The Ensemble Theatre's SATCHEL PAIGE AND THE KANSAS CITY SWING Closes This Weekend

The Ensemble Theatre closes its season-ender SATCHEL PAIGE AND THE KANSAS CITY SWING this Sunday, July 31.

By his account, Negro Leagues all-star Satchel Paige (Charles Lattimore) should have been the first Black player in modern major-league baseball -- not Jackie Robinson. When 'SATCHEL PAIGE' begins, the legendary ball player has the chance to be fifth, he complains, maybe sixth or seventh. And he's no longer a young man at the top of his game.

Satchel figures he won't get the pomp and circumstance he deserves and that The Major Leagues has come calling too late. His best friend Buck O'Neil, also a Negro Leagues star, disagrees.

By the end of the musical, Paige must decide whether or not to swallow his pride with a little help from his friends (Buck; Bob Feller, a white player with the Cleveland Indians; and Mrs. Hopkins, the elegant lady of the boarding house) and a lot of distraction from a love triangle between Moira, Mrs. Hopkin's beautiful daughter, and young players Art Young and Franky Palmieri.

"There's plenty to savor musically in SATCHEL PAIGE," says Houston Press critic D.L. Groover. "It's close to a home run, certainly a triple. A few more red pencils on the script would work wonders. The songs and staging are exemplary, as are [cast members] Lattimore, Burks, Neal, and Boggess-Glover."

Patdro Harris directs and choreographs The Ensemble Theatre production of SATCHEL PAIGE AND THE KANSAS CITY SWING. Cast members include: Florida artist Charles Lattimore in the title role as Satchel Paige and Houston artists Andre' Neal (Buck O'Neil), Dave Harris (Bob Feller), Kendrick Lattimore (Art Young), Geovanny Acosta (Franky Palmieri), An'tick Von Morphxing (Mrs. Hopkins) and Anthony Boggess-Glover.

Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan wrote the 'SATCHEL PAIGE' script that Composer and Musical Director Carlton Leake has transformed into the current musical drama.

SATCHEL PAIGE AND THE KANSAS CITY SWING continues through July 31 at The Ensemble Theatre, 3535 Main. For more information, call 713-520-0055 or visit ensemblehouston.com. $30-$61.

Photos courtesy of The Ensemble Theatre.