Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole at Geffen Playhouse
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Gisela Adisa and Dulé Hill in Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole, presented by People’s Light. Photo by Mark Garvin.
Originally commissioned by People’s Light, the new music-theatre work Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole makes its West Coast premiere with performances at Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. The production stars award-winning actor Dulé Hill, reprising his role as the legendary vocalist and jazz pianist Nat “King” Cole. Written by Colman Domingo and composed by Justin Levine, the production explores the 1957 demise of Cole’s groundbreaking national television series and his complex relationship with America's civil rights movement, weaving his personal story into larger social narratives surrounding race, identity, and creativity. The Center-supported production of Lights Out premiered at People's Light in 2017.