Little Ham: A Harlem Jazzical

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What saves Langston Hughes's Little Ham, as the Playbill cover identifies it, from being the virtual definition of mediocrity are the show's performers, who give their all to the material.

In this tale of a black man -- the title character -- who runs numbers for a white syndicate until he breaks free and wins the girl of his dreams, the players Brenda Braxton, Monica L. Patton, Joy Styles, Cheryl Alexander, Christopher L. Morgan, D'Ambrose Boyd, Venida Evans, Joe Wilson, Jr., and Julia Lema seize every chance they get to rise above the so-so songs and dialogue they've been assigned. Troupers every one, they face the audience with grins as wide as Cinerama screens, kick up their heels, [...]

1936 Harlem is the setting of Little Ham, currently being presented by Amas Musical Theatre. In the midst of the Depression, the neighborhood is building itself a shining new identity as a hotbed for innovative music and style in what would become known as the Harlem Renaissance; but outside forces are trying to take away its newfound independence, and its residents must overcome with cunning, wit, and an unbreakable spirit.

This "new musical," just now making its New York City debut after premiering at New Jersey's George Street Playhouse in 1987, is the brainchild of Eric Krebs and is based on the Langston Hughes play of the same title. The story begins as Lucille and Leroy, who run t[...]