Recently, iHeartRadio Broadway got to chat with the cast of New York City Center Encores! production of Jelly's Last Jam. The cast discusses working with their amazing castmates and bringing this musical back to the stage for the first time in 30 years. Watch our interview in the player above!
The cast, as previously announced, includes Nicholas Christopher (Sweeney Todd) as Jelly, John Clay III (Choir Boy) as Jack the Bear, Alaman Diadhiou as Young Jelly, Joaquina Kalukango (Paradise Square) as Anita, Tiffany Mann (Be More Chill) as Miss Mamie, Okieriete Onaodowan (Hamilton) as Buddy Bolden and Billy Porter (Pose) as Chimney Man, Leslie Uggams (American Fiction) as Gran Mimi, and original Broadway cast members Mamie Duncan-Gibbs, Stephanie Pope Lofgren, and Allison M. Williams who reprise their roles as the Hunnies. The ensemble includes Raymond Baynard, Shawn Bowers, Reese Britts, Amanda Castro, Joshua Dawson, John Edwards, Ari Groover, Holly James, Morgan McGhee, Jodeci Milhouse, Ramone Nelson, Paul Niebanck, James Patterson, Antonia Raye, Salome Smith, Funmi Sofola, Jordan Simone Stephens, Renell Anthony Taylor, Nasia Thomas, Sir Brock Warren, Chanse Williams, Topher J. Babb, and Charlotte McKinley.
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.
A centerpiece of City Center’s 80th Season at the Center of the Arts, the Encores! 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 beloved Tony-honored series. 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, Jelly’s Last Jam is an electrifying musical telling the story of jazz through its self-proclaimed inventor and secured nine Tony nominations, three wins, and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book for the original 1992 Broadway production. Led by director Robert O’Hara with choreography by Edgar Godineaux and tap choreography by Dormeshia, with Guest Music Director Jason Michael Webb leading The Encores! Orchestra, Encores! Jelly’s Last Jam runs February 21 through March 3 at New York City Center.
Expanding City Center’s mission to make the arts accessible to everyone, the 30th Encores! series includes Community Nights (Jan 26, Feb 23, and Jun 14, RSVP Required); ASL Interpreted Performances (Feb 1 and 29, and Jun 20); and the first-ever Encores! student matinees for Once Upon a Mattress (Wed Jan 31) and Jelly’s Last Jam (Wed Feb 28). Jelly’s Last Jam also includes Celebrate Black Theater Legacy Night on Friday, March 1, with George C. Wolfe and Susan Birkenhead in a post-show conversation—Black Theater Legacy: Luther Henderson moderated by Robert O’Hara. For additional information visit NYCityCenter.org.
Tickets starting from $45 (fees included) can be purchased online at NYCityCenter.org, by calling 212.581.1212, or in person at the City Center Box Office. Access City Center Club is available to those 35 years of age and under and offers a limited number of $28 tickets (fees included) to City Center productions. For more information and to sign up, visit NYCityCenter.org/Access. New York City Center is located at 131 W 55th St between Sixth and Seventh avenues.
Casting for Encores! Jelly’s Last Jam is by The Telsey Office, Destiny Lilly, CSA. Casting and programming subject to change.