Jelly's Last Jam is a musical with a book by George C. Wolfe, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, and music by Jelly Roll Morton and Luther Henderson. Based on the life and career of Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, known as Jelly Roll Morton and generally regarded as one of the primary driving forces behind the introduction of jazz to the American public in the early 20th century, it also serves as a social commentary on the African-American experience during the era. After a world premiere run in Los Angeles in 1991, Jelly's Last Jam first opened on Broadway in April 1992. It was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and took home three.
| Jelly's Last Jam | |
|---|---|
 Original Broadway Promotional Poster | |
| Music | Jelly Roll Morton Luther Henderson |
| Lyrics | Susan Birkenhead |
| Book | George C. Wolfe |
| Basis | The life of Jelly Roll Morton |
| Productions | 1991 Los Angeles 1992 Broadway 2024 Encores! |
| Awards | Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics |
Plot
editThe musical 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, the young Morton rebels against his upbringing by going into the streets and absorbing the rhythms of the vendors and poor blacks, meeting blues musician Buddy Bolden. When his Creole grandmother discovers his new lifestyle, she disowns him.[1]
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 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.[1]
Production history
editLos Angeles (1991)
editJelly's Last Jam premiered at the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, California, on February 24, 1991, with an official opening night on March 7. It was directed by book-writer George C. Wolfe.[1] Obba Babatunde, best known at the time for earning a Tony nomination in Dreamgirls, played Jelly Roll.[2] Some of the cast included Keith David as Chimney Man, Freda Payne as Gran Mimi, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Buddy Bolden. George Tsypin was the set designer, Toni-Leslie James was the costume designer, James F. Ingalls was the lighting designer, and Hope Clarke was the choreographer. Linda Twine was the music director. The production closed on April 21, 1991.[1]
Broadway (1992-1993)
editThe Broadway production opened at the Virginia Theatre on April 26, 1992, and closed on September 5, 1993, after 569 performances and 25 previews.[3] The musical was directed by Wolfe, choreographed by Hope Clarke with tap choreography by Gregory Hines and Ted L. Levy, scenic design by Robin Wagner, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, and lighting design by Jules Fisher.[1]
In addition to Gregory Hines and Savion Glover as the older and younger Morton, the cast included Keith David as the Chimney Man, Tonya Pinkins as Anita, Ann Duquesnay as Gran Mimi, Stanley Wayne Mathis as Jack the Bear, Mary Bond Davis as Miss Maime and Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Buddy Bolden. Stephanie Pope, Mamie Duncan-Gibbs and Allison M. Williams appeared as the musical trio the Honies, with Ken Ard, and Brenda Braxton appearing in the show's ensemble.[1] Later in the show's run, Phylicia Rashad, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Ben Vereen joined the cast, replacing Pinkins, Hines and David respectively.[3]
An original cast recording was produced by Thomas Z. Shepard for Mercury Records.[1]
New York City Center Revival (2024)
editThe musical was mounted by New York City Center Encores! on February 21, and ran through March 3, 2024.[1] The production was directed by Robert O'Hara with choreography by Edgar Godineaux and tap choreography by Dormeshia. Nicholas Christopher starred as Jelly opposite Billy Porter as the Chimney Man, Joaquina Kalukango as Anita and Leslie Uggams as Gran Mimi. Pope, Duncan-Gibbs and Williams reprised their roles as the Hunnies from the original Broadway production.[4] Okieriete Onaodowan and Alaman Diadhiou also starred as Buddy Bolden and Young Jelly.[5]
Reception
editJohn Lahr 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 storytelling".[1] A documentary about the creation of Jelly's Last Jam was produced by PBS-TV titled Jammin' Jelly Roll Morton on Broadway. It was narrated by Denzel Washington and received generally positive reception.[6]
Broadway (1992-1993)
editThe Broadway production was nominated for nine Drama Desk Awards, winning six (Best Book, Best Lyrics, Best Orchestration/Musical Adaptation, Best Lighting, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical).[7] It was nominated for eleven Tony Awards and won three (Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, and Best Lighting Design.[8]
It received generally mixed to positive reviews. The New York Times praised the talent of actor Gregory Hines as Jelly Roll Morton, and wrote that the show "is not merely an impressionistic biography of the man who helped ignite the 20th-century jazz revolution, but it is also a sophisticated attempt to tell the story of the birth of jazz in general and, through that story, the edgy drama of being black in the tumultuous modern America that percolated to jazz's beat."[9] However, some critics faulted the second act, an issue with the book that similarly received criticism in the 2024 revival.[9][10] Variety described the book as "aimless and repetitive" and claimed that the production collapsed in the second act. Despite this, in the same review it praised the acting and singing talents of the performers, the music, and the "explosive" dance numbers.[11]
