The run closed January 2, 1983
- Opened
- March 1, 1981
- Closed
- January 2, 1983
- Performances
- 767
- Previews
- —
- Theatre
- Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Of the 465 productions we hold that opened in the 1980s and record a performance count, this is the 24th longest. That is a rank within what we hold, not within everything that was staged.
Who was in it20 named
Adrian Bailey
Paula Lynn
Wynonna Smith
T A Stephens
Leslie Dockery
Calvin Mcrae
Jackie Patterson
Richard Pessagno
D Arcy Phifer
Christina Saffran
10 of these 20 names have a person record behind them and link to one. The other 10 are set from the identifier in the cast list, which is a slug of the name — so hyphens and full stops are lost and a few come out wrong. We hold nothing else about them. Nobody here is matched to a character: the cast list records who was in the company and not what they played.
Creative team
- Director
- Michael Smuin
- Choreographer
- Michael Smuin, Donald McKayle, Henry LeTang
- Producer
- Roger Berlind, Manheim Fox, Sondra Gilman, Burton Litwin, Louise
A producer is one string on this record, however many people or companies it names. Directors and choreographers are held both as text and as identifiers; where an identifier exists the name links to a page.
Tony Awards 0 from 1 nomination
| Best Musical | Nominated |
Around this production
1 March: Sophisticated Ladies, a tribute to the music of Duke Ellington starring Gregory Hines, premieres at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater, running 767 performances. Historical Dictionary of the Broadway Musical Volume 22 William A Everett Paul R, p. 30
- Among criteria for selection were length of run (all book musicals remaining over 500 performances are here), seminal importance, people involved, uniqueness of approach or subject matter, quality of the score, and general acceptance as a significant work in the field. Broadway revivals were included if they ran longer… Broadway Musicals Show By Show Seventh Edition Stanley Green Cary Ginell, p. 7
- Ain’t Misbehavin’, “The New Fats Waller Musical Show,” was such a popular attraction that it opened the way for two subsequent "catalogue” musicals, Eubie!, spotlighting the work of Eubie Blake, and Sophisticated Ladies, which did the same for Duke Ellington. Broadway Musicals Show By Show Green Stanley Green Kay 5th Ed Rev and Updated By, p. 275
- Sophisticated Ladies moved into the Lunt-Fontanne in 1981 and thrilled theatregoers for 767 performances with its silken Ellington melodies and sparkling choreography. At This Theatre 100 Years of Broadway Shows Stories and Botto Louis Viagas Rober, p. 58
- Sophisticated Ladies built itself into a surprise hit. But not an easy one. More Opening Nights On Broadway A Critical Quotebook of Compiled By Steven Suski, p. 892
- The black composer anthology fad of the late Seventies brought forth an Ellington revue, SOPHISTICATED LADIES [March 1, 1981]. Show Tunes 1905 1985 the Songs Shows and Careers of Steven Suskin 1st Ed New Yor, p. 572
Passages naming this production, found by keyword across 178 books. Where it turns up in the literature, not curated notes about it.
What this page does not know
- No photograph of this staging. 48 of 13,459 productions hold one.
- No character names. We can say who was in the company and not who they played.
- No recording is held for Sophisticated Ladies at all.
- Reviews, box office, running order, understudies and designers: none of it is held for any production.