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Jazz Plays

Posted by: commedia 06:07 am EDT 05/10/15

Looking for suggestions of jazz plays, not musicals, although most plays naturally incorporate music, either live or recorded. Plays about jazz singers and musicians (real or fictional), jazz music, the jazz milieu, or plays where the language and/or the "aesthetics" create a bluesy jazz mood. A few I've come up with: "Sideman," "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill," "The Connection."


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Blue by Charles Randolph-Wright. (NM)

Posted by: Seth Christenfeld (tabula-rasa@verizon.net) 11:17 pm EDT 05/10/15
In reply to: Jazz Plays - commedia 06:07 am EDT 05/10/15

Seth, acknowledging that it's really more R&B, but whatevs


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re: Jazz Plays

Posted by: MFeingold (feinpress@earthlink.net) 08:17 pm EDT 05/10/15
In reply to: Jazz Plays - commedia 06:07 am EDT 05/10/15

Two important ones that come to mind are Aishah Rahman's LADY DAY and OyamO's THE RESURRECTION OF LADY LESTER.

Ed Bullins's THE FABULOUS MISS MARIE also uses (or did in its original production) a live jazz combo.


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re: Jazz Plays

Posted by: drummergirl 12:53 pm EDT 05/10/15
In reply to: Jazz Plays - commedia 06:07 am EDT 05/10/15

I'd suggest other August Wilson plays if you're looking at the wider "aesthetics" of jazz. There's almost a syncopation in some of the language he uses (IMO, of course)

You've already named the ones I thought of off the top of my head. I'm actually surprised I can't think of more readily; I would've thought there'd be more, given the richness of the topic. Interesting question.


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re: Jazz Plays

Posted by: Thom915 01:22 pm EDT 05/10/15
In reply to: re: Jazz Plays - drummergirl 12:53 pm EDT 05/10/15

Side Man by Warren Leight additionally Glimmer, Glimmer and Shine by the same playwright.


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re: Jazz Plays

Posted by: drummergirl 01:37 pm EDT 05/10/15
In reply to: re: Jazz Plays - Thom915 01:22 pm EDT 05/10/15

I agree with Side Man wholeheartedly (what a show that was!) but the OP had already mentioned it.

Thank you for mentioning Glimmer, Glimmer and Shine - I'm not sure if I've seen that!


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re: Jazz Plays

Posted by: Thom915 03:47 pm EDT 05/10/15
In reply to: re: Jazz Plays - drummergirl 01:37 pm EDT 05/10/15

Oops. I read too quickly. Side Man is truly the better play and takes us much further into the jazz world than Glimmer but hey, it's worth a look.


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re: Jazz Plays

Posted by: drummergirl 07:02 pm EDT 05/10/15
In reply to: re: Jazz Plays - Thom915 03:47 pm EDT 05/10/15

Do you think it's stretching a point to say that jazz plays a role in "Streetcar Named Desire?"


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