Hines, Ivory, Payne, Woods to Star in Blues in the Night in San Francisco

Maurice Hines, Paulette Ivory, Freda Payne, and Carol Woods will star in a new production of the musical Blues in the Night, which will begin performances at San Francisco’s Post Street Theatre on August 7 and will open officially on August 15. The show will be directed by Sheldon Epps, who conceived and directed the original 1982 Broadway production.

The musical is set in the late 1930s in a cheap Chicago hotel, where three women and a saloon singer get through their lonely nights with the help of music. Blues in the Night includes songs written by such legends as Andy Razaf, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Ted Koehler, Vernon Duke, and Johnny Mercer.

The creative team of the Post Street Theatre production includes Kenneth Lee Roberson (choreography), Rahn Coleman (musical direction and arrangements) Douglas Smith (sets and lighting), and Dana Woods (costumes).

Hines’ Broadway credits include Eubie, Sophisticated Ladies, and Uptown, It’s Hot!, for which he received a Tony Award nomination. Ivory’s stage credits include the title role in the national tour of Aida. Payne is a well-known recording and cabaret artist. Woods’ many Broadway credits include Grind, Chicago, Follies, and One Mo’ Time.