Play On!

Play On! is a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, featuring the music of Duke Ellington, with a book by Cheryl L. West. The musical resets the story in 1940s Harlem.

Production history

The original production, conceived by director Sheldon Epps, premiered in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in September 1996. After 19 previews, it opened on Broadway on March 20, 1997 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, where it ran for 61 performances. The cast included Tonya Pinkins, André De Shields, and Carl Anderson. An original cast recording was released on May 20, 1997 on Varèse Sarabande.

The book, by playwright Cheryl L. West, departs from Twelfth Night's usual setting of Illyria, resetting the play's action and characters in 1940s Swing-era Harlem.

Synopsis

Vy comes to swinging 1940s Harlem to write songs for the Duke, Harlem's greatest band leader. To overcome the sexist barriers of the time against women songwriters, she disguises herself as a man, Vy-man. She finds the Duke in tears over his loss of Lady Liv, Harlem's "queen of the blues". The Duke likes Vy-man's music, so he instructs the songwriter to go to the Cotton Club and present one of her songs as if it were a new song written by the Duke for Lady Liv. Lady Liv finds Vy-man charming, and a series of mistaken pairings results.

Play On

Play On may refer to:

Play On (John Miles album)

Play On is the sixth solo album by John Miles released in 1983 via EMI label.

Overview

EMI promised that Miles would use a top producer and top session musicians for his second album for EMI.

Eventually they chose Gus Dudgeon who had worked with artists like Elton John, Chris Rea and Elkie Brooks. Originally, the album was planned to be released in 1982, but because Dudgeon was not available at the time, the release was delayed.

It was also the first time that drummer Barry Black and bassist Bob Marshall were not used on the album. (Although Marshall still wrote the songs with Miles) Instead they were replaced by session musicians. "The Right to Sing" was the first single released from the album and was written about the fact that record companies wanted to decide which songs Miles had to release and which direction he had to take.

"That's Rock 'n' Roll" was left off the album, because it was too different and was released as a B-side.

Track listing

All songs written by Bob Marshall and John Miles

Play On (horse)

Play On (born in 1981) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the son of Stop the Music and grandson to Hail to Reason. He is best remembered for winning the 1984 Withers Stakes and placing second three weeks later in the $400,000 Grade 1 Preakness Stakes to Gate Dancer.

Racing career

Play On competed in six races over seven months in 1984 as a three-year-old. He broke his maiden at Aqueduct Racetrack in his second attempt and followed that up with a second in allowance company. In his fourth lifetime start, his connections decided to take a big step up in class and entered him in a graded stakes race: the one-turn, one-mile Withers Stakes, which he won in 1:36.40 under jockey Jean-Luc Samyn at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Three weeks later, his trainer took a shot at the second jewel of the Triple Crown. The Preakness Stakes is run at a mile and three sixteenths on dirt at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. In that race, Play On was listed as the fourth favorite in a field of ten colts at 8:1 odds. The prohibitive odds-on favorite was Swale, the Kentucky Derby winner. Play On broke from the outside in the tenth post position and settled in mid-pack. Around the clubhouse turn and down the backstretch, Fight Over, Taylor's Special, and Swale led while Play On was reserved behind the leaders in fifth. Going into the final turn, Play On moved inside and took over third, one length behind Gate Dancer and Fight On. Down the stretch, Gate Dancer pulled away to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Play On, who finished strongly under jockey Jean-Luc Samyn to place second by four lengths over a tiring Fight On. Heavy favorite Swale weakened going into the final turn and faded to finish a non-threatening seventh, eight lengths back.