joseph Blake, a playwright and journalist, who has staged four plays at Brushfire including "Gone Fishing," in 1991 and "Notes on 6 Finity" in 1992, said the theatre also offers a community service through its Sunday classes for actors and the 52nd Street Writers Workshop.

Amos said he wrote Halley's Comet to use his art work to address issues he is concerned about as a human being. But he adds that he is not "on a soap box" trying to solve all the worlds problems and promises the audience will be "laughing so hard" as he spins his inspirational tale.

"Halley's Comet" was first performed in 1989 at the American Stage Company, and the show is now touring the country. The performances of "Halley's Comet" are dedicated to the late author of "Roots", Alex Haley. Amos and Haley were very close friends.

When Amos' character, an 87 year old man sets out from home in the wee hours of the morning to seek an isolated area in the woods for his second encounter with "Halley's Comet," he is determined to share a lifetime of memories. He ushers the audience through a tapestry of, world wars, good old home cooking, shy youngsters, green grass and healthy trees, nuclear threats, skin heads, fast food, and fear of loosing our precious Earth. What has changed the most over the past 76 years? Amos said the universal patriarch, who is never addressed by name in the play, is most sensitive to "the way values have changed" and the "spirituality lost" in modern society.

Amos, who is best known for two memorable TV roles. His portrayal of the adult Kunte Kinte in the highly acclaimed TV miniseries ROOTS earned him an Emmy Award nomination. His role a lovable but hard nosed father in "Good Times" was one of a few positive African American male roles on television during the early 70's.

Amos, the new Artistic Director for the John Harms Center for the Performing Arts in Bergen county in Englewood, New Jersey, is starring as "Ernie" in a CBS sitcom "704 Hauser Street," scheduled to be aired March 10.

A veteran of numerous theatrical productions, Amos is also a former television writer whose credits inclued, "The Leslie Uggams Show" and "The Loman and Barkley Show, " which won an Emmy. While his television credits are to numerous to mention in total, he considers his role as Gordy the weatherman on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" as one of his favorites.

His motion picture credits include "Coming to America," which starred Eddy Murphy; "Die Hard Two," with Bruce Willis; "Lets Do It Again," with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier; "Lock Up," with Syvester Stallone; and "Riccochet" with Denzel Washington.

Amos has recently completed two new movies, "Mac," and "Night Trap," which are scheduled for release this summer.

Ruth M. Brice
Philadelphia Sun

March 7, 1994

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