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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]
| Play On! | |
|---|---|
![Thumb](#/media/File:"Play_On!"_broadway_musical_cast_recording_cover.jpg) 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 2024 UK tour |
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]
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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 Talawa Theatre Company is touring the musical in the UK, directed by Michael Buffong, first to the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, then Liverpool Playhouse, Salisbury Playhouse, Birmingham Hippodrome, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith and Bristol Old Vic.[8]
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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.
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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 |
|
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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 |
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