Theatre: Jelly’s Last Jam

Funny, I was recently saying to myself how oversaturated pop culture is with passing and colorism, but here we go again! Jelly’s Last Jam is the imagined experience of famed jazz innovator, Jelly Roll Morton, while in a kind of purgatory he examines his life. The play deals with his Creole family that turned its back on him, his musical success and his own issues with color, class, and insecurity. 

Music, dancing, costuming and styling were amazing. The New Orleans marketplace scene was so magical. Much more entertaining and a better production value than a similar scene I saw earlier this year in the stage revival of The Wiz. I enjoyed how they depicted the JRM's experiences in different cities. The actor’s voices were so good! Left me wanting to learn more about Jell Roll Morton and the history of jazz.

I saw this musical play at the Pasadena Playhouse in the 2023-24 season with the Valley Librarian. My parents told me that they took me to see Jelly's Last Jam at the Mark Taper Forum when I was little. I looked it up and apparently, I saw the premiere run in 1991, before it went to Broadway and won four Tonys! Cool!