Hinton Battle, Mercedes Ellington, Terri Klausner, Valarie Pettiford, et al. Set for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies Reunion

Broadway at Birdland will present the 30 Year Reunion Celebration of the Broadway Opening of Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies, on Monday, April 25 at 7pm, as part of the Broadway at Birdland concert series.

The event will reunite original cast members Adrian Bailey, Priscilla Baskerville, Hinton Battle, P.J. Benjamin, Mercedes Ellington, Ken Hanson, Bruce Heath, Terri Klausner, Michael Lichtefeld, Paula Lynn, Frank Owens, Valarie Pettiford, Wynonna Smith, Ty Stephens, and Faruma Williams, and will feature the Duke Ellington Big Band, along with surprise guests.

Sophisticated Ladies is a musical revue based on the music of Duke Ellington. The Broadway production was conceived by Donald McKayle, directed by Michael Smuin, and choreographed by McKayle, Smuin, Henry LeTang, Bruce Heath, and Mercedes Ellington. It opened on March 1, 1981 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, where it ran for 767 performances. The show, which also starred Gregory Hines, Phyllis Hyman, and Judith Jamison, was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and won for Best Featured Actor (Battle) and Best Costume Design (Willa Kim).

The score includes “Mood Indigo,” “Take the “A” Train,” “I’m Beginning to See the Light,” “Hit Me With a Hot Note and Watch Me Bounce,” “Perdido,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart,” “Old Man Blues,” “In a Sentimental Mood,” “Sophisticated Lady,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “Satin Doll,” and “I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good.”

For tickets and more information, click here.