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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. Play On!
In keeping with the show's focus on performers at the legendary Cotton Club, scenic designer Dan Conway has configured the set to allow audience members to sit at four-person cabaret tables while also providing traditional theater seating at the sides and rear of the space. The luxurious two-level set incorporates a bandstand for the six musicians led by music director Jermaine Hill. Sheldon Epps conceived the work both as a reflection of Shakespeare's views on how people can claim or conceal their identities and as a way to give Ellington, who never wrote a Broadway musical, and his classic songs a place in the canon. Audiences who know Twelfth Night will be amused by the way bookwriter Cheryl L. West has adapted (some of) its characters and experiences to fit into an utterly different world, but knowledge of the play is not required to enjoy this show. Director Lili-Anne Brown shows a sure hand in balancing the silly, serious and sensuous elements of the musical, which takes its title from the opening line of Shakespeare's play: "If music be the food of love, play on!" It's all about the many ways to convey love: physical, verbal and aural. In this version of the story, Vy (Jalisa Williams) is a down-home young Southern woman who loves jazz music, so she heads to New York City to show songs she has written to the famous composer the Duke (Greg Watkins). Warned that jazz composers think of women as muses and singers but not songwriters, she proactively goes undercover as "Vy-Man" in a man's suit and short-cropped hairstyle. Then the Duke sends her to meet Lady Liv (Awa Sal Secka), the reigning Harlem diva whose heart he's trying to capture, and things soon get hilariously confusing. First of all, Jalisa Williams is a great talent with an expressive face and a ringing voice. She projects the nuances of her character–both sides–as revealed through Samantha C. Jones' costumes, whether in radiant yellow or understated gray. Awa Sal Secka dominates the stage as Lady Liv stands up for herself, then collapses into a giggling girl when faced with an unexpected chance at love. Watkins is magnetic as he provides solid support. Keeping things bubbling are the secondary players responsible for most of the comic relief. Cotton Club dancer Jester (Wesley L. Barnes), bandleader Sweets (Derrick D. Truby Jr.), and Lady Liv's maid Miss Mary (Kanysha Williams) strike comic sparks as they bicker and pick on Lady Liv's stentorian manager, Rev (Chuckie Benson). Breon Arzell's choreography throughout is propulsive, character-defining, and often very funny to watch. The physical production also stands out through the surprising elements of Conway's set and the way Jason Lynch's lighting design highlights a range of emotions. Play On! runs through October 5, 2025, at Signature Theatre, MAX Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington VA. For tickets and information, please call 703-820-9771 or visit www.SigTheatre.org. Conceived by Sheldon Epps Cast: |
