Lillias White to make London debut in This Joint is Jumpin' at The Other Palace
Lillias White makes London debut.
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Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award-winner Lillias White will lead the cast of This Joint is Jumpin' at The Other Palace Studio Theatre (previously the St James Theatre) for a limited run from 4 to 15 April 2017.
Described as a fusion of live jazz, tap dancing and storytelling celebrating and radically interpreting jazz icon Fats Waller's music, this musical revue breathes new life into classics such as "Ain't Misbehavin'", "Black and Blue" and "Honeysuckle Rose".
Produced by Hoagy B. Carmichael, son of the American composer Hoagy Carmichael, it will also star Samuel Anderson as the host of the rent party, which features tap dance artist Michela Marino Lerman, Joseph Wiggan, vocalist Michael Mwenso and his band The Shakes: Dion Keith Kerr IV on bass, Mathis Picard on piano, Mark Kavuma on trumpet, Kyle Poole on drums, Ruben Fox on tenor saxophone, and Jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe.
Directed by Patrice Miller with choreography by Michela Marino Lerman it has musical direction by Michael Mwenso.
Lillias White made her Broadway debut in Barnum in 1981 before going on to understudy the role of Effie in the original production of Dreamgirls and played the part in the 1987 revival, for which she won the Drama League Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Other Broadway credits include Cats, Carrie, Once on This Island, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Chicago, and Fela!. She created the role of Sonja in Cy Coleman's The Life for which she won the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a musical.
The Other Palace is the newest addition to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatres Group and takes its name from its situation less than 100 yards from Buckingham Palace and close to the Victoria Palace. Formerly the St. James Theatre, the theatre will officially open its doors in February 2017, and will be a home and breeding ground for musicals at various stages of development.
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