by Celeste Bateman
On April 23rd, ELMART Theatre Service, a Division of Celeste Bateman & Assocs., LLC, took 55 theater-goers on a bus ride across the pond to Broadway where we enjoyed the outstanding musical production of Shuffle Along at the Music Box Theatre. This production subtitled “Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All that Followed,” tells the behind-the-scenes story of the first Broadway musical written, directed and performed by African Americans. The drive from Newark, NJ to Manhattan was pleasant but on the other side of the Lincoln Tunnel we encountered ho
rrific traffic as we maneuvered our way through the quagmire that is midtown on a sunny, Saturday afternoon. We arrived at the theater in the nick of time and thanks to the excellent security staff of the Schubert company, we were escorted across 45th Street and ushered quickly to our seats. As our butts hit the cushions, the lights went down and it was on! I had read that the opening number is a show stopper and it really is. The stellar cast includes Audra McDonald (whose role was performed by Darlesia Cearcy at our performance) and (clockwise) Brian Stokes Mitchell (F.E. Miller), Brandon Victor Dixon (Eubie Blake), Joshua Henry (Noble Sissle) and and Billy Porter (Aubrey Lyles). Kudos to Newark’s own dancer/choreographer Savion Glover (Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk) for his outstanding choreography. He is sure to win a Tony next year. Sound, lighting, staging, set design and costumes all excellent. Many thanks to longtime friend and cast member Dariu
s de Haas who came on the bus to chat with our group. He is the nephew of the renowned Newark jazz legends Andy and the Bey Sisters and no stranger to Broadway. He performs with the male quartet (The Harmony Kings) in the show and they’re fabulous as is everyone in the cast. The first half is by far the more exciting and uplifting act. Act Two gets down to the nitty gritty of the personality clashes and break-ups. Shuffle Along is definitely worth the price of a ticket. Directed by George C. Wolfe. Officially opens April 28, 2016. #ELMARTTheatreService
Enjoy this Shuffle Along preview from Sunday Morning on CBS
