REVIEW: Paper Mill’s ‘After Midnight’ transports audiences to Harlem via the ‘A Train’
Photo: After Midnight features, from left, Stanley Martin, Destinee Rea, Liv Symone, Sasha Hutchings and Harris Matthew. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Daniel / Provided by The Press Room with permission.
MILLBURN, N.J. — The Paper Mill Playhouse, perhaps the most important theater in New Jersey, has a well-known reputation for producing solid productions of beloved classics — like 2022’s The Sound of Music — and presenting world premieres that generate interest from Broadway producers across the river (The Great Gatsby musical opens on Broadway in a couple of months). Their latest show is After Midnight, a revue of early jazz songs from the Harlem Renaissance that are presented as if the audience is enjoying an evening of entertainment at the world-famous Cotton Club.
There is no traditional narrative structure to After Midnight. Instead, this 90-minute, intermissionless musical features a string of catchy tunes accompanied by superb dancing and recitations of Langston Hughes’ poetry. As directed by Dominique Kelley and Jen Bender, the show serves as a celebration of the cultural contributions of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Dorothy Fields and so many other first-rate composers. Well-known tunes are present and accounted for, including “Stormy Weather” and “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” plus lesser-known gems that are no less entrancing.
The cast of actors who perform these numbers are talented, bringing high energy and swinging gravitas to the proceedings. From James T. Lane to Angela Birchett to Destinee Rea, the ensemble works hard to bring these songs to life.
The staging by Kelley and Bender is simple but effective. The orchestra sits on an elevated platform upstage, while the action takes place downstage, even extending out into the audience. There’s nonstop singing, one number right after another, with almost no time to breathe, but much of the delights in this After Midnight comes from the dancing, courtesy of Kelley, who is also the choreographer of the show. Everyone on stage dances exceptionally well, with some stellar tap numbers, and Stanley Martin and Anthony Wayne are true highlights.
The scenic design is bare bones, with a backdrop depicting the Cotton Club marquee and a few props that roll on and off the stage. This makes for not much clutter, which sometimes leaves the stage looking empty, but also presents an open space for the ensemble to bring their magic to the audience in an uninterrupted manner.
For a show like this, one could have told a story about the Harlem Renaissance with a traditional plot and intricately drawn characters, but this unique take instead decides to celebrate the joyful music and art that was created during this influential time period. After Midnight, which was conceived by Jack Viertel and played previously on Broadway, showcases the impressive work of important voices from the African American community and allows the audience to transport themselves back 100 years to a time of swinging jazz music and infectious dancing. There’s a purity to this vision that is most welcoming and resoundingly powerful. This is not a story about culture, but culture itself.
After Midnight swings, indeed.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
After Midnight, conceived by Jack Viertel, is set to the words of Langston Hughes. Co-directed by Dominique Kelley and Jen Bender. Choreographed by Kelley. Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission. Currently playing through Sunday, Feb. 25 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey. Click here for more information and tickets.
