‘Cool Papa’s Party’ has got to be the sleeper production of the year thus far with a compelling story, killer dance moves, and nary a weak member of the company in sight.
Loosely based on the life of legendary performer Sammy Davis Jr., who died of throat cancer in 1990, playwright and director Thomas W. Jones II isn’t afraid to call the shots as he sees them for the sake of political correctness. White show business moguls, the deeply entrenched political machines and even the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People are portrayed as using and abusing Cool Papa Rose (Jahi Kearse).
Don’t think that Jones clobbers the audience over the head with his messages a la other scribes who aren’t content unless they grind audiences’ metaphoric noses into the missive. The prejudice Davis endured is noted as part of the fuller story as of how this pre-Depression baby moved from a vaudeville troupe to a bona fide singer, dancer, actor and member of the legendary Rat Pack with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.
The dialogue — whether spoken or sung — makes the story come alive without resorting to over-the-top, cheesy scenes that clutter many musicals. The only sour note from my perspective was the depiction of Frank Sinatra (1915 to 1998) who came across as a not-too-bright, semisleazy user in his own right. Called Johnnie Domingo (Benjamin Horen) in this production, the character seemed flat and wildly out of sync with Sinatra’s real life. Sinatra is widely known to have held a burning hate for racism, refusing to perform at clubs that barred Davis, Quincy Jones and others of color, according to biographies of both Davis and Jones.
But other than that misstep, the story moves gamely between Davis’ passion for show business and his personal life which included the hatred he endured when he was romantically involved with several white women (in real life, Davis was in a relationship with actress Kim Novak and was married to actress May Britt from 1960 to 1968. At the time of his death, he was married to Altovise Davis, a woman of color, whom he had wed in 1970).
Although Kearse refers to the song “Candyland,” a take on Davis’ 1972 No. 1 hit “The Candy Man,” most of the show’s music is original. The songs by William Knowles are a blend of jazz, rhythm and blues, and other genres, which take the characters through the decades of Davis’ life thanks to rousing renditions by a five-person band. As you’d expect, the choreography by the legendary artist Maurice Hinds, is brilliant and engaging.
If you’re looking for an engaging story that hits all the high notes, don’t miss this “Party.”
If you go
‘Cool Papa’s Party’
Where: Metro Stage, 1201 N. Royal St., Alexandria
When: Various times through March 15
Info: $40 and up; 703-548-9044; www.metrostage.com
