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Theatre Orangeville brings Darktown Strutter’s Ball to main stage

April 18, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

A stunning, brand-new production, The Darktown Strutters’ Ball, is opening at Theatre Orangeville on April 25 and running to May 12. This is a show of music and stories that David Nairn says must be told.

The Citizen sat down for a conversation with David Nairn who encouraged Leslie McCurdy [Things my Fore-Sisters Saw played here at Theatre Orangeville] to write it, Cassel Miles [JOSIAH at TOV’s Summer Fest 2021] who stars in the show with her and Nicholas Mustapha, instrumental in Theatre Orangeville’s Main Stage and Young Company productions, who is the music director.

When Mr. Nairn approached Ms. McCurdy to write a script for his idea of telling the history of early jazz, as created and played primarily by Black musicians, in the first half of the 20th Century, she told us, “I didn’t want to do the work!”

In 2015, she wrote a “stupid show” to “get Cassel back in the business.” Mr. Miles had considered himself retired from the entertainment business. That show only ran for one night but it was enough to bring him back. They two have been good friends for many years.

This will be Mr. Miles’ first time on the Main Stage at Theatre Orangeville.

When they all got together to talk about Darktown, she remarked that her shows “write themselves,” saying, “these brilliant people around me add their own energy to the show.”

“It’s a very different animal,” commented Mr. Nairn. “A more fully told story.” 

All Ms. McCurdy’s shows tell the tales from Black history, through her acting the people she is describing and bringing songs into the telling. She told the Citizen that she did “Fore-Sisters” [about four remarkable individual Black women in Canada who influenced the country’s history] in Detroit.

Darktown deals with the realism of what was in popular culture. As Mr. Nairn declares, always in the theatre, we come away changed a little, as we will with this show, full of music, dancing and reflection. There are potent memories, honesty and conversations to follow us home.

And laughter. The show is full of fun, of music, dance and wonderful performances. 

The Theatre’s grand piano is being included on stage and Nicholas Mustapha is thrilled about that. He has written a piece for a solo playing that “really showcases the Grand. It’s been a real treat.”

As the show developed, we were told that the ideas in the production were going to let people think for themselves – “further than we ever thought at the beginning.”

It was Mr. Mustapha who showed them all how ragtime evolved into Latin/Afro-fusion.

This is a World Premiere and it is defined by the performance of those actors/musicians and creative team in this initial production, which the audiences will also hone with their approbation in the theatre and word-of-mouth later.

Hence, it is always an honour and a responsibility to launch a new show, as they all acknowledged. This show will only be live-streamed, and not available beyond a one-time showing. Otherwise, Theatre Orangeville does have a library of cabarets, plays and entertainments, videoed through Covid and the two years since, available for a small “ticket” price, from anywhere in the world on the Theatre Orangeville website. 

For Ms. McCurdy, “It is an honour and a privilege for me; I’ve been in Windsor making my shows and I’ve been making a living. But this is the first time with these wonderful people. David is such a master and working with Cassel again..on one hand, I feel like I’m home and this is such quality of talent.”

“This is what we do,” Mr. Miles noted. “We get together and bond in this camaraderie.”

Our interview was at the end of their first week of rehearsals. But so in sync with each other are they, they will be ready for the opening on April 25.

The cast talked about about their own pasts as Black people in a mainly white society, how their differences were noted, and commented on. Mr. Miles’ mother sent books about Black history to school with him to share. 

When the classes ran to slavery and the underground railway, the other students turned to him to realize he was not like them.

“Had I had something like this to say, I wouldn’t have been alone. Now I am here, the work I do must be impactful.”

Likewise, Mr. Mustapha’s family told him stories and he stood out in his classrooms. Ms. McCurdy had similar experiences.

Not part of this interview, there are two more musicians as part of the show, Matteo Romaniello on drums and Matthew Leombruni playing bass. These two young players, who were already studying at the early ages of two and four years old are remarkable, we were assured. They will make tremendous contributions to the music.

Candace Jennings is on deck to do the considerable choreography for the show.

The music invites us as the first reason to come and see Darktown Strutter’s Ball. We will really have a good time and we will learn a lot along the way through this “historical musical journey.”

“And,” they called out, “for Nick’s piano solo!”

For more information and to purchase tickets or your subscription for the 2024-25 season, go to www.theatreorangeville.com or call the charming folk at the Box office at 519-942-3423. A visit to the Box Office is pleasant at 87 Broadway, the Town Hall.

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