Tyler Perry and cast in “Madea’s Farewell Play Tour,” the last hurrah for Perry’s irascible character. (Courtesy Tyler Perry Studios) Tyler Perry’s most famous character leaves a trail of sold-out shows as she nears the end of her final tour   Tyler Perry’s Madea character was not supposed to be the star of the touring stage shows and movies that eventually became a $500 million juggernaut. In the original 1999 play, “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” the always loud, often tough, sometimes violent and mainly loveable matriarch of the Simmons family was supposed to be onstage for only two minutes. But the last-minute cancellation of the star of the show forced Perry to take on all of the star’s lines at Chicago’s Regal Theater that night. The crowd roared, Madea stole the show, and a franchise was born. Twenty years later, Madea has appeared in 11 stage shows… Continue Reading Theaters Offer Madea a Last Round of Applause

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