Minskoff Theatre, (1/26/1989 - 1/20/1991)

Category: Musical, Revue, Original, Broadway

Opening Night Production Credits 

Theatre Operated by The Nederlander Organization (James M. Nederlander: Chairman; Robert E. Nederlander: President; Arthur Rubin: Vice-President); Theatre Owned / Operated by Minskoff Organization

Produced by Mel Howard and Donald K. Donald; Associate Producer: Marilynn LeVine

Originally created at Theatre Musical de Paris

Music orchestrated by Sy Johnson; Music arranged by Sy Johnson; Additional arrangements by Luther Henderson; Additional orchestrations by Luther Henderson; Featuring songs by Ellas McDaniel ("I'm a Woman"), W. C. Handy ("St. Louis Blues"), Spencer Williams ("Everybody Loves My Baby", "Royal Garden Blues"), Clarence Williams ("Royal Garden Blues"), J. Turner Layton ("After You've Gone"), Andy Razaf ("If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' on It"), Alex Hill ("If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' on It"), Louis Armstrong ("I Want a Big Butter and Egg Man"), Percy Venable ("I Want a Big Butter and Egg Man"), Jimmy McHugh ("I Can't Give You Anything But Love"), Doc Daugherty ("I'm Confession"), Ellis Reynolds ("I'm Confession"), Duke Ellington ("Black and Tan Fantasy", "Come Sunday", "Daybreak Express", "In a Sentimental Mood", "East St. Louis Toodle-oo", "Mystery Song"), Bubber Miley ("Black and Tan Fantasy", "East St. Louis Toodle-oo"), Jimmie Lunceford ("Rhythm Is Our Business"), Saul Chaplin ("Rhythm Is Our Business"), Porter Grainger ("T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do"), Everett Robbins ("T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do"), Thomas "Fats" Waller ("That Rhythm Man", "Black and Blue"), Harry Brooks ("That Rhythm Man"), John Green ("Body and Soul"), Harry Akst ("Am I Blue?"), Benny Goodman ("Stompin' at the Savoy"), Chick Webb ("Stompin' at the Savoy"), Edgar Sampson ("Stompin' at the Savoy"), Eubie Blake ("Memories of You"), Leslie Johnakins ("Wednesday Night Hop"), Andy Kirk ("Wednesday Night Hop"), Harold Arlen ("I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues") and Big Maybelle Smith ("Cry Like a Baby"); Featuring songs with lyrics by Henry Creamer ("After You've Gone"), Ellas McDaniel ("I'm a Woman"), Jack Palmer ("Everybody Loves My Baby"), Andy Razaf ("If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' on It", "That Rhythm Man", "Black and Blue", "Stompin' at the Savoy", "Memories of You"), Dorothy Fields ("I Can't Give You Anything But Love"), Al J. Nieburg ("I'm Confession"), Manny Curtis ("In a Sentimental Mood"), Irving Mills ("In a Sentimental Mood", "Mystery Song"), Sammy Cahn ("Rhythm Is Our Business"), Porter Grainger ("T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do"), Everett Robbins ("T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do"), Harry Brooks ("Black and Blue"), Edward Heyman ("Body and Soul"), Robert Sour ("Body and Soul"), Frank Eyton ("Body and Soul"), Leslie Johnakins ("Wednesday Night Hop"), Andy Kirk ("Wednesday Night Hop"), Ted Koehler ("I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues"), Big Maybelle Smith ("Cry Like a Baby"), Grant Clarke ("Am I Blue?"), W. C. Handy ("St. Louis Blues") and Alex Hill ("If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' on It")

Conceived by Claudio Segovia and Héctor Orezzoli; Directed by Claudio Segovia and Héctor Orezzoli; Choreographed by Cholly Atkins, Henry LeTang, Frankie Manning and Fayard Nicholas; Assistant Choreographer: Dianne Walker

Scenery conceived by Claudio Segovia and Héctor Orezzoli; Costumes conceived by Claudio Segovia and Héctor Orezzoli; Lighting conceived by Claudio Segovia and Héctor Orezzoli; Lighting Design by Neil Peter Jampolis and Jane Reisman; Sound Design by Abe Jacob; Hair Design by Jean-Luc Don Vito; Make-Up Design by Jean-Luc Don Vito; Scenic Assistant: Mina Albergo and Laura Brock; Assistant Lighting Design: Douglas Cox; Asst. to Mr. Jacobs: Cathy E. Kabat and Jonathan Weston

General Manager: Norman Rothstein and Robert A. Buckley; Associate Gen. Mgr: Julie Crosby

Production Stage Manager: Alan Hall; Technical Supervisor: Peter Fulbright; Stage Manager: Ruth E. Rinklin; Assistant Stage Mgr: Jack Gianino, Tamara K. Heeschen and Jim Badrak

Conducted by Leonard Oxley; Guitar: Billy Butler; Clarinet: Bill Easley and Haywood Henry; Bass: Al McKibbon; Piano: Sir Roland Hanna and Leonard Oxley; Trumpet: Stephen Furtaldo, Virgil Jones, Jake Porter and Emory Thompson; Alto Saxophone: Jerome Richardson; Drums: Grady Tate; Violin: Claude Williams; Trombone: Britt Woodman; Musical Coordinator: Red Press; Musical Supervisor: Sy Johnson

Pianos courtesy of Baldwin

Press Representative: P.R. Partners; Casting: Hughes / Moss Casting; Advertising: Nappi / Eliran Advertising, Ltd.; Logo Design by Juan Gatti; Photographer: Martha Swope and Ken Howard; Casting Associate: Jessica Gilburne; Production Assistant: Nadine Aronson and Amanda Sutton; Asst. to Technical Supervisor: C. Barrack Evans

Ruth Brown	Singer
Linda Hopkins	Singer
Carrie Smith	Singer
Frederick J. Boothe	Dancer
Bunny Briggs	Hoofer
Ralph Brown	Hoofer
Lon Chaney	Hoofer
Rashamella Cumbo	Dancer
Eugene Fleming	Dancer
Tanya Gibson	Dancer
Cyd Glover	Younger Generation
Savion Glover	Younger Generation
Germaine Goodson	Dancer
Angela Hall	Dancer
Kyme	Dancer
Ted Levy	Dancer
Valerie Macklin	Dancer
Bernard Manners	Dancer
Deborah Mitchell	Dancer
Van Porter	Dancer
Kevin Ramsey	Dancer
Ken Roberson	Dancer
Jimmy Slyde	Hoofer
Valerie E. Smith	Dancer
Dormeshia Sumbry	Younger Generation
Dianne Walker	Hoofer
Melvin Washington	Dancer

Standbys: Melba Joyce (Singer), Tarik Winston (Younger Generation).