The West Coast Black Theatre Troupe is opening its new mainstage season in Sarasota with Sophisticated Ladies, a musical celebration of jazz legend Duke Ellington. It’s a homecoming of sorts: the troupe first staged the show back in 2005, with founder Nate Jacobs in the lead role. This time around, it anchors a season themed “Rhapsodies of Rhythm,” and Jacobs says the goal is preserving Ellington’s legacy and passing that history down to younger generations.
Expect a full production, not a quiet concert. A live band sits center stage, tap dancers come in from New York, and the costumes carry that 1940s club energy. Jacobs describes it as a party from that era that’s still a party today. Previews begin Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m., with opening night on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Tickets are available by calling 941-366-1505 or visiting westcoastblacktheatre.org. For longtime Sarasota arts supporters and newcomers alike, it’s a strong way to kick off the fall season. Have you seen a West Coast Black Theatre Troupe production before? Tell us which one stuck with you.
