Paradise Blue

By Dominique Morisseau
Originally produced at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Costa Mesa, CA
July 22 - August 2, 2015

About the Premiere Production:

(Blair Underwood and De’Adre Aziza. Photo: Charles Erickson.)

Blue, a gifted trumpeter, contemplates selling his once-vibrant jazz club in Detroit’s Blackbottom neighborhood to shake free the demons of his past and better his life. But where does that leave his devoted Pumpkin, who has dreams of her own? And what does it mean for the club’s resident bebop band? When a mysterious woman with a walk that drives men mad (Aziza) comes to town with her own plans, everyone’s world is turned upside down. This dynamic and musically-infused drama shines light on the challenges of building a better future on the foundation of what our predecessors have left us.

Cast: De'Adre Aziza, Andre Holland, Kristin Lloyd, Keith Randolph Smith, and Blair Underwood.

Director: Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Scenic Design: Neil Patel
Costume Design: Clint Ramos
Lighting Design: Rui Rita
Sound Design: Darron West
Co-Composers: Kenny Rampton and Bill Sims, Jr.
Stage Mananger: Lloyd Davis, Jr.

News:
• "Dominique Morisseau Is Telling the Story of Her People," American Theatre, January 4, 2016
• "Review: ‘Paradise Blue’ Rekindles Racial Drama in 1949 Detroit," New York Times, July 29, 2015
• "REVIEW: ‘Paradise Blue’ at WTF: Best play of the season," The Berkshire Edge, July 27, 2015
• "In Williamstown’s ‘Paradise Blue,’ a high-stakes dilemma set to mournful jazz," Boston Globe, July 25, 2015