NEW YORK CITY CENTER announced additional casting for Jelly’s Last Jam (Feb 21 – Mar 3, 2024), the second production of the 30th Encores! series. A centerpiece of City Center’s 80th Season at the Center of the Arts, the productions of Once Upon a Mattress, Jelly’s Last Jam, and Titanic will be presented in special two-week runs, celebrating 30 years of the Tony-honored series.
Nicholas Christopher (Jelly Roll Morton), John Clay III (Jack the Bear), Tiffany Mann (Miss Mamie), and Leslie Uggams (Gran Mimi) join Joaquina Kalukango (Anita), Billy Porter (Chimney Man), and 1992 original cast members Mamie Duncan-Gibbs, Stephanie Pope Lofgren, and Allison M. Williams (The Hunnies). Directed by Robert O’Hara with choreography by Edgar Godineaux and tap choreography by Dormeshia, Jelly’s Last Jam features Guest Music Director Jason Michael Webb leading The Encores! Orchestra. Written by George C. Wolfe and set to jazz legend Jelly Roll Morton’s iconic tunes with lyrics by Susan Birkenhead and musical adaptation and additional music composed by Luther Henderson, the musical tells a fable of American history, legacy, and truth.
Casting for Encores! Jelly’s Last Jam is by The Telsey Office. Additional casting to be announced. Casting and programming subject to change.