There’s a hint of melancholia when it comes to seeing “Every Saturday Night (A Harlem of the West Musical),” the new world premiere from San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company.
The show reminds us that the San Francisco’s Fillmore district of the 1950s, when Black music and joy were a part of everyday life, is no more. Back then it was more soulfully known as “The Fillmo.”
In San Francisco, where people of color make up less and less of the city’s fabric in an ever-shifting dynamic born of higher prices and hiring trends, the show is a reminder of what it meant to be part of a thriving creative scene in the Bay Area’s premiere city.
Yet the show’s big issues have more to do with its inconsistencies. While there are plenty of delightful moments in Danny Duncan and Michael Gene Sullivan’s story, the show itself struggles to find a steady rhythm and heartbeat. Also, its pace crawls often during the show’s 2½-hour runtime, which needs tightening for maximum engagement.
The story is based on Duncan’s life as a child and a young man in the Fillmore, where his mother Ardella ran an after-hours celebration spot inside her home that was safe for Black people to let off steam and dance the night away. Well, as safe as it could be with cops showing up constantly at Ardella’s doorstep and citing folks for having a good time.
Duncan and Sullivan have penned a mostly effective script, weaving the storyline with lots of humor and insight.
Ardella (Cathleen Ridley) is singularly focused on providing a space for her people to celebrate every Saturday night. While her cause is a noble one, it seemingly comes at the expense of her son Young Donte (Jacob Henrie-Naffaa), who is secretly performing in his school’s production of “Peter Pan” as a budding thespian. This, in turn, conflicts with his ability to support his mom’s venture.
Years later, as the story moves back and forth in time, another young man, Adarè (Trevor Miller) joins his parents Samuel (Jon-David Randle) and Joanelle (Janelle LaSalle) as they explore the possibilities of buying a Victorian house that’s for sale in the neighborhood. The script in these moments is the glue that connects the production’s pieces together, while offering some strong insight about how redevelopment has affected today’s current zeitgeist. But in other moments, the narrative strays into simpler and less effective territory.
Director and choreographer AeJay Antonis Marquis displays effective chops in both stewardship