After Midnight

After Midnight is a jazz musical revue full of live jazz on stage, vocals, and dancing, taking place “after midnight” in Harlem at the Cotton Club. The show features Duke Ellington’s music and the Jazz Age of the Harlem Renaissance. The Broadway production of the same name was based on an earlier revue called Cotton Club Parade.

After Midnight is one of the highest quality productions I have experienced in Seattle, and it is as close as you can get to experiencing a New York show while still being in Seattle. I say this after having just reviewed 17 shows on Broadway and Off-Broadway during June and July trips to New York City. This production is locally produced by The 5th Avenue Theatre Company in Seattle.

Do know this is a musical revue, not a play or musical. Set your expectations for 90 minutes of live jazz, singing, and dancing (including tap dancing).

While After Midnight is primarily known for its music and choreography (more on this in a bit), it is the lighting that made the first impression on me. And this was before the show even started. What I learned tonight, firsthand, is a production that just has a curtain closed until the show starts, as so many shows do, misses out on an opportunity to set the mood and the atmosphere from the moment the audience walks in. For me, when I first walked in, the combination of the visible set and the lighting had an immediate impact on me. I regularly tell people that one big difference between shows in New York and shows in Seattle is the lighting, as the lighting is just so often stunning in New York shows. This might be the best lighting design I have ever experienced in a Seattle show, so kudos to lighting designer Xavier Pierce. And bonus points for making me notice it before the show even started.

I started asking patrons sitting near me, “Is it my imagination, or is the house lighting a bit dimmer than usual, perhaps in order to create a mood? Or is this feeling I am having simply due to the stage lighting?” These patrons mostly did not validate my reaction to the lighting, so I decided I needed to ask someone more in the know. The unanswered question was starting to bug me. I really wanted to know if they intentionally dimmed the house lighting, as I thought it would be so creative if they did so. I finally walked over to director Jay Santos, who was conveniently just a few feet away from me, and I asked her my question. She was gracious and explained to me that while the house lights were set the same as they always are, she validated my reaction and told me it was indeed intentional to create this atmosphere prior to the show starting. It was very fun to see how much impact (at least for me) pre-show decisions like the lighting design can have before the show even starts. A simple closed curtain now just seems like such a lost opportunity. The lighting was consistently stunning throughout the show.

As for the choreography, in the 2013 Broadway production, After Midnight won the 2014 Tony Award for “Best Choreography.” It also won the Drama Desk Awards for “Outstanding Musical Revue” and “Outstanding Choreography,” as well as the Outer Critics Circle Award for “Outstanding Choreographer.” Pamala Yasutake is the choreographer for The 5th Avenue Theatre Company’s production, and the dancing and stage movement in this production do not disappoint. This has been an overall excellent year for outstanding choreography in shows on Broadway, and this Seattle production is again just like being at a New York show.

William Knowles is the Music Director, and the music and the musicians in this show are of course major highlights. What I enjoyed most about this orchestra was actually not their incredible music but rather seeing the musicians smile so much in between songs. They did not mean to smile but just could not help it. They were truly having so much fun, and their smiles made me smile. It just felt like they were having one of the best nights of their lives, and their joy added to the audience’s joy.

Director Jay Santos and this entire creative team somehow manage to turn the large 5th Avenue Theatre into an intimate, immersive experience. There are cabaret tables where the orchestra pit usually is located (the band is on stage), and the cast periodically comes down the steps to perform within the orchestra seating section. The experience tonight reminded me at times of Just In Time on Broadway, where the Circle in the Square Theatre has been converted into a nightclub.

When you have an incredible lighting design, you had better have incredible costumes, and costume designer Ricky German comes through. There are a few standout costumes, and all of them add to the quality of the experience.

One of my pet peeves, especially if there is singing, is poor sound engineering, and The 5th Avenue Theatre consistently does a good job in this department. Sound designer Justin Stasiw and all of the sound engineers involved in this production did a flawless job on Opening Night.

I enjoyed the performances of each of the cast members equally, as the cast is balanced with flawless performances across the board. This top talent cast includes Iris Beaumier, Nicholas Japaul Bernard, Brian Davis, Nalicia Hennings, Jason Holley, Nehemiah Hooks, Trina Mills, Yusef Seevers, Porscha Shaw, and Madison Willis. Understudies include Nehemiah Hooks, Nalicia Hennings, Savannah Cooper, Alysha Morgan, Stanley Martin, and Lamont Brown. Trina Mills is the dance captain.

The incredible orchestra includes William Knowles, Rebecca Smith, Chris Patin, Lamar Lofton, Brian Bermudez, Jovon Miller, Alex Dugdale, Owuor Arunga, Nathan Breedlove, Beserat Tafesse, Kimberly Rosenberg, and Chris Patin.

After Midnight runs through August 24, and tickets are available at The 5th Avenue Theatre box office.

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