PHOTOS BY MAATOLOGY PRODUCTIONS (FIRST PIC) AND PHILIP HAMER
Yours Truly in the seats prepared to see EUBIE!
The St. Louis Black Repertory Company is closing out its 46th Season with an adaptation the Tony Award-nominated musical, EUBIE! which showcases the historic music of the late jazz/swing composer, Eubie Blake.
The musical, which was orginally conceived by theatre director Julianne Boyd in 1978, is currently being staged at The Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University-St Louis until May 21.
FROM LEFT: Coda Boyce, Robert Crenshaw and Venezia Manuel in the opening scene from Eubie!Directed by Producing Director Ron Himes and Musical Director Joe Dreyer, the two-hour musical, which is mainly comprised of songs from Blake's 1921 color-barrier breaking show, Shuffle Along, began with an opening scene where some of the cast members simulated elegantly dressed mannequins coming to life as through there was a time machine jump to the 1920s (The same sequence also ended the play.).
Cast in the opening number, "Shuffle Along."
The standout of EUBIE! was the elaborate costumes worn by the ensemble cast (designed by Marc W. Vital II) that highlighted the time period of radiant flapper dresses, dapper evening gowns and top-hat tuxes. Another was the dazzling and eye-striking tap dance numbers and the outstanding choreography (orchestrated by Vivian Watt and Heather Beal) that helped to tell the story of black people during the Harlem Renaissance. A third was the eye-catching stage set, (designed by Tim Jones) that was also a key factor to the play's aesthetic with orchestra risers and a artistic backdrop which gave the stage a feel of a sophisticated yet subdued supper club.
Crenshaw and Evann De-bose performing the song, "I'm Just Wild About Harry."
As far as the individual performances, two members of the cast were highlights. One was Robert Crenshaw who wowed each time he was on stage especially with his mesmerzing leg jumps and tap dancing skills (which he also choreographed) and Tamara Pilar who was fantastic in her sultry voice and naughty bits during her solo number, "Daddy" in Act One.
FROM LEFT: J'Kobe Wallace, Manuel, Deante' Bryant and Coda Boyce in the number, "Baltimore Buzz."
Tamara Pilar performing the sultry number, "Daddy."
Pilar and Carvas Delano Pickens in the risque number, "My Handyman Ain't Handy Anymore."
Evann De-Bose in the bluesy number, "Gee, I Wish I Had
Someone to Rock Me in the Cradle of Love."
As far as the actual story, there was none in particular, but the songs helped the throughline of the production. The songs defined the "high society" era of black language, double consciousness and entendre. There was, however, somewhat of a story line in Act Two when the cast performed a comical vignette during the song "If You Never Been Vamped by a Brown Skin, You've Never Been Vamped At All," (from Blake's musical Shuffle Along) about a wife (played by Coda Boyce) seeking a divorce from her husband (played by Carvas Pickens) because of his affair with a vamp (played by Venezia Manuel) and their going to a court of law with a judge (played by J'Kobe Wallace), baliff (played by Serdalyer Darden) and jury members (played by Crenshaw, Samantha Madison, DeAnte Bryant and Tamara Pilar).
FROM LEFT: Samantha Madison, Boyce and Manuel in the flapper number, "I'm Just Simply Full of Jazz."
Crenshaw and Wallace in a showstopper moment during, "I'm Just Simply Full of Jazz."
Cast in the plantation number, "High Steppin Days/Dixie Moon." that opened ACT TWO of EUBIE!
Other moments from Eubie! included songs that depicted excellently the everyday life of black people from plantation life, sugar shacks, and The Cotton Club After Five spots especially in Act Two with songs like, "High Steppin Days," "Roll Jordan," and the closing number, "Goodnight Angeline."
Wallace performing, "Dixie Moon."
Pickens in a solo number during, "Roll Jordan."
Serdalyer Darden and Manuel in the medley, "If You Never Been Vamped by a Browkskin, You've Never Been Vamped At All."
The cast in the Brownskin Medley,"Wife and Husband/Judge/Baliff/Jury."
Cast during the Finale.
Overall, EUBIE! was a head-bopping, foot-stomping, feel-good musical, a great piece of black nostalgia and definitely deserving of a ticket purchase while it is still on stage!
Cast and crew of Eubie!
EUBIE!
@The Edison Theatre
On the Campus if Washington University-St. Louis
Until May 21, 2023
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FROM LEFT: Coda Boyce, Robert Crenshaw and Venezia Manuel in the opening scene from Eubie!
Cast in the opening number, "Shuffle Along." 
FROM LEFT: J'Kobe Wallace, Manuel, Deante' Bryant and Coda Boyce in the number, "Baltimore Buzz."
Pilar and Carvas Delano Pickens in the risque number, "My Handyman Ain't Handy Anymore."
FROM LEFT: Samantha Madison, Boyce and Manuel in the flapper number, "I'm Just Simply Full of Jazz."
Serdalyer Darden and Manuel in the medley, "If You Never Been Vamped by a Browkskin, You've Never Been Vamped At All.".JPG)
Cast and crew of Eubie!