Review: DUKE ELLINGTON'S SOPHISTICATED LADIES at NJPAC

The jazz king of Harlem is alive and well in Newark, New Jersey. In honor of the 120th anniversary of his birth next month, Crossroads Theater Company and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center have co-produced a short run of Duke Ellington'S SOPHISTICATED LADIES.

The musical revue, which originally made its way to Broadway in 1981, includes all of Ellington's best-known standards, including "In A Sentimental Mood," "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good," and "Mood Indigo." This collaborative production at NJPAC is directed by André De Shields.

Ken Ard plays the Distingue with class and the Dukes are represented by Wesley Barnes, Lamont Brown, C.K. Edwards, and Tommy Scrivens. On the women's side, Johmaalya Adelekan, Jacqueline Arnold, Lianne Marie Dobbs, and N'Kenge are the Divas with the Sophisticated Ladies portrayed by Kaleigh Cronin, Danielle Kelsey, and Jenny Laroche.

The opening number, "Take the 'A' Train," introduces the audience to tap and scat which will be seen and heard throughout the night. Over all, the show is well-sung and well-danced. Musical director Nat Adderly Jr. leads his band with grandeur that can only be accomplished by a 10-piece orchestra.

The divas showcase expressive pain in their jazz vocalizations. On the night I attended, the audience vocalized their support and nearly religious connection to the music, making the theater into a cross between a church and a jazz club.

While on the whole the men are better dancers and the women better singers, the choreography from Kimberly Schafer and Ellington's music are performed adequately enough to satisfy jazz aficionados as well as those unaccustomed to the soundtrack of the Harlem Renaissance.

With slender dancing and vocals that complement the instrumentation, SOPHISTICATED LADIES is sometimes sensual and always elegant. It doesn't quite matter that we don't see anything new or ground-breaking with this production. Well performed jazz music from one of the masters that reaches the soul is all that could be asked of.

Behind the musicians is a single set that uses 20th century art deco and musical notation to make an impression of a geometric skyline. The scenic design by Burke Wilmore and Elizabeth C. Nelson is accompanied by Wilmore's lighting which nicely complements the costumes designed by Gail Brassard.

SOPHISTICATED LADIES culminates in a rousing final number, a jumping rendition of "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," whose only fault is its brevity.

SOPHISTICATED LADIES is playing a limited run at NJPAC in Newark, New Jersey. Shows are Friday and Saturday, March 22 and March 23, at 7 pm and Saturday and Sunday, the 23rd and 24th, at 2 pm. Ticket prices start at $69. For more information, visit https://www.njpac.org/events/detail/duke-ellingtons-sophisticated-ladies.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the venue

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