Archives for October 17, 2013

Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington was officially published today by Gotham Books.
I’m already up to my ears in book-related public appearances and will remain so for the next month and a half, but this is still a special day for me. Every author likes to think, however fleetingly, that his latest book is his best one yet. That’s how I feel–at least for the moment–about Duke. We’ll see if I still feel the same way in a year, but right now I’m more than happy to revel in the perfect joy and fulfillment of the present moment. Writers live for such moments.
I ought to be thanking any number of people on this great day, but I trust they’ll all forgive me if I mention only Mrs. T, the dedicatee of Duke. I owe all that I’ve done in the eight years since we met to her steadfast love and ever-inspiring faith in my ability to be better than I think I can be. If Duke is any good, it’s because she was sure that it would be.
* * *
To read the second installment of Marc Myers’ two-part conversation with me about Duke, go here.
To hear my very first radio interview about Duke, which aired yesterday on Seattle’s KUOW-FM, go here.

Here’s my list of recommended Broadway, off-Broadway, and out-of-town shows, updated weekly. In all cases, I gave these shows favorable reviews (if sometimes qualifiedly so) in The Wall Street Journal when they opened. For more information, click on the title.

BROADWAY:

• Annie (musical, G, closing Jan. 5, reviewed here)

• Matilda (musical, G, nearly all performances sold out last week, reviewed here)

• Once (musical, G/PG-13, reviewed here)

OFF BROADWAY:

• Avenue Q (musical, R, adult subject matter and one show-stopping scene of puppet-on-puppet sex, reviewed here)

• The Fantasticks (musical, G, suitable for children capable of enjoying a love story, reviewed here)

CLOSING SOON OFF BROADWAY:

• Natural Affection (drama, R, closes Oct. 26, reviewed here)

• Philip Goes Forth (drama, G, not suitable for small children, closes Oct. 27, reviewed here)

CLOSING SOON IN ASHLAND, OREGON:

• My Fair Lady (musical, G, closes Nov. 3, reviewed here)

CLOSING NEXT WEEK IN NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONTARIO:

• Our Betters (comedy, PG-13, closes Oct. 27, reviewed here)

CLOSING THIS WEEKEND IN SPRING GREEN, WISCONSIN:

• Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare, PG-13, closes Sunday, reviewed here)

• Dickens in America (one-man play, G, too demanding for small children, closes Saturday, reviewed here)

CLOSING SATURDAY IN NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONTARIO:

• Major Barbara (drama, PG-13, reviewed here)

CLOSING SUNDAY OFF BROADWAY:

• The Old Friends (drama, PG-13, reviewed here)

Duke Ellington performs live in Paris in 1958:

I wish you all the joy that you can wish.
William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice