NEW YORK — The Broadway musical celebrating Duke Ellington’s years at the Cotton Club nightclub in Harlem is dancing into history: It will play its final show June 29.
“After Midnight,” a candy sampler of some two dozen musical numbers that showcase dance, jazz or vocals backed by 17 musicians from Jazz at Lincoln Center, won only one of the seven Tony Awards it had been nominated for and has only been a modest draw at the box office.
A rotating group of stars have led the show, including Fantasia Barrino, k.d. lang, Toni Braxton, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Vanessa Williams. Songs include “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” and “Stormy Weather.” Dule Hill, known from TV’s “Psych,” is the emcee.
It will have run 19 previews and 272 regular performances.