Christopher Jackson to Star in AFTER MIDNIGHT at Signature Theatre

Signature Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for After Midnight, the fourth production in the Signature Features 2021 Season. Featuring a cast of 12, headlined by Christopher Jackson and Nova Y. Payton, alongside a band of seven, After Midnight showcases 28 of the big band era's most famous songs, all framed by the poetry of Langston Hughes. A complete listing of the cast and creative team can be found below. After Midnight will be available to stream from mid-June through early August in HD on Broadway on Demand. Single stream tickets for $35 and subscriptions to the full Signature Features season for $200 are available to purchase at SigTheatre.org. The show will be available to stream for 72 hours after patron's initial viewing has begun. Closed Captioning and an audio described version will be available in English.

"During these trying times, I am overwhelmingly proud to make my directorial debut on a project that was also my Broadway debut, After Midnight," says director and choreographer Jared Grimes. "Our goal was to honor our ancestors and those who paved the way for us through the genius of Duke Ellington and Langston Hughes. Each day on this project we were guided by them and the many untold African American stories that showed us the way. Through our constant quest for excellence we celebrate the fact that we are more than just singers and dancers. We are a vital part of America's past, present and future; therefore, we have something to say."

This exhilarating song and dance extravaganza is set to the swinging sounds of Duke Ellington, Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields, Harold Arlen and more and framed by the poems of Langston Hughes. Featuring 28 of the big band era's most memorable songs including "Stormy Weather," "I've Got the World on a String," "On the Sunny Side of the Street," and "It Don't Mean a Thing," this non-stop revue showcases the gorgeous glamour and sophisticated syncopation of the Harlem heartbeat after midnight.

"This celebration of the incomparable Harlem Renaissance and big band era is both joyful and impactful," says Managing Director Maggie Boland. "We are thrilled to bring Jared Grimes and Mark G. Meadows back to Signature to lead this phenomenal cast and creative team to tell these valuable stories through extraordinary songs and dances that practically leap from the screen."

"It has been a century since the Harlem Renaissance, a golden age in African American culture that uplifted and celebrated Black writers, musicians and performers," says Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner. "The Harlem Renaissance changed the world and following the racial reckoning of 2020 we are witnessing just the beginning of a new Black Renaissance. It is our wish to give space for this renaissance at Signature and to continue to uplift Black artists. Jared Grimes, Mark G. Meadows and this amazing company led by Christopher Jackson and Nova Y. Payton have created something truly remarkable that honors the past while giving voice to the future. I cannot wait for the world to see what they've created."

Led by the aforementioned Christopher Jackson (Broadway's Hamilton, In the Heights) and Nova Y. Payton (Signature's Ain't Misbehavin', Shakespeare Theatre's The Amen Corner), the full cast of After Midnight includes Sophia Adoum (Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage's Icons, Center for the Arts Balance/Imbalance), Phillip Attmore (Broadway's Hello, Dolly; Shuffle Along), Jessica Bennett (Signature's Blackbeard, Olney Theatre Center's Cabaret), DeWitt Fleming Jr. (Signature's The Scottsboro Boys, Alliance Theater's Sophisticated Ladies), Jennie Harney-Fleming (Broadway's Hamilton, The Color Purple), Andre Hinds (Signature's The Scottsboro Boys, Olney Theatre Center's Singin' in the Rain), Jodeci Milhouse (SOLE Defined's Zaz: The Big Easy, Frequency), Solomon Parker III (Signature's Ain't Misbehavin', Ford's Theatre's The Wiz), Shayla S. Simmons (Signature's Signature Vinyl, NextStop Theatre Company's The Mountaintop), and Kanysha Williams (Signature's Ain't Misbehavin', MetroStage's The Wizard of Hip).

After Midnight is conceived by Jack Viertel (Smokey Joe's Café, Artistic Director of New York City Center's Encores!), and features the poetry of Langston Hughes with songs by Harold Arlen, Cab Calloway, Harry Carney, Sidney Easton, Duke Ellington, Dorothy Fields, E.Y. Harburg, Johnny Hodges, Harry James, Ted Koehler, Jimmy McHugh, Bubber Miley, Irving Mills, Henry Nemo, Ben Pollack, Sippie Wallace, Ethel Waters, and Harry A. White. Directed and choreographed by Jared Grimes (Broadway's After Midnight, Signature's Jelly's Last Jam), with Music Direction by Mark G. Meadows (Signature's Spunk, Ain't Misbehavin'), the creative team includes Costume Design by Dede Ayite (Broadway's A Soldier's Play, Signature's Gun & Powder), Lighting Design by Mike Baldassari (Broadway's Cabaret, Children of a Lesser God), Sound Design by Ryan Hickey (Signature's Simply Sondheim, A Chorus Line), Hair, Wig & Makeup Design by J. Jared Janas (Broadway's Jagged Little Pill, Signature's Gun & Powder), Assistant Choreography by DeWitt Fleming Jr., Casting by Kelly Crandall d'Amboise (Signature's Simply Sondheim, Light Years), and Production Coordinator Kerry Epstein (Signature's Daniel J. Watts' The Jam: Only Child, Simply Sondheim). The production was filmed by Chiet Productions, Director of Photography Justin Chiet, Associate Producer/Editor James Gardiner, with assistant editing by Natalie Ridgley.

Photo credit: Christopher Mueller

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