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Arena Stage’s Sensational Revisal of Damn Yankees Hits It Out of the Park

Arena Stage’s Sensational Revisal of Damn Yankees Hits It Out of the Park

Damn Yankees

Arena Stage

Jordan Wright

September 21, 2025

Ana Villafañe (Lola) and Jordan Donica (Joe Hardy) in Damn Yankees at Arena Stage. (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)

 

Call it a “revisal” as Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif did on opening night or call it a revival which those familiar with the 1955 musical might say. Whatever term of art you choose, I recommend getting off the bench now, because there was a ‘producers’ performance’ last week and there is a hot chance it will go to Broadway, so you can say you saw it here first.

Remember Dear Evan Hansen? It started its B’way journey at Arena Stage. So did groundbreaking shows such as The Great White Hope, Sweat, Next to Normal, Looped and A Night with Janis Joplin. Celebrating its 75th Anniversary Season, Arena has always been a nexus for groundbreaking theatrical exploration.

So, why revive Damn Yankees? It’s simple. Do not doubt the power of a story about baseball, the devil, a sexy siren with a conscience, a loving wife and a desire to be more than your past all underpinned by a brilliant score. This fresh reimagining brings heavy hitters to the stage. Will Power and Douglas Wallop collaborated on the adaptation and Lynn Ahrens brightened original composers Richard Adler’s and Jerry Ross’ music and lyrics with modernized lyrics and slips in a few snappy zingers to reflect our fraught political times. Not only does this iteration have an exceptional cast (more on that later) but its staging dazzles in every way. From special effects and lighting to video projections, clever illusions and choreography, it absolutely slays.

One of the script tweaks here is in the original production the team was the Washington Senators. They’re now the Baltimore Orioles. Look for the “Oriole Bird” who makes a brief onstage appearance to pump up the audience. As Applegate wisecracks, “Baltimore is like Newark, but with crabs.”

There are plenty of sports franchises who regard athletes’ agents as the devil incarnate. Here the devil is Applegate, – a con artist, evil grifter and all-around hustler who convinces our hero, Joe Boyd, to sell his aging body and leave his wife to become a star slugger with the Orioles. “And that’s why it’s called the art of the deal,” Applegate tells Joe. Joe’s dad had suffered racism in professional baseball when Black players could only play in the Negro leagues until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier to play for the NY Giants in 1955. Joe is determined to right this wrong and avenge his father’s limited career. His impulse becomes a powerful motive for his decision to sell his soul to Applegate.

 

Rob McClure (Applegate). (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)

 

To convince Joe, Applegate enlists his wily partner Lola, who is as convincing as a henchman with a shiv and as alluring as whipped cream on a banana split. As Lola sings in the tango number when she seduces Joe, “Whatever Lola Wants”, she gets.

Applegate is played wicked slick by Broadway veteran Rob McClure known for roles in Mrs. Doubtfire and Beetlejuice. The diverse cast includes a hunky-hot chorus of ballplayer dancers delivering extra sizzle and swing alongside the notorious siren, Lola, played by luscious Broadway star Ana Villafañe known for her award-winning roles of Gloria in B’way’s On Your Feet and Roxie in Chicago. Young Joe Hardy is played by the extraordinary Jordan Donica a baritenor with superb range and movie star looks who will steal your heart if you let him. I did. Quentin Earl Darrington shines as the elderly Joe Boyd on the crux of a life-changing decision in a perfect counterpoint casting to his adoring wife Meg, played by the superb honey-voiced actress, Bryonha Marie, whose impressive bio is as long as your arm.

Highly recommended!!! With 25 memorable numbers, a full orchestra and an historic nine Tony Awards for the original, this splashy new production hits it out of the park!

 

Alysha Umphress (Gloria Thorpe) and the company of Damn Yankees. (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)

 

With Alysha Umphress as Gloria Thorpe; Giuseppe Bausilio as Fuzzy/Ensemble; Raúl Contreras as Peña/Ensemble; Deanna Cudjoe, Ensemble; John Michael Fiumara as Gonzalez/Ensemble; Rayanne Gonzales as Sister/Ensemble; Danielle Marie Gonzalez, Ensemble; Michael Harmon as Smokey/Ensemble; Nehal Joshi as Ito/Ensemble; Ryo Kamibayashi as Ito/Ensemble; Georgia Monroe, Ensemble; Keenan McCarter as Welch; Kevin Munhall as Commissioner/Ensemble; J Savage as Sohovik/Ensemble; Justin Showell as Rocky/Ensemble; Sarah Anne Sillers as Doris/Ensemble; Jordyn Taylor, Ensemble.

