MusicalRevueOriginalBroadway
Opening Date
Mar 01, 1981
Closing Date
Jan 02, 1983
1st Preview
Feb 16, 1981
1st Preview
Feb 16, 1981
Previews
15
Performances
767
MusicalRevueOriginalBroadway

ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION

Theatres
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
(Mar 01, 1981 - Jan 02, 1983)

Theatre Owned / Operated by The Messrs. Nederlander
Conceived by Donald McKayle; Based on the music of Duke Ellington; Music by Duke Ellington; Featuring songs by Irving Mills ("The Mooche", "Old Man Blues", "Rockin' In' Rhythm", "Mood Indigo"), Juan Tizol ("Perdido", "Caravan"), Ervin M. Drake ("Perdido"), Hans Lengsfelder ("Perdido"), Al Hibbler ("Fat and Forty"), Billy Strayhorn ("Take the 'A' Train", "Something To Live For", "Imagine My Frustration", "I'm Checking Out Goombye"), Harry Carney ("Rockin' In' Rhythm"), Don George ("I'm Beginning To See the Light"), Johnny Hodges ("I'm Beginning To See the Light"), Harry James ("I'm Beginning To See the Light"), Gerald Wilson ("Imagine My Frustration") and Albany "Barney" Bigard ("Mood Indigo"); Featuring songs with lyrics by Duke Ellington, John Guare ("Music Is a Woman"), Don George ("Hit Me With a Hot Note and Watch Me Bounce", "I'm Beginning To See the Light"), Juan Tizol ("Perdido"), Ervin M. Drake ("Perdido"), Hans Lengsfelder ("Perdido"), Al Hibbler ("Fat and Forty"), Irving Mills ("It Don't Mean a Thing", "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart", "Caravan", "Old Man Blues", "In a Sentimental Mood", "Sophisticated Lady"), Sid Kuller ("Bli-Blip"), Bob Russell ("Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me"), John Redmond ("I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart"), Billy Strayhorn ("Something To Live For", "Satin Doll", "Imagine My Frustration", "I'm Checking Out Goombye"), Nick Kenny ("Drop Me Off in Harlem"), Bill Katz ("Duke's Place"), R. Thiele ("Duke's Place"), Manny Kurtz ("In a Sentimental Mood"), Johnny Hodges ("I'm Beginning To See the Light"), Harry James ("I'm Beginning To See the Light"), Johnny Mercer ("Satin Doll"), Lee Gaines ("Just Squeeze Me"), Mack David ("I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So"), Gerald Wilson ("Imagine My Frustration"), Paul Francis Webster ("I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good") and Mitchell Parish ("Sophisticated Lady"); Musical Director: Mercer Ellington; Music orchestrated by Al Cohn; Music arranged by Lloyd Mayers; Dance arrangements by Lloyd Mayers; Vocal arrangements by Lloyd Mayers and Malcolm Dodds; Additional arrangements by Paul Chihara
Entire Production Directed by Michael Smuin; Musical Staging and Choreography by Donald McKayle and Michael Smuin; Co-Choreography and Tap Choreography by Henry LeTang; Associate Choreographer: Bruce Heath; Assistant Choreographer: Mercedes Ellington
Scenic Design by Tony Walton; Costume Design by Willa Kim; Lighting Design by Jennifer Tipton; Sound Design by Otts Munderloh; Hair Design by Danny Wintrode; Assistant to Mr. Walton: Vaughan Edwards and Peter Gould; Assistant to Ms. Kim: Bud Santora and Paula Iasella; Assistant to Ms. Tipton: Allen Lee Hughes
General Manager: Joseph P. Harris and Ira Bernstein; Associate Gen. Mgr: Steven E. Goldstein; Associate to Joseph Harris: Nancy Simmons
Production Stage Manager: Martin Gold; Stage Manager: Carlos Gorbea; Assistant Stage Mgr: Kenneth Hanson
Music Consultant: Paul Chihara; Piano: Lloyd Mayers; Drums: Richard Pratt; Trumpet: Barry Lee Hall and Jon Longo; Musical Coordinator: Lloyd Mayers; Music Contractor: Rudy Stevenson; Assistant Conductor: Lloyd Mayers; Music Preparation: Mathilde Pincus and Al Miller
General Press Representative: Fred Nathan; Press Representative: Eileen McMahon; Casting: T.N.I. Casting, Julie Hughes and Barry Moss; Dance Captain: Claudia Asbury; Advertising: Ash / LeDonne, Fred Golden and Jon Wilner; Photographer: Martha Swope and Kenn Duncan; Furs by The Christie Brothers; Vocal Coach: Roy Glover
Performer
Performer
Performer
Phyllis Hyman
Broadway debut
Performer
Sophisticated Lady
Sophisticated Gentleman
Performer
Performer
Performer
 
