Directed by Mercedes Ellington and Tony Waag, the world theatrical premiere of Such Sweet Thunder – A Shakespearean Jazz Holiday Celebration reimagined Such Sweet Thunder by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn as a fully staged production, earning three standing ovations for its seamless fusion of jazz, dance, and Shakespearean drama.

A vital element of the evening was the script by Miles Purinton, who thoughtfully wove together the worlds of Shakespeare and Ellington, creating a narrative thread that carried the audience through the performance. His text illuminated the shared poetry, rhythm, and emotional depth of both masters, serving as the connective tissue of the show.

At its core was the Duke Ellington Center Big Band, led by musical director and pianist Eli Yamin, featuring Shawn Edmonds, Michael Cruse, Mark Jon McGowan, and James Zollar (trumpets); Jason Curry, Langston Hughes II, Chris Byars, Jason Marshall, and Jay Brandford (saxophones/woodwinds); Jason Jackson, Alex Jeun, and Becca Patterson (trombones); Jennifer Vincent (bass); Alvester Garnett (drums); and Sandra Billingslea (violin), delivering a masterful and expressive performance. The cast brought Shakespeare’s characters vividly to life: Karen Callaway Williams (Lady Macbeth), DeWitt Fleming Jr. (Macbeth), Marion Cowings (Othello), AC Lincoln (Prince Hal), Mark Mindek (Caesar), Antoinette Montague (Sister Kate), Max Pollak (Hamlet), Miles Purinton (Puck), and Luce Burrell (Lute Player), joined by the Precision Dancers—Karyn Tomczak, Mary Lilygren-Kane, Stephanie Bishop, and Vanessa Gutierrez-McMahan—as the Witches, and ballroom couples Ema Nohalova & Michael Choi, Jennifer Murmylo & Rafal Pustelny, Akemi Kinukawa & Ray Davis, and Danai Avloniti & Milos Jadzic, whose movement added lyrical depth and dramatic sweep.