Jelly’s Last Jam – 23 February 2024

When I saw the star-studded cast list for the Encores production of Jelly’s Last Jam, my excitement was immediate. These vocal powerhouse performers did not disappoint. Billy Porter, Joaquina Kalukango, Nicholas Christopher, and Leslie Uggams, in particular, exhibited an awe-inspiring level of vocal talent and control. The huge dance numbers were impressive and beautiful, especially from my seat way up in the balcony. The set and lighting were uninspired, but functional, and having the band on stage for a show like this was a real treat.

All that said, this show didn’t do it for me. The plot was so thin and weak that it was really more of a concept than a story. Though there were several genuinely funny lines and a couple of serious moments with many dimensions to ponder (especially the ending of act one where Jelly subjugates and humiliates Jack the Bear), I had a hard time connecting to the characters, and I think this flaw was in the writing, which is to say that this cast and creative team did the best that they could with this deep cut into theatre history. This show format is hackneyed—a lovable narrator who breaks the fourth wall, a large ensemble that does a lot of dancing but doesn’t add much vocally or in terms of acting, the feeling of revisiting someone’s life story with a lot of gaps and no concept of how much time is passing between moments, and a couple of numbers that surprisingly feel infinitely more meaningful out of context.

Shows featuring such an unlikable protagonist are already a hard sell, but in this case I found the other characters equally unlikable. I wanted to like Kalukango’s Sweet Anita, but her shifting affection from Jack to Jelly and back just happened and I felt puzzled about why a character built on refusing to be manipulated would become a manipulator with no thoughts or psychological processing. In general, I felt like there was no story because there was no commentary from the actors or creative team indicating how the audience was supposed to feel. We went from scene to scene, number to number aimlessly, guided by the Chimney Man (Billy Porter) but not really seeing anything beyond a protagonist who treated others badly and a cast of characters who, for the most part, put up with it.

It was an enjoyable evening of listening to the stars sing and watching the ensemble tap dance their hearts out. It felt celebratory and revelatory, and it was really wonderful to see a younger, more racially diverse audience than I see at the theatre in a lot of Broadway settings. So while I think there is a lot in this production to celebrate and enjoy, it was not my theatrical cup of tea because there just wasn’t enough depth to the story or the characters to engage me intellectually.

I did not attend this performance on a press pass.