Brilliantly directed and choreographed by world renowned creative, Sergio Trujillo; Music Supervision and Arrangements by Greg Anthony Rassen; Set Design by Robert Brill; Costume Design perfection by Linda Cho; Lighting Design by Philip S. Rosenberg; Sound Design by Walter Trarbach; Score Supervisor, David Chase; Projection Design by Peter Nigrini; Wig & Hair Design by Charles G. LaPointe; Illusion Design by Paul Kieve.

Through November 9th at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.554.9066 or visit www.ArenaStage.org.

Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Merry Wives Goes to Harlem and Gives Us a Side-Splitting Afrocentric Take on the Classic

Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Merry Wives Goes to Harlem and Gives Us a Side-Splitting Afrocentric Take on the Classic

Merry Wives
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Jordan Wright
September 16, 2025

Felicia Curry (Madam Nkechi Ford) and Oneika Phillips (Madam Ekua Page) in ‘Merry Wives’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company. (Photo/Teresa Castracane Photography)

 

Take Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor and flip it on its head to reflect an African American neighborhood in New York’s Harlem. In Merry Wives, a re-imagining of the classic, a hair-braiding salon sits next to a coin-operated laundromat. In Scenic Designer Lawrence E. Moten III’s sets, brownstones replete with window air conditioner, bracket the commercial establishments and a NYC subway stop’s iconic green, wrought iron railings juts out from stage right – perfect for entrances and exits. It’s a jaw-dropping multi-level set that affords the cast of 14 to embrace the space.

If any of this sounds familiar, then you would have seen playwright, Jocelyn Bioh’s brilliant play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding Salon at Arena Stage last September which was as wildly hilarious and hilariously wild as Merry Wives.

If you don’t recall The Bard’s version, check out a synopsis of the plot to refresh your memory, because only some of the names are the same in this all-Black cast. Yes, there is Falstaff, and the two wives who Falstaff calls his “suga mamas” – Mistress Ford (‘Madam Nkechi’ Ford here) and Mistress Page (‘Madam Ekua’ Page here). You’ll remember Dr. Caius, Mistress Quickly (‘Mama’ Quickly here). Plus, Anne is here as well as Shallow, Sir Hugh Evans (‘Pastor’ Evans here) and Fenton. The husbands Mister Ford and Mister Page are named Mister ‘Nduka’ Ford (also playing the character ‘Brook’) and Mister ‘Kwame’ Page. Most of the classic characters are here, give it a minute and you’ll soon figure out who’s who in this remarkable cast in this side-splitting mash-up. At one point a character (who?) yells out “Jesus, take the wheel!” from the Carrie Underwood hit, and the audience dissolves into gales of laughter.

 

Felicia Curry (Madam Nkechi Ford), Jordan Barbour (Doctor Caius), Nick Rashad Burroughs (Mister Nduka Ford), Sekou Laidlow (Pastor Evans), and JaBen Early (Mister Kwame Page). (Photo/Teresa Castracane Photography)

 

I swooned over the relationship between the wives who plot to get back at their husbands who’ve accuse them of cheating. “Let’s get to the revenge part!”, they plot in one of the many outrageous scenes inside the laundromat as the wives ham it up, falling all over each other in conspiratorial glee. Sisterhood at its best!

Jacob-Ming Trent, as the significantly rotund Falstaff, tickles with his self-deprecating asides, “I’m just like an old, fat Dumbledore,” he quips as he gets caught up in the wives’ shenanigans. The audience collapsed in hysterics.

 

Jacob Ming-Trent (Falstaff) and Kelli Blackwell (Mama Quickly). (Photo/Teresa Castracane Photography)

 

Ivania Stack’s costumes reflect traditional African style side-by-side with 1970’s super fly street and leisure wear. I lost count of the numerous costume changes. Massive kudos to Taylor Reynolds’ direction, Ashleigh King’s choreography, Stack’s costumes and one of the best casts and cleverest shows so far this season.

Fair warning: Ghanian and Rastafarian accents sometimes befuddle as the familiar Early modern English dialogue is interwoven with modern urban street slang. Here hip-hop culture jibes with drumming, ancient African spirits and tribal dancing combine with hip-bumps and pop-locking.

Highly recommended!!! Absolutely fabulous!

