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A Musical in 2 Acts. Book by Cheryl L. West. (Based loosely on Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare.) Songs (music) by Duke Ellington. Conceived and directed by Sheldon Epps. Choreographed by Mercedes Ellington. Arrangements, musical supervision, orchestrations by Luther Henderson.

Originally produced at the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, California.

Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway: Opened 20th March, 1997; closed 11th May, 1997 (61 performances).

Synopsis

There is a fresh approach in moving the story and the major characters of Twekfth Night from the magical kingdom of Illyria to the swinging kingdom of Harlem in the 1940s. And who better to provide the score than Duke Ellington himself. For Count Orsino, music was the food of love. For Duke, music was his mistress - a perfect match.

Vy, who comes to Harlem, not to sing, but to write songs and to work with the Duke, the greatest band leader in Harlem. She quickly learns from her Uncle Jester, hoofer at the Cotton Club, that in Harlem a wornan will never be accepted or taken seriousliy as a writer. But like many a strong hero in musical comedy, she refuses to accept defeat. The answer? If it takes looking like a man to enter this world then show me the way to the tailor shop, and call me Vy-man!

Fitted out in her new pinstripe suit she is taken to meet the Duke. He is found a prisoner in his penthouse apartment, sighing and crying over his lost love, Lady Liv, Harlem's queen of the blues (just as Shakespeare's Count Orsino sighed and cried over his heart's passion, Lady Olivia). Impressed with Vy-man's music, he sends this young talent to the Cotton Club to woo his lady, using one of Vy's songs as if newly composed by the Duke especially for Lady Liv that afternoon. At the club she greets the great diva, who is immediately smitten with this charming, though slightly different young man, and the whole chain of events that has everybody falling for the wrong person is set into motion.

Concurrently, the employees of the club, Jester, Sweets, and Miss Mary, are out to teach the pompous and dictatorial club manager, Rev, a lesson. Rev gained his name and reputation because he is the most serious man in Harlem and he smiles even less frequently than Twelfth Night's Malvolio. Knowing that Rev is also infatuated with Lady Liv, the comic trio convinces him that the only way to win her heart is to learn to swing, give up his stiff ballads and learn the joys of scat. In time all of the illusions and disguises that are put on create only havoc and distress, and it is only by dropping the shams and cover-ups that all of the lovers can come together as they should and celebrate the foods of love.

CAST (in order of appearance)

Denizens of Harlem

Musical Numbers

  1. Take the A Train (Music and Lyrics by Billy Strayhorn.) - Vy, Ensemble
  2. Drop Me Off in Harlem (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Nick Kenny.) - Vy, Denizens of Harlem
  3. I've Got to Be a Rug Cutter (Music and Lyrics by Duke Ellington.) - Jester, Vy, Cotton Club Dancers
  4. I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart (Music and Lyrics by Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Henry Nemo, John Redmond.) - Duke
  5. C Jam Blues (Music by Duke Ellington.) - Cotton Club Dancers
  6. Mood Indigo (Music and Lyrics by Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Albany Bigard.) - Lady Viv
  7. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Bob Russell.) - Vy, Lady Viv
  8. Don't You Know I Care (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Mack David.) - Rev
  9. It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Irving Mills.) - Jester, Miss Mary, Sweets, Rev
  10. I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good (from Jump For Joy) (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster.) - Duke, Vy
  11. Hit Me With a Hot Note and Watch Me Bounce (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Don George.) - Vy, Duke's Band
  12. I'm Just a Lucky So and So (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Mack David.) - Jester, Cotton Club Dancers
  13. Everything But You (Music and Lyrics by Duke Ellington, Don George, Harry James.) Lady Viv, Vy
  14. Solitude (Music and Lyrics by Duke Ellington, Eddie DeLange, Irving Mills.) - Vy, Duke, Lady Viv, Rev
  15. Black Butterfly (Music and Lyrics by Duke Ellington, Ben Carruthers, Irving Mills.) - Lady Liv's Escorts
  16. I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Don George.) - Lady Viv
  17. I'm Beginning to See the Light (Music by Duke Ellington, Don George, Harry James, Johnny Hodges.) - Rev, Cotton Club Dancers
  18. I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good (reprise) - Rev
  19. I Didn't Know About You (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Bob Russell.) - Vy
  20. Rocks in My Bed (Music and Lyrics by Duke Ellington.) - Sweets, Jester
  21. Something to Live For (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Billy Strayhorn.) - Rev, Lady Viv
  22. Love You Madly (Music and Lyrics by Duke Ellington.) - Miss Mary, Sweets
  23. Prelude to a Kiss (Music and Lyrics by Duke Ellington, Irving Gordon, Irving Mills.) - Vy, Duke
  24. In a Mellow Tone (Music by Duke Ellington. Lyrics by Milt Gabler.) Vy, Duke, Lady Viv, Rev, Denizens of Harlem

Scenes and Settings

Time: The Swingin '40s. Location: The Magical Kingdom of Harlem.

Act 1

Act 2