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On December 17th, 1957, it was Lights Out on The Nat "King" Cole Show.
Despite being the voice that built Capitol Records, Nat "King" Cole’s groundbreaking television show was rejected by Madison Avenue, unwilling to sponsor America’s first black television host. Now, on the night of his final broadcast, Nat must grapple with the complexities of his psyche, personified by his best friend and alter-ego, Sammy Davis Jr., and decide whether to quietly step out of the spotlight or go out with a bang.
Tony and Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo (Rustin, Sing Sing) and NYTW Usual Suspect and Artistic Director Patricia McGregor (The Refuge Plays) bring us this electrifying exploration of the soul of an American icon who fought to break through America’s color barrier in the early days of television. Starring Emmy Award nominee Dulé Hill (The West Wing, Psych) as Nat "King" Cole and Tony nominee Daniel J. Watts (The Refuge Plays, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) as Sammy Davis Jr., Lights Out features Nat’s hit songs, like “Nature Boy,” “It’s a Good Day,” “Smile” and “Unforgettable” with music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by John McDaniel, and choreography by Edgar Godineaux (City Center’s Jelly’s Last Jam) with tap choreography by Jared Grimes (Funny Girl).
Despite being the voice that built Capitol Records, Nat "King" Cole’s groundbreaking television show was rejected by Madison Avenue, unwilling to sponsor America’s first black television host. Now, on the night of his final broadcast, Nat must grapple with the complexities of his psyche, personified by his best friend and alter-ego, Sammy Davis Jr., and decide whether to quietly step out of the spotlight or go out with a bang.
Tony and Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo (Rustin, Sing Sing) and NYTW Usual Suspect and Artistic Director Patricia McGregor (The Refuge Plays) bring us this electrifying exploration of the soul of an American icon who fought to break through America’s color barrier in the early days of television. Starring Emmy Award nominee Dulé Hill (The West Wing, Psych) as Nat "King" Cole and Tony nominee Daniel J. Watts (The Refuge Plays, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) as Sammy Davis Jr., Lights Out features Nat’s hit songs, like “Nature Boy,” “It’s a Good Day,” “Smile” and “Unforgettable” with music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by John McDaniel, and choreography by Edgar Godineaux (City Center’s Jelly’s Last Jam) with tap choreography by Jared Grimes (Funny Girl).
Performance Schedule:
Visit nytw.org for full schedule.
Cast
Dulé Hill
Daniel J. Watts
Krystal Joy Brown
Kathy Fitzgerald
Christopher Ryan Grant
Ruby Lewis
Director
Patricia McGregor
Written by
Colman Domingo & Patricia McGregor
Choreography
Edgar Godineaux with tap choreography by Jared Grimes