Sophisticated Lady
Michael Scott Gregory
Broadway debut
Sophisticated Gentleman
Performer
Sophisticated Gentleman
Sophisticated Lady
Sophisticated Lady
Sophisticated Gentleman
Standby: Naomi Moody (Performer) and Anita Moore (Performer)
Understudies: Hinton Battle (Performer), Gregg Burge (Performer), Michael Scott Gregory (Performer), Michael Lichtefeld (Performer), Paula Lynn (Performer), Valarie Pettiford (Performer, Sophisticated Lady), Wynonna Smith (Performer), T. A. Stephens (Performer) and Faruma S. Williams (Performer, Sophisticated Gentleman)

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (Mar 01, 1981 - Jan 02, 1983)

Associate Manager: Bruce Klinger
Assistant Conductor: Frank Owens
Dance Captain: Valarie Pettiford

Cast

Maurice Hines
Replaced Gregory Hines
Performer
Gary Chapman
Replaced Hinton Battle; Broadway debut
Performer
Don Correia
Replaced PJ Benjamin
Performer
Sophisticated Lady
Donna Drake
Replaced Terri Klausner
Performer
Michael Scott Gregory
Replaced Gregg Burge
Performer
Maurice Hines
Replaced Gregory Hines
Performer
Performer
Sophisticated Gentleman
Performer
Sophisticated Gentleman
Sophisticated Lady
Sophisticated Lady
T. A. Stephens
Replaced Gary Chapman
Performer
Understudies: Adrian Bailey (Performer), Lloyd Culbreath (Performer, Sophisticated Gentleman), Denise DiRenzo (Sophisticated Lady, Performer), Mercedes Ellington (Performer), Calvin McRae (Performer), Richard Pessagno (Performer), Christina Saffran (Performer) and Jeff Veazey (Sophisticated Gentleman)
music by Duke Ellington
(Unless otherwise noted)
Act 1
I've Got To Be A Rag Cutter
(lyrics by Duke Ellington)
Music Is A Woman
(lyrics by John Guare)
The Mooche
(music by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills)
Hit Me With A Hot Note And Watch Me Bounce
(lyrics by Don George)
Love You Madly
(lyrics by Duke Ellington)
Fat and Forty
(music by Duke Ellington and Al Hibbler; lyrics by Duke Ellington and Al Hibbler)
It Don't Mean A Thing
(lyrics by Irving Mills)
Bli-Blip
(lyrics by Duke Ellington and Sid Kuller)
Cotton Tail
Take the 'A' Train
(music by Billy Strayhorn)
Solitude
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(lyrics by Bob Russell)
I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart
(lyrics by Irving Mills and John Redmond)
Caravan
(music by Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol; lyrics by Irving Mills)
Something To Live For
(music by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn; lyrics by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn)
Old Man Blues
(music by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills; lyrics by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills)
Drop Me Off in Harlem
(lyrics by Nick Kenny)
Rockin' In Rhythm
(music by Harry Carney, Duke Ellington and Irving Mills)
Act 2
Duke's Place
(lyrics by Bill Katz and R. Thiele)
Diminuendo In Blue
In A Sentimental Mood
(lyrics by Manny Kurtz and Irving Mills)
I'm Beginning To See The Light
(music by Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges and Harry James; lyrics by Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges and Harry James)
Satin Doll
(lyrics by Johnny Mercer and Billy Strayhorn)
Just Squeeze Me
(lyrics by Lee Gaines)
Dancers In Love
Echoes of Harlem
I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So
(lyrics by Mack David)
Hey Baby
(lyrics by Duke Ellington)
Imagine My Frustration
(music by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and Gerald Wilson; lyrics by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and Gerald Wilson)
Kinda Dukish
Ko-Ko
I'm Checking Out Goombye
(music by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn; lyrics by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn)
Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me
(lyrics by Bob Russell)
I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good
(lyrics by Paul Francis Webster)
Mood Indigo
(music by Albany "Barney" Bigard, Duke Ellington and Irving Mills)
Sophisticated Lady
(lyrics by Irving Mills and Mitchell Parish)
It Don't Mean A Thing (Reprise)
(lyrics by Irving Mills)

Tony Award®

 

Best Musical

 

Best Actor in a Musical

1981 Nominee
Gregory Hines

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

1981 Winner
Hinton Battle
 

Best Featured Actress in a Musical

1981 Nominee
Phyllis Hyman

Best Costume Design

1981 Winner
Costume Design by Willa Kim
 

Best Lighting Design

1981 Nominee
Lighting Design by Jennifer Tipton
 

Best Choreography

1981 Nominee
Choreographed by Donald McKayle , Michael Smuin and Henry LeTang
 

Best Direction of a Musical

1981 Nominee
Directed by Michael Smuin

Drama Desk Award

 

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

1981 Nominee
Gregg Burge

Theatre World

Award

1981 Recipient
Phyllis Hyman
Season:
Week Ending Gross % Gross Pot. Attendance % Capacity # Previews # Perf.
Statistics supplied are courtesy of The Broadway League.
PRODUCTIONS

More Productions by Opening Date