PREVIEW
If
you’re interested in traveling back to a wonderful (and awful) time—in jazz and
in America—then you should pencil in Saturday, January 30 and Sunday, January
31. That’s when you can take a ride back to the days of the Cotton Club, the
famous New York City nightclub, in Curtain
Up at the Cotton Club at the Hanna Theatre at Playhouse Square.
The
Cotton Club era was wonderful because many of the all-time jazz greats
performed at there in Harlem during the 1920s and 30s: Lena Horne, Duke
Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Bessie Smith, Louie Armstrong, Billie
Holiday, Count Basie and many more. However, it was awful because while the
performers were predominantly African-American, only whites were allowed in as
patrons. In fact, the black performers themselves weren’t allowed to mix with
the clientele, often composed of cream of New York society at the time.
Of
course, everyone will be welcome to come and enjoy the music of the Cotton Club
at the Hanna, performed by the full 16-piece Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. That
group has collaborated with The Musical Theater Project to produce this two-day
concert hosted by their respective artistic directors: TMTP’s Bill Rudman and
CJO’s Paul Ferguson.
Featured
singers will include Treva Offut and local jazz favorites Evelyn Wright and
John Morton. Supplementing the CJO will be the Joe Hunter Trio. And of course,
Bill Rudman will share many historical tidbits along with photos from the time
in this multi-media production.
We
were all “born too late” to experience the Cotton Club in its heyday. But
thankfully we have The Musical Theater Project and the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra
to transport us back to that time.
Curtain
Up at the Cotton Club
Saturday,
January 30 at 8 PM and Sunday, January 31 at 2 PM, at the Hanna Theatre, 2067
East 14th St. 216-241-6000.
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