''Jelly's Last Jam'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact def ...

with a book by

George C. Wolfe George Costello Wolfe (born September 23, 1954) is an American playwright and director of theater and film. He won a Tony Award in 1993 for directing '' Angels in America: Millennium Approaches'' and another Tony Award in 1996 for his direction ...

, lyrics by

Susan Birkenhead Susan Birkenhead is an American lyricist. Birkenhead made her Broadway debut as one of a team of songwriters contributing to '' Working'' (1978), for which she received her first Tony Award nomination. Her second was earned for ''Jelly's Last Ja ...

, and music by

Jelly Roll Morton Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a ge ...

and

Luther Henderson Luther Henderson (March 14, 1919 – July 29, 2003) was an American arranger, composer, orchestrator, and pianist best known for his contributions to Broadway musicals. Early life and career Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Henderson relocated to t ...

. Based on the life and career of

Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (later Morton; c. September 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941), known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Morton was jazz's first arranger, proving that a gen ...

, known as Jelly Roll Morton and generally regarded as one of the primary driving forces behind the introduction of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

to the American public in the early 20th century, it also serves as a social commentary on the

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

experience during the era. LaMothe was born into a

Louisiana Creole Louisiana Creole ( lou, Kréyòl Lalwizyàn, links=no) is a French-based creole language spoken by fewer than 10,000 people, mostly in the state of Louisiana. It is spoken today by people who may racially identify as White, Black, mixed, and ...

family that was established and free before the Civil War.

Plot

The play opens with the recently deceased Morton in a state of limbo, looking back on his life. He is reluctantly guided by the mysterious 'Chimney Man,' who forces him to recall the more painful moments of his life when he attempts to ignore or embellish them. Born into an old and wealthy mixed-race Creole family in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Buddy Bolden Charles Joseph "Buddy" Bolden (September 6, 1877 – November 4, 1931) was an African American cornetist who was regarded by contemporaries as a key figure in the development of a New Orleans style of ragtime music, or "jass", which later ...

. When his Creole grandmother discovers his new lifestyle, she disowns him. Forced to go on the road, Morton becomes a prominent composer and musician, and the self-proclaimed creator of jazz. His sadness over his family's rejection causes him to stress his Creole ancestry and claim that there are 'no black notes in my song.' Eventually his pride and racism cause him to betray his best friend and the woman he loves. In his later years, as the Jazz culture continues to grow, Morton is largely forgotten and reduced to dealing with crooked music publishers and gangsters, eventually dying of a knife wound in the colored wing of a

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

hospital. At the moment of his death, Morton at last admits to his heritage - "Ain't no black notes in my song/I was wrong/ I was wrong." At this moment, the shadows of the people in his life surround him to congratulate him, and Morton takes his place in history among the other Jazz legends.

Production

''Jelly's Last Jam'' premiered at the

Mark Taper Forum The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighbor ...

, Los Angeles, California, in March 1991. Directed by Wolfe,

Obba Babatunde Obba may refer to: * Obba (town), an ancient town and former bishopric in the Roman province of Africa, now a Latin Catholic titular see * Oba (goddess), a Yoruba goddess ; Biology * ''Obba'' (fungus), a fungus genus in the order Polyporales * ...

played Jelly Roll. The Broadway production opened at the Virginia Theatre on April 26, 1992 and closed on September 5, 1993 after 569 performances and 25 previews. The musical was directed by Wolfe,

choreographed Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

by Hope Clarke, with tap choreography by

Gregory Hines Gregory Oliver Hines (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is one of the most celebrated tap dancers of all time. As an actor, he is best known for '' Wolfen'' (1981), '' The Cotton C ...

and Ted L. Levy, scenic design by Robin Wagner, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, and lighting design by

Jules Fisher Jules Fisher (born November 12, 1937) is an American lighting designer and producer. He is credited with lighting designs for more than 300 productions over the course of his 50-year career in Broadway and off-Broadway shows, as well extensive ...

.Wolfe, George C. and Birkenhead, Susan
"Production History"
''Jelly's Last Jam'', Theatre Communications Group, 1993, , pp. xv-xviii In addition to Gregory Hines and

Savion Glover Savion Glover (born November 19, 1973) is an American tap dancer, actor, and choreographer. Early life The youngest of three sons, Glover was born to a white father, who left the family before he was born, and a black mother. Glover's great grand ...

as the older and younger Morton, the cast included Ken Ard, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Ann Duquesnay, Tonya Pinkins, Mary Bond Davis, and

Keith David Keith David Williams (born June 4, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for his signature deep voice and commanding screen presence in over 300 roles across film, stage, television, and interactive media. He has starred in such films as '' T ...

Phylicia Rashad Phylicia Rashad ( ) (née Ayers-Allen; born June 19, 1948) is an American actress, singer and director who is dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University. She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom ''The Cosby S ...

, Brian Stokes Mitchell and

Ben Vereen Benjamin Augustus Vereen (born October 10, 1946) is an American actor, dancer and singer. Vereen gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of the musicals ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', for which he received a Ton ...

joined the cast later in the run. An original cast recording was released by

Decca Broadway Decca Broadway is an American record label specializing in musical theater recordings founded in 1999 by Decca Records and is a unit of Universal Music Group. Decca Broadway issued both new original cast albums as well as reissues of classic musi ...

Song list

;Act I * "Prologue" - The Chimney Man * "Jelly's Jam" - The Hunnies, Crowd * "In My Day" - Jelly, The Hunnies * "The Creole Way" - Young Jelly, Amede, Viola, Ancestors * "The Whole World's Waitin' to Sing Your Song" - Jelly, Young Jelly, Street Crowd * "Michigan Water" - Miss Mamie, Buddy * "The Banishment" - Gran Mimi, Young Jelly, Jelly * "Somethin' More" - Jelly, Jack, The Chimney Man, The Hunnies, Dancers * "That's How You Jazz" - Jelly, Jack, Dancers * "The Chicago Strut" - Jelly, The Chimney Man, The Hunnies, The Red Hot Peppers, Chicago Crowd * "Play the Music for Me" - Anita * "Lovin' Is a Lowdown Blues" - The Hunnies * "Doctor Jazz - Jelly, Crowd ;Act II * "Good Ole New York" - The Chimney Man, The Hunnies, New York Crowd * "Too Late, Daddy" - Jelly, Harlem Crowd * "That's the Way We Do Things in New York" - Jelly, The Melrose Brothers * "Jelly's Isolation Dance" - Jelly * "The Last Chance Blues" - Jelly, Anita * "Creole Boy" - Jelly * "We Are The Rhythms That Colour Your Song" - Company

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

Reception

John Lahr John Henry Lahr (born July 12, 1941) is an American theater critic and writer. From 1992 to 2013, he was a staff writer and the senior drama critic at ''The New Yorker''. He has written more than twenty books related to theater. Lahr has been ca ...

wrote the introduction to the printed script of ''Jelly's Last Jam'', and noted that the musical "reclaims the gorgeous power of tap dancing as part of musical story telling".

References

{{reflist

External links

Internet Broadway Database listing
1992 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals inspired by real-life events Plays by George C. Wolfe Plays set in the United States All-Black cast Broadway shows Tony Award-winning musicals