Josephine Tonight!, a new musical about the legendary Josephine Baker with music by the late
Wally Harper, will have its world premiere at Theatre Building
Chicago on February 17th. The show will open on February 20th and run through March 26th.
While best known as a musical director (who often collaborated with
Barbara Cook) and arranger, Harper was also a composer who penned
Josephine Tonight! with Sherman Yellen (
Rex, The Rothschilds), who wrote the show's book and lyrics. Harper, who worked on shows such a
s Grand Hotel, My One and Only, Nine and
Company, passed away in 2004, after having completed work on the musical.
The show is "a ragtime to riches journey from the Jim Crow South to Broadway during the Harlem Renaissance to Paris of the Jazz Age...that reveals the relationship of the
young Josephine and her laundress mother Carrie, who steers her toward
success and then guides her to remember her roots. The exciting new
score goes from swinging ragtime to sultry jazz and gospel-inspired
songs as Josephine Baker puts the 'sin' back into syncopation," according to press notes.
Wayne Carr, Miche'le Cason, Angela Ingersoll, Michael Ingersoll,
Melanie McCullough, Senuwell Smith, Wynter Spears, LeKeya Stewart and
Monique Whittington will headline the cast of
Josephine Tonight!, which will be directed by Steve Scott, choreographed by Gordon McClure and feature musical direction and arrangements by Jon Steinhagen.
The design team will include Jessica Kuehnau (sets), Tina Salamone (lighting),
and Elizabeth Shaffer (costumes).
Theatre Building
Chicago is located at 1225 W Belmont Ave. Reservations are strongly encouraged; call the Theatre Building
Chicago box office at (773) 327-5252. For more information, visit
www.theatrebuildingchicago.org.
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