Play On!
| Play On! | |
|---|---|
 Original Cast Recording Artwork | |
| Music | Duke Ellington |
| Lyrics | Various (see below) |
| Book | Cheryl L. West |
| Basis | Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare |
| Premiere | September 1996: Old Globe Theatre, San Diego |
| Productions | 1996 San Diego 1997 Broadway |
Play On! is a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, featuring the music of Duke Ellington, conceived by Sheldon Epps, with a book by Cheryl L. West. The musical resets the story from Illyria to 1940s Swing-era Harlem.[1][2]
Premiering at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, the production was moved to Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in 1997. The later production received three nominations at the 51st Tony Awards including for lead performances for both Tonya Pinkins and André De Shields and for Best Orchestrations to Luther Henderson.[3]
Production history
The original production, conceived by director Sheldon Epps, premiered in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in September 1996. After 19 previews, it opened on Broadway on March 20, 1997, at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, where it ran for 61 performances.[4][5] The cast included Tonya Pinkins, André De Shields, Carl Anderson. Yvette Cason and Angela Robinson.[6] An original cast recording was released on May 20, 1997, on Varèse Sarabande.
A 1999 production of Play On! at the Pasadena Playhouse was recorded for the PBS series Great Performances.[7]
From September 2024 to February 2025, Talawa Theatre Company plans to present the musical, directed by Michael Buffong, expected to open at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, before touring to Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, Salisbury Playhouse, Birmingham Hippodrome, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith and Bristol Old Vic.[8]
Synopsis
Vy comes to swinging 1940s Harlem to write songs for the Duke, Harlem's greatest band leader. To overcome the sexist barriers of the time against women songwriters, she disguises herself as a man, Vy-man. She finds the Duke in tears over his loss of Lady Liv, Harlem's "queen of the blues". The Duke likes Vy-man's music, so he instructs the songwriter to go to the Cotton Club and present one of her songs as if it were a new song written by the Duke for Lady Liv. Lady Liv finds Vy-man charming, and a series of mistaken pairings results.
Meanwhile, several of the performers at the Cotton Club are rebelling against the overly serious and tyrannical club manager, Rev. Since Rev has a crush on Lady Liv, the performers persuade him that he should woo her by learning to swing and scat, giving up his old fashioned ballads. More confusion results before the truth is revealed, and the couples are appropriately united.
Cast
Original casts of notable productions
| Character | Broadway |
|---|---|
| 1997 | |
| Duke | Carl Anderson |
| Miss Mary | Yvette Cason |
| Jester | André De Shields |
| Vy | Cheryl Freeman |
| Lady Liv | Tonya Pinkins |
| Rev | Lawrence Hamilton |
Musical numbers
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Awards and nominations
Original Broadway production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | André DeShields | Nominated |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Tonya Pinkins | Nominated | ||
| Best Orchestrations | Luther Henderson | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | André DeShields | Nominated | |
| Drama League Award | Outstanding Production of a Musical | Play On! | Nominated |
References
- ^ Viagas, Robert (April 21, 1997). "Playbill Critics Circle: Your Reviews of Play On!". Playbill. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "Play On!". Guide to Musical Theatre. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
- ^ ""The Life" leads Tony Nominee". The Washington Post. May 6, 1997. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ Evans, Greg (March 21, 1997). "Play On!: a musical has to work pretty hard to let such an inspired idea slip through the floorboards". Variety. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ Grimes, William (April 18, 1997). "On Stage, and Off". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "Play On!". Playbill. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ Jones, Kenneth (June 21, 2000). "Play On! Finds Its Way to Small Screen, on PBS, June 21". Playbill. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "Play On". Talawa. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
External links
- Play On! at the Internet Broadway Database
- Play On! at IMDb
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