 

The cast of Merry Wives. (Photo/Teresa Castracane Photography)

 

With Bru Aju as Slender/Pistol; Jordan Barbour as Doctor Caius; Kelli Blackwell as Mama Quickly; Nick Rashad Burroughs as Mister Nduka Ford; Rebecca Celeste as Ensemble/Nafi; the divine Felicia Curry as Madam Nkechi Ford; the wondrous Oneika Phillips as Madam Ekua Page; JaBen Early as Mister Kwame Page; Latoya Edwards as Fenton/Simple; Sekou Laidlow as Pastor Evans; Peyton Rowe as Anne Page; Craig Wallace as Shallow; Ensemble member Shaka Zu.

Lighting Design by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew; Sound Design and Composition by Mikaal Sulaiman; Wig & Hair Design by Nikiya Mathis; Dialect & Voice Coach Dawn-Elin Fraser; Dramaturg Drew Lichtenberg.

 

Through October 5th at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Harman Hall, 610 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.547.1122 or visit www.ShakespeareTheatre.org

What’s Onstage in the DMV – October 2025

What’s Onstage in the DMV – October 2025

September 14, 2025

Jordan Wright

Special to The Zebra

Julius X: A Re-envisioning of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar via Folger Theatre

 

Folger Theatre – Julius X: A Re-envisioning of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar – through Oct 26  www.Folger.edu

 

Washington Stage Guild – The One Good Thing – or “Are ya’ Patrick Swayze?” – Oct 2 – Oct 19  www.CI.OvationTix.com

 

Signature Theatre – Strategic Love Play – through Nov 9  www.SigTheatre.org

 

Cirque du Soleil – Luzia – through Oct 19  www.tickets-center.com

 

Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit via Dominion Stage

 

Dominion Stage – Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit – Oct 24 – Nov 8  www.DominionStage.org

 

Round House Theatre – The Inheritance – through Oct 19  www.RoundHouseTheatre.org

 

Olney Theatre – Red Pitch – through Oct 19  www.OlneyTheatre.org

 

MetroStage at the Lyceum – Love Notes and Blue Notes with Aaron Myers and Yvette Spears – Oct 6
A Cabaret with Lisa Vroman – Nov 10  www.MetroStage.org

 

The Wild Duck via Shakespeare Theater Company

 

Shakespeare Theatre Company – The Wild Duck – Oct 18 – Nov 16  www.ShakespeareTheatre.org

 

Everyman Theatre – ‘Art’ – Oct 19 – Nov 16  www.EverymanTheatre.org

 

Woolly Mammoth – The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar) – through Oct 12  www.WoollyMammoth.net

 

The Little Theatre of Alexandria – Grease – Oct 25 – Nov 15  www.TheLittleTheatre.com

 

The Outsider via Aldersgate Theatre

 

Aldersgate Theatre – The Outsider – Oct 3 – 19  www.ACCTonline.org

 

IN Series – St. John the Baptist – through Oct 12  www.inseries.org

 

Compass Rose Theater – Annie – through Oct 19  www.CompassRoseTheater.org

 

1st Stage – Fair Play – Oct 16 – Nov 2  www.1stStage.org

 

Lizzie the Musical via Keegan Theatre

 

Keegan Theatre – Lizzie the Musical – Oct 31 – Nov 30  www.KeeganTheatre.com

 

Arena Stage – Damn Yankees – through Nov 9
Freemont Ave. – Oct 8 – Nov 23  www.ArenaStage.org

 

Toby’s Dinner Theatre – Saturday Night Live – through Nov 7  www.TobysDinnerTheatre.com

 

Providence Players of Fairfax – The Mousetrap – Oct 10 – Oct 25  www.ProvidencePlayers.org

 

GALA Hispanic Theatre – Héctor, The Electric Kid – Oct 18 – Nov 1  www.GALATheatre.org

 

The Last Five Years via Next Stop Theatre

 

Next Stop Theatre – The Last Five Years – Oct 30 – Nov 23  www.NextStopTheatre.org

 

Silver Spring Stage – Friends With Guns – through Oct 12
Witch – Oct 31 – Nov 16  www.SSStage.org

 

Adventure Theatre – Not Your Mother Goose! – Oct 3 – Nov 2  www.AdventureTheatre-MTC.org

 

Studio Theatre – The Heart Sellers – through Oct 26  www.StudioTheatre.org

 

Spooky Action Theatre – The Dragon – through Oct 19  www.SpookyAction.org

 

The Turn of the Screw – The Musical via Creative Cauldron

 

Creative Cauldron – The Turn of the Screw – The Musical – Oct 2 – 27  www.CreativeCauldron.org

 

National Theatre – PlayStation – The Concert – Oct 17 & 18 – Twilight – In Concert – Oct 24 and 25  www.BroadwayAtTheNational.com

 

Hippodrome Baltimore – The Rocky Horror Show – Oct 17 – Nov 2  www.TheHipp.org

 

Taffety Punk – Cyrano – through Oct 11  www.TaffetyPunk.com

 

Rorschach Theatre – So Late Into The Night – Oct 7 – Nov 2  www.rorschachTheatre.com

 

Evil Dead – The Musical via Workhouse Arts Center

 

Workhouse Arts Center – Evil Dead – The Musical – through Nov 2  www.WorkhouseArts.org

 

ExPats Theatre – Cold Country – through Oct 19  www.ExPatsTheatre.com

 

The Colonial Players – Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors – Oct 24 – Nov 15  www.ColonialPlayers.org

 

Bethesda Little Theatre – French Cupcakes – Oct 10 – 19  www.BLT-online.org

 

Synetic Theatre – Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus – Nov 1 – 23  www.SyneticTheatre.org

 

Furlough’s Paradise via Theater Alliance

 

Theater Alliance – Furlough’s Paradise – through Nov 23  www.TheaterAlliance.com

 

Theatre J – This Much I Know – through Oct 19  www.EDCJCC.org

 

Avant Bard Theatre – The 9th Annual Scripts in Play Festival – Oct 4 – Oct 20  www.AvantBard.org

 

Prince William Little Theatre – The Woman in Black – Oct 10 – Oct 18  www.HyltonCenter.org

Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia is an Edge of Your Seat Extravaganza Celebrating Mexican Culture

Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia is an Edge of Your Seat Extravaganza Celebrating Mexican Culture

Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia

Jordan Wright

September 12, 2025

Special to The Zebra

Scene from Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Luzia’ (Photo/Anne Colliard)

 

In an edge-of-your-seat extravaganza, Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia excels in spine-tingling, jaw-dropping acrobatics and evocative music.  It’s not just my opinion, but comments from attendees who say they thought it was the best Cirque show they had ever seen. Credit their policy for responding to audience feedback and regularly tweaking their shows to elicit the maximum reaction. Expect a spectacular fantasy world to both thrill and inspire.

 

Spoken and sung entirely in Spanish, Luzia (a portmanteau of luz meaning light and lluvia meaning water) affords the artists a mellifluous and joyful often romantic dynamic in the slower numbers and an intense immediacy in the daredevil performances. Elements of Mexican culture are everywhere, from the opening number featuring a circular garden of bright orange marigolds, mariachis and tiny robots who water the flowers, to the larger than life Mexican creatures – armadillo, jaguar, crocodile, horse, iguana, fish and giant mariposa (butterfly) – that dance to the sounds of classical and pop as well as salsa, bolero and traditional Mexican ballads – a veritable feast for the eyes and ears.

 

Scene from ‘Luzia’ (Photo/Anne Colliard)

 

One of the most eye-popping features is the waterfall, cascading from the very top of the tent. Artists performing within the splash zone offer an added dimension of excitement as drops of water reflect the light and flower and animal motifs are projected along the length of the curtain of water.

 

The ‘emcee’ is a comic figure, a clever mime he is constantly thirsty and thwarted by the waterfall which shuts down whenever he tries to fill his cup. Across the arena, amid the sounds of the organ grinder and the mariachis, you can hear the squeals of laughter and delight from excited children. Contagious too are the gasps at the physically precarious leaps, feats of tumbling, pole dancing and stupefying gymnastics from an acrobat on the aerial straps who is a marvel! Did I mention he’s as hot as a jalapeño. Another act is the lightning-fast juggler who tosses his silver pins at blinding speed.

 

Scene from ‘Luzia’ (Photo/Anne Colliard)

 

As birds and butterflies flutter, the feats of derring-do are amazing, but this reviewer was most captivated by a contortionist, who twists his hyper-flexible body into knots so intricate even a sailor wouldn’t know how to undo him. You’ll gasp at his elasticity. Another act by five pretty, soaking wet girls in Mexican dresses is performed within the confines of ‘cyr wheels’, a sort of life-size hula hoop, that has them upside down and spinning at 360-degrees.

 

Highly recommended. This fiesta is a true joy for young and old alike.  Don’t miss it!

 

Through October 19th under the Big Top at Tysons II, 8025 Galleria Drive. Tysons, VA 22102.

Tickets online at www.CirqueduSoleil.com

Dodi & Diana is a Role-Switching, Astrologist-Fueled Two-Hander from Mosaic Theater

Dodi & Diana is a Role-Switching, Astrologist-Fueled Two-Hander from Mosaic Theater

Dodi & Diana

Mosaic Theater

Jordan Wright

September 8, 2025

Special to The Zebra

Dina Soltan (Samira) and Jake Loewenthal (Jason) in Mosaic Theater’s production of Dodi & Diana. (Photo/Chris Banks)

 

This two-hander imagines a couple whose lives are dictated by an unseen astrologist called Vincent. The disembodied Vincent has ordered them to follow a set of rules while they luxuriate in a five-star hotel in Paris. To wit, they cannot leave their bedroom for 72 hours, they must be honest with each other, and they cannot use electronic devices – phone or laptop – or watch TV. Vincent has told them they are the astrological doubles of Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana. It has been 25 years since the famous car crash that resulted in that couple’s deaths.

Jason (Jake Loewenthal) is a high-flying financial wiz. He’s White and that will matter to the story. He is co-dependent on his wife and an emotional wreck. Samira (Dina Soltan) is a successful TV actress whose star is rising. She’s Egyptian and Muslim. That too, will matter.  The couple have been married for a decade.

Expect a great deal of hot and heavy romantic antics, dining on lavish room service, coupling on the satin-dressed bed and rage arguing á la Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”. Do they trust each other? Not for a minute. Samira checks her phone and makes secret calls to her agent as soon as Jason heads to the bathroom. Jason catches her and tries to hide her cell phone. “Have you stopped loving me?” he questions her. Telling the truth has consequences.

 

Dina Soltan (Samira) and Jake Loewenthal (Jason). (Photos/Chris Banks)

 

Samira suggests a role-playing exercise which goes south when Jason struggles to remember their first date. And there are role-switching exercises in which Samira, the actress, comes out on top. No surprise there. You may find yourself wondering how this couple made it through 10 years of marriage, especially as we learn Jason desperately wants children to cement his legacy and Samira stuns him by admitting she won’t sacrifice her career to have children. This appears to be the first time they have discussed this. Hmmm. Last time I checked there are actresses with children. And we all know there is sexism, racism and homophobia in this world, but it’s hardly a thing in show biz, yet Samira claims she can’t get the roles she wants because she is Arab. Last time I checked there were quite a few well-known Arab actresses and actors in film and TV.

After a psychedelic drug- and booze-fueled evening of romance, bickering and nitpicking, the couple assume the personae of Dodi and Diana in a switcheroo with Jason as the entitled Arab billionaire and Samira as Princess Diana complete with an upper-crust British accent – a  surprise reveal to explain the play’s title that comes near the end of this one-act play. I won’t spill the ending, or the story of Scotty, referred to by his wife as Jason’s lapse in their marriage. I will, however, mention the gorgeous set design, the perfectly curated props, and the intricate lighting changes with each shift in the action. The actors give it their all, but given this convoluted story, it all falls flat. After a while the lies and accusations, challenges, insults and revelations begin to seem like a telenovela.

 

Dina Soltan (Samira) and Jake Loewenthal (Jason). (Photo/Chris Banks)

 

Playwright Kareem Fahmy; Directed by Reginald L. Douglas; Scenic Design by Shartoya R. Jn. Baptiste; Lighting Design by Sage Green; Costume Design by Jeannette Christensen; Sound Design by navi; Props Design by Luke Hartwood; Resident Intimacy and Violence Director, Sierra Young; Production Stage Manager, Jenna Keefer.

But stay tuned. I’m very much looking forward to the upcoming A Case for the Existence of God opening in November, and Young John Lewis, a musical to be presented by Mosaic in Spring 2026.

Through October 5th at Mosaic Theatre at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.399.7993 ext.501 or visit www.MosaicTheater.org

Duke Ellington’s Cool Blues, Hot Jazz, Snappy Ragtime and Hip-Popping Swing Set to Shakespeare’s Rom-Com, Twelfth Night at Signature Theatre

Duke Ellington’s Cool Blues, Hot Jazz, Snappy Ragtime and Hip-Popping Swing Set to Shakespeare’s Rom-Com, Twelfth Night at Signature Theatre

Play On!
Signature Theatre
Jordan Wright
August 25, 2025
Special to The Zebra

Greg Watkins (Duke), Jalisa Williams (Vy), and the cast of Play On at Signature Theatre. (Photo/Daniel Rader)

 

Where can you find Duke Ellington’s cool blues, hot jazz, snappy ragtime, and hip-popping swing set to Shakespeare’s romcom, Twelfth Night? At Signature Theatre in the musical Play On!. The exclamation point is in the title and it’s there for a reason, because you if you don’t feel like leaping out of your seat to the sounds of tip-top tap dancing and mile-a-minute jitterbug, then you don’t have blood in your veins. Take in the vast double-tiered Art Deco set from stage level at one of the intimate cabaret-style tables or swoon to the tunes from above and prepare to be transported to the 1920’s at Harlem’s famed Cotton Club, where the Duke made his bones and Cupid found his mark.

A bit of history – “The Duke”, as you may recall, was and is a Washington institution. He even had a band he named “The Washingtonians”. A native son, he cut his teeth here writing hits and playing around town, creating his own big band sound which he called “American Music”, a singularly apt nomenclature for the elegant blend of South and North sounds from Black America. Today his legacy lives on at the DC’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts that is still turning out the nation’s top talent.

 

Greg Watkins (Duke) Jalisa Williams (Vy) and the cast of Play On. (Photo/Daniel Rader)

 

The show features twenty-two of Ellington’s compositions dovetailing jubilation, longing, love lost and lusty shenanigans. It’s a brilliant interpretation conceived by the great Sheldon Epps (with book by Cheryl L. West) who with Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner, chose the show’s award-winning director Lili-Anne Brown along with casting director, Charlotte La Nasa, who hired all the best talent to form this wowza cast of hoofers, actors and singers. Take the time to look up the stellar body of work these pros bring to the stage.

The story tells of star-crossed lovers, mistaken identity, gender discrimination, jealousy and mad, passionate, unrequited love, which if you remember your Shakespeare, turns out as fine as frog’s hair split four ways.

When Vy, up from Mississippi toting a suitcase filled with her compositions, finds her Uncle Cootie aka the Jester, at the Cotton Club, he convinces her to pass as a man if she wants The Duke to hear her music, because back then women couldn’t be composers. She becomes Vy “Man”, dons a pin-striped suit and fedora, convincing everyone she’s a he. It’s her music that lifts Duke out of his funk and away from his obsession with the divine Lady Liv, “Harlem’s Queen of the Blues”.

 

Jalisa Williams (Vy) and Awa Sal Secka (Lady Liv). (Photo/Christopher Mueller)

 

“It Don’t Mean a Thing” (if you ain’t got that swing) sung by Jester, Miss Mary and Sweets who try to convince Rev, the club’s manager, to loosen up and dress sharp if he wants to make it with the ladies, especially full-on diva Lady Liv whom he pines for. Miss Mary is Lady Liv’s hot-tempered, outspoken backstage dresser who gets caught up in the whirlwind of unrequited love. Her man is Sweets, a role that sneaks up on you in the hot number, “Rocks in My Bed”, a duet with Jester to include the full ensemble who burn up the stage.

The audience easily recognizes classics like “I Ain’t Got Nothing But the Blues”, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”, “Take the A Train”, “Hit Me with a Hot Note and Watch Me Bounce”, “In My Solitude”, “Mood Indigo” and so many more. Twenty-two classic numbers bring the house down showcasing this cast’s remarkable talents.

 

Wesley J.-Barnes (Jester) and the cast of Play On. (Photo/Daniel Rader)

 

The all-Black cast stars Jalisa Williams as Vy; the inimitable Greg Watkins as Duke; Wesley J. Barnes as Jester; Awa Sal Secka as Lady Liv; Kanysha Williams as Miss Mary; Chuckie Benson as Rev; Derrick D. Truby Jr. as Sweets; Alana S. Thomas as CC; with Bryan Archibald, Montel B. Butler, Clara Hargrove, Divine Iweha, Vaughan Ryan Midder, Kalen Robinson and Sean Walton in the ensemble.

Music directed by Jermaine Hill and brilliantly choreographed by Breon Arzell.

This show has it all! Highly recommended!

 

In the MAX theatre at Signature Theatre through October 5th at Shirlington Village, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA. For tickets and information call the box office at 703.820.9771 or visit www.SigTheatre.org