A brassy retrospective about the life and legacy of the great Duke Ellington.

The musical legacy of The Duke is celebrated in this stylish and brassy retrospective, which has taken audiences and critics by storm. Act I takes us from Ellington’s early days at The Cotton Club through his widening acceptance abroad, while Act II explores the private man as captured in his music. Numbers include “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing”, “Take the ‘A’ Train”, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”, “Satin Doll” and the haunting “In a Sentimental Mood”. It’s a high-stepping salute inspired by the glamorous nightlife and sensuous highlife of a man who lived to love.

The cast includes Jalen Gregory (The Raconteur), Mary Louise Lee (The Chanteuse), Orlando Poole (The Jazzbo), Isaac Rosen (The Hipster), Heidi Carann Snider (The Danseuse), and Cha’rel Wright (The Soubrette). The Sophisticated Ladies & Gentlemen are Rita Maria Aire, Mykai Eastman, eden, Andy Nikhomvan-Morgan, Jasmyne Pierce, John Roberts, Dallas Slankard, and Lauren Slaughter. Understudies: Zinnia McKenna and Sophia Montoya Suson.

Vintage Theatre presents Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Ladies” — January 27 – March 5, 2023.
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm
Tickets range from $20 – $38 — call 303-856-7830 or online at Vintage Theatre

“Sophisticated Ladies” opened on Broadway on March 1, 1981, at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, where it ran for 767 performances earning 2 awards and 8 nominations at the 35th Tony Awards. The original cast, under the direction of Michael Smuin, included Gregory Hines, Judith Jamison, Phyllis Hyman, Hinton Battle, Gregg Burge and Mercer Ellington.