It began around 1916 and was documented as one of the most significant events for African-Americans in America. During the Great Migration, millions of black people moved from the South, and Chicago was one of the main cities African-Americans moved to, seeking a better life through employment. 

The history of the blues is another historical event in Chicago featuring some of the best names and clubs in the world. The migration of African-Americans brought musicians to places like Maxwell Street in Chicago’s west side during the ’30s and 40s, whose unique exhilarating sound captivated clubs. That sound became known as the blues. Some of the biggest names in blues came from Chicago, and Chicago was known for having the best blues clubs in the world. Frank Sinatra was right when he came to Chicago, “It’s My Kind of Town.” 

Porchlight Theatre latest mainstage production, ‘Blues In The Night,’ conceived and directed by Sheldon Epps, received a Tony Award Nominated for Best Musical. Set in the roaring ’30s, in one of Chicago’s hotels, we learn about three women, The Lady from the Road, The Woman of The World, and The Girl with a Date, lives, love, and losses. Through blues songs from Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox, and other blues greats, these three women, with the help of The Man in the Saloon, lament about the daily blues they experience. 

(Photo by Anthony La Penna)

Featuring the incredible talent of Felicia P Fields (The Lady from the Road), whose raspy and soulful voice thrilled the audience. Fields, nominated for a 1983 Tony Award in her portrayal of Sofia in The Color Purple on Broadway, commands the stage and reels you into her performance with her comedic Moms Mabley, Bessie Smith-style, and grace. 

(Photo by Anthony La Penna)

Donica Lynn (The Woman of The World), three-time Chicago award-winning for her performance as Effie in Dreamgirls, has amazing vocals. Although Lynn seemed to have been laboring vocally on the Night we were there, she still inspired the audience with her songs.  

(Photo by Anthony La Penna)

The Girl with a Date, played by Clare Kennedy, returns to Porchlight Theatre, where she made her debut in New Faces: Sing of Broadway. Kennedy, who needs to work with Armstrong to have that smooth and easy dance style of the blues, equally provided a great singing performance. 

The three ladies make up the trio of fabulous women occupying separate, shabby rooms that bewitch us for two hours, sharing their stories while singing torch songs of the blues. Then you get to hear the velvety voice of Evan Tyrone Martin. The only male crooner on stage with the silky smooth voice, Martin has a fabulous stage presence and reminded me of Johnny Hartman. 

(Photo by Anthony La Penna)

Terrell Armstrong, who has performed at Porchlight Theatre in A Chorus Line, is the last entertainer on stage. Armstrong, a graduate of Columbia College here in Chicago, as The Dancing Man, wasn’t in the original Blues in The Night; the revue originally was staged by Epps and Gregory Hines, although Porchlight could be honoring Hines. But don’t overlook the incredible dancing abilities of Armstrong. We get a glimpse of his impressive, elegant, and graceful moves that make you want to know when and where he will be performing next. 

Porchlight Music Theatre’s Blues in the Night Although the original Blues in the Night doesn’t provide names for the ladies, just listing them with numbers, Porchlight Music Theatre’s Blues in the Night includes title names for the ladies. However, they feature the original songs, “Dirty-No-Gooders Blues, When A Woman, Lover Man, Nobody Knows You,” and other great songs from the original production. Scenic Design Angela Weber Miller’s stage layout had appropriate furniture, including lamps, wallpapers, and a liquor cart. I enjoyed the smooth sounds of the band featuring Piano conductor Maulty Jewell IV, Rafe Bradford, Ricardo Jimenez, and Darius Hampton.

Blues in the Night is solely for those who love the blues. I grew up as a young twelve-year-old boy, listening to blues in a dark basement home of my uncle Jimmy, so this backdown memory lane musical was a treat. Blues in the Night will have you in that smooth, soulful state of mind where you are continuously tapping your feet and bobbing your head to the rhythm of the beat.   

Let’s Play Recommends Blues In The Night at Porchlight 

Theatre. 

Porchlight Theatre

Blues In The Night

Conceived and Originally Directed by Sheldon Epps

Now through March 13, 2022

Tickets: $25 -$74