Play On!: A New Musical

[Jason128]

Posted: 4/19/04 at 1:14am

Hey Everyone. Today a friend made me a copy of this musical and told me to check it out. So I gave it a quick spin today and it has some pretty good music, though I need to listen to it again. I tried looking up some info on the show, but I couldn't find anything except that it was on Broadway back in 1997 and it is based on Duke Ellington music and a Shakespeare show. Does anyone else have any more info. Thanks.

~Jason

Posted: 4/19/04 at 1:05pm

there's also an AWESOME cd with two belting DIVAS, tony nominated Tonya Pinkins for her role in Play On and who is now currently on Broadway, and Cheryl Freeman who's currently in Fame, and other credits include Civil War, and Tommy. Man, those two women can SANG!

Posted: 4/19/04 at 2:49pm

Don't get confused with a non-musical play of the same title. It's a community theater type show about a community theater trying to do Shakespeare. It tries to be a farce, but is not a very good one.

"Play On!" comes from the opening line, of Twelfth Night, when the king says,
"If music be the food of love, Play on!"

[Zola Q. LaPlaya]

Posted: 4/19/04 at 3:31pm

As usual, robactorguy is correct: the CD is amazing.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/19/04 at 4:00pm

Play On is the musicalization of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night set to an Ellington score set in Harlem in the 40s. It only ran 2 months.

Posted: 4/19/04 at 5:05pm

wow zola q! thanks for the compliment!

[musicaltheatreman]

Posted: 4/19/04 at 5:50pm

i know pbs aired the broadway production along time ago, but sadly i did not see it when it aired you can find the info on the pbs great performence website! i dont know if it is on video or not? did anyone see the production when it aired on tv?? thanks :)