New York City Center Revival (2024)
editThe New York Times described the 2024 New York City Center Encores production as "sensational" and "jaw-dropping," praising the music, plot, and tap choreography.[10] Vulture praised how well-suited Nicholas Christopher was for the role of Jelly and noted that "it’s just impressive how elaborate a production its creators can pull together during a ten-day rehearsal period."[12] Theater Pizzazz described the production as a "handsomely mounted, gorgeously cast, and incredibly polished revival" and New York Theater magazine described it as a "starry showcase of exquisite blues singing, lively jazz playing and energetic tap dancing."[13][14]
Song list
editAll songs are written by Jelly Roll Morton with additional music by Luther Henderson and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, unless indicated.[15]
|
|
Cast and characters
edit| Characters | Los Angeles[1] | Broadway[3] | Encores![19] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1992 | 2024 | |
| Jelly Roll Morton | Obba Babatunde | Gregory Hines | Nicholas Christopher |
| Chimney Man | Keith David | Billy Porter | |
| The Hunnies | Phylliss Bailey | Mamie Ducan-Gibbs | |
| Patty Hollie | Stephanie Pope | ||
| Regina Le Vert | Allison M. Williams | ||
| Miss Mamie | Karole Foreman | Mary Bond Davis | Tiffany Mann |
| Gran Mimi | Freda Payne | Ann Duquesnay | Leslie Uggams |
| Anita | Tonya Pinkins | Joaquina Kalukango | |
| Young Jelly | Robert Barry Fleming | Savion Glover | Alaman Diadhiou |
| Buddy Bolden | Ruben Santiago-Hudson | Okierete Onaodowan | |
| Jack The Bear | Stanley Wayne Mathis | John Clay III | |
Notable cast replacements
editBroadway (1992-1993)
edit- Jelly Roll Morton: Brian Stokes Mitchell
- Chimney Man: Ken Ard, Ben Vereen
- Anita: Phylicia Rashad
Awards and nominations
editOriginal Broadway production
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Wolfe, George C.; Birkenhead, Susan (July 1993). Jelly's Last Jam (1st ed.). New York: Theatre Communications Group. ISBN 1559360682.
- ↑ VRIES, HILARY De (March 3, 1991). "COVER STORY : The Wolfe at the (Stage) Door : With a hunger for shattering myths, playwright/director George C. Wolfe applies his provocative style to jazz legend Jelly Roll Morton". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Jelly's Last Jam – Broadway Musical – Original". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ Stewart, Zachary (December 19, 2023). "Leslie Uggams Joins Encores! Cast of Jelly's Last Jam - TheaterMania.com". TheaterMania. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (February 5, 2024). "Okieriete Onaodowan to Star in Jelly's Last Jam at New York City Center Encores!". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 22, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ Frym, Michael (November 2, 1992). "Great Performances Jammin': Jelly Roll Morton on Broadway". Variety. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- 1 2 "1992 Jelly's Last Jam". Drama Desk. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
- ↑ "Search Past Tony Awards Winners and Nominees". TonyAwards.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
- 1 2 Rich, Frank (April 27, 1992). "Review/Theater: Jelly's Last Jam; Energy and Pain of a Man Who Helped Create Jazz". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- 1 2 Green, Jesse (February 23, 2024). "'Jelly's Last Jam' Review: A Musical Paradise, Even in Purgatory". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ Gerard, Jeremy (April 27, 1992). "Jelly's Last Jam". Varierty.
- ↑ McHenry, Jackson (February 22, 2024). "The Jazz Age Re-reborn: At Encores!, Jelly's Last Jam". Vulture. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ Lipton, Brian Scott (February 22, 2024). "Jelly's Last Jam – City Center Encores!". Theater Pizzazz. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Jelly's Last Jam Encores Review and Videos". New York Theater. February 22, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Jelly's Last Jam - The Guide to Musical Theatre". Guide to Musical Theatre. Archived from the original on October 8, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 Rule, Sheila (June 30, 1992). "Reconstructing Jelly Through His Music". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 "Jelly's Last Jam". Playbill. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ↑ Jelly's Last Jam: Vocal Selections. Edwin H. Morris. 1994. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ↑ Hall, Margaret (February 22, 2024). "'An Honor and a Privilege': Meet the Cast of New York City Center Encores!' Jelly's Last Jam". Playbill.
- ↑ "1992 - 46th Annual Tony Awards®". Tony Awards. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ "AWARDS FOR 1992-1993". Outer Critics Circle. Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2018.