Pure Entertainment. That might as well be the alternative title for After Midnight, the Harlem Jazz Age song-and-dance revue currently playing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre and rarely are theatergoers treated to a cast filled with so many unique individuals, where each and every performer could fill a stage entirely on their own. But that’s the case at After Midnight, and the effect is thrilling.
However, it is rather important that you know one thing: the show isn’t a traditional plot-based evening. Yes, there’s famous Langston Hughes text used as a narration of sorts, delivered by the suave and charming Dule Hill. The structure of the show could theoretically suggest an “evening” in Harlem’s famed Cotton Club. Various performers have character traits that give them a certain recognizable sparkle throughout the performance. But, don’t let this loose narrative put you off. We promise you’ll be entertained.
The creators, led by the inventive director/choreographer, Warren Carlyle packed almost 30 show-stoppers into the fast-paced 90 minute show. Number after number, I watched the audience delight in the music and dance. And it’s clear that the cast is enjoying themselves just as much as us ticket-holders!
In many ways, the creative team’s greatest accomplishment is in their distinct attention to pacing. They never allow the show to stay in one place for long, and thus the evening never stales. This finesse can be spotted in every aspect of the physical production. John Lee Beatty’s classy sets are constantly moving and morphing to keep the stage picture fresh, and they’re beautifully augmented by Isabel Toledo’s song-specific costumes and Howell Binkley’s striking, mood-inducing lighting. Carlyle holds all of it together with his obvious eye for beauty, and his taste for mixing clever usage of props (a dance with a balloon stands out) with his clear understanding of all traditional forms of dance. Luckily, he’s a sculpting with the world’s most flexible clay when it comes to his performers. When these people sing, they sing. And when they dance? They DANCE. The tap-dancing alone is worth the price of admission.
Still, After Midnight has one appeal that undoubtedly overshadows everything else, the music! The music is equally recognizable and fresh, thanks to the rocking band that is the Jazz at Lincoln Center All-Stars. These are world-class jazz musicians, and that strangely feels like incompetent praise given the utter adrenaline that these guys are pumping out of their brass horns. At the end of the day, they’re the stars of the show, and the music feels like a show in itself!
After Midnight is simple. There are no gimmicks. There is no masquerade, and there’s nothing for any of the performers to hide behind- making the whole evening even more impressive. The musicians are brilliant. The singers and dancers are the best you’ll ever find. The effect is mesmerizing.