Dulé Hill is a triple threat. He can act (so pure you think he is not acting). He can sing (wow, can he sing). He can dance (look for the wings on his feet). He can do all three at once, if encouraged. That is because he is also a magician. It is one thing to go to a show, whose subject is an icon – Nat “King” Cole – and be entertained. It is another thing entirely to be transported as soon as the person playing Cole, Dulé Hill, begins to sing. It is as though Hill dropped into another dimension and stayed there long enough to soak up the very molecules that made Cole an extraordinary talent. Hill is more than a mimic. He is the pilot taking us on a journey that we do not expect. “Lights Out” is not a linear take on Cole's life or music. We are there to witness something bigger than that. On December 17th, 1957, it was LIGHTS OUT on “The Nat ‘King’ Cole Show.” Colman Domingo and Patricia McGregor have taken a deep dive into what might have been going on in the heart and head of the first black entertainer to host his own variety show. He was also the center of the success of Capitol Records. In spite of the fact that the show followed all the racial rules (no touching and COVID-like distance between Cole and the guests), the advertisers pulled out due to pressure from the South. As the news reported, “Madison Avenue was afraid of the dark.” Sammy Davis, Jr. (Daniel J. Watts) appears as the fool to this King. And like most fools, he is the wisest apple in the bushel. He enters Cole’s psyche and refuses to leave. “Use the platform,” he tells Cole. “Go out with a bang!” Davis is not about sugar coating. He is about throwing a match into the center of Cole’s world. This “King” Cole is not a merry old soul in any way. What Davis is suggesting, however, is that Cole tell his truth, which frightens him. He clings to what he knows, and what he knows is his music. Nearly 20 songs are represented. Partial snippets or complete numbers. Each is given enough time to register. Yes, yes, we know them all. Because of Hill’s magicianship, each number hits us on a level deeper than we were prepared for. There are moments when Hill’s performance is so pure we would swear it was 1957 and the game was truly on. The game of survival, race, rag,e and madness. We are hurled back and forth by the velocity of this story. It is a train threatening to jump the track. The forces in play are monumental, and Domingo, McGregor, Hill, and Watts have their hands on the throttle. Nowhere is this clearer than in the tap dance challenge between Davis and Cole (Tap Choreography by Jared Grimes). This is a piece of fiction that is off the charts and executed with brilliance that takes your breath away. The supporting cast—Krystal Joy Brown, Kathy Fitzgerald, Christopher Ryan Grant, Ruby Lewis, Elliott Mattox, Kenita Miller, Mekhi Richardson, and Walter Russell III—is superb. Under McGregor’s direction, they play dozens of characters that surround Cole and imbue the story with a cockeyed authenticity. They move on and off stage so quickly that you think there must be more of them than is the case. The band is every bit as sensational as the rest of this assembly: Vadim Feichtner, John Lowry, Andrew Gutauskas, Meredith Moore, Ayodele Maakheru, Caylen Bryant, Jakubu Griffin. They were strategically placed with black performers on stage right and white performers on stage left. Coincidence? The only omission from the credits was the lack of a named vocal coach. Hill and Watts performances were so nuanced they must have had guidance. Ditto for the rest of the cast and their many character changes. Odd omission that. This is such an extraordinary piece of work that, honestly, the next time I hear Nat “King” Cole sing, I may think it is Mr. Hill. Tickets will be scooped up in a flash, so get yours NOW. Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole, written by Tony and Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo and NYTW Artistic Director Patricia McGregor. Directed by McGregor, WITH Krystal Joy Brown, Kathy Fitzgerald, Christopher Ryan Grant, Dulé Hill, Ruby Lewis, Elliott Mattox, Kenita Miller, Mekhi Richardson, Walter Russell III, Daniel J. Watts. Scenic design by Clint Ramos, costume design by Katie O’Neill, lighting design by Stacey Derosier, sound design by Alex Hawthorn & Drew Levy, video design by David Bengali, and wig design by Nikiya Mathis, choreography by Edgar Godineaux, with Tap Choreography by Jared Grimes. Music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by John McDaniel Lights Out features Nat’s hit songs, like “Nature Boy,” “It’s a Good Day,” “The Christmas Song,” “Straighten Up And Fly Right,” “Smile” and “Unforgettable” Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole at the NY Theatre Workshop For information and tickets click HERE. RELATED https://youtu.be/SvZ45IPe4Gg?si=zZRQmcYYAREhZACN
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