Chicago Shakes’ “Play On!” mixes Shakespeare’s “12th Night,” Ellington’s jazz greats
The Bard of Avon meets The Duke of Ellington
“Twelfth Night” is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare about twin siblings, mistaken identities and unrequited love.
“Play On!” sets out on this same theme with a female songwriter who tries to make it in Harlem, disguised as a naive male fresh off the train from Down South—who takes the A-Train to fulfill her dreams.
After recently writing about the International Jazz Day in April, Miles Davis’ nephew, Vince Wilburn, Jr., and M.E.B. at the Chicago Jazz Fest and now writing about and seeing the fervor of Ellington’s music in “Play On!,” it’s like a jazz trifecta.
Aspiring songwriter Vy takes the A-Train to Harlem in the swingin’ 1930s with big dreams of a career in showbiz, only to find that it’s a man’s world. She disguises herself to reach the inner circle of renowned band leader, The Duke—but plans backfire when she catches the eye of Lady Liv, the star singer of the Cotton Club, and mistaken identities make way for romance.
Music is indeed the food of love with big band pizzazz and Ellington’s hit songs “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “I’m Beginning to the See the Light” and many more.
A stellar cast of 15 create musical fireworks, complete with zoot suits and tuxes and tails, under the direction of the show’s original creator Sheldon Epps, who returns to stage the three-time Tony-nominated musical for a new generation.
The Cotton Club, Smalls Paradise and the Savoy Ballroom were the backdrop for Harlem in this rocking musical with a set that mimics Harlem on a hot Saturday night.
All cast members brought foot-stomping dancing and breathtaking singing to the fore.
“I Ain’t Got Nothing But The Blues” was a standout at the top of Act 2, with Lady Liv (Krystal Joy Brown) pouring out her broken heart, so much so that you could hear a pin drop in the theatre when she finished.
A bit later, James Earl Jones II as Sweets, and James Harkness as Jester performed a rousing rendition of Ellington’s “Rocks in My Bed,” after both men had been abandoned by their respective girlfriends. I wrote about Jones last year after he had starred in “Titanic the Musical” at Marriott Theatre. He was just as marvelous in this production, adding comic relief from time to time.
That’s not to discount the other performances in the play. Hailee Kaleem Wright was fantastic in her role as Vy or Vy-Man. She delivered “I Didn’t Know About You” expertly.
As well, “I’ve Got to Be a Rug Cutter,” performed by Jester, Vy, and the Cotton Club Dancers early in the performance attempted to give Vy some swagger in her new role and (rags) as a man. This song had an audience filled with obvious jazz aficionados itching to cut a rug themselves.
Epps discussed his reason for revisiting the play after 30 years. “Many years back, I saw a brilliant production of ‘Timon of Athens,’ directed by Michael Langham, which used Ellington’s Shakespeare Suite (“Such Sweet Thunder”) as an underscore.
“I was just blown away. I started to think about my favorite Shakespeare play… why not do a new musical inspired by “Twelfth Night” but with Ellington’s actual songs? But I knew I couldn’t pull it off unless the songs really worked to move the story forward.
“Then I got to thinking about the Harlem Renaissance. You had parties that were attended by Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Count Basie, Billie Holiday….and you have to wonder, ‘Oh my God, what must it have been like in that room?’
“At a time when our stories are being taken away, when our heroes are being stripped out of history books… it feels like there is no better moment for a genuine celebration of artists of color and the joy that was captured in that magical kingdom of Harlem. To have an opportunity to put this onstage right now is a gift.”
“Play On!” continues through October 18 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater at The Yard at Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave.
Visit chicagoshakes.com for more information about this performance and the Theater’s 40th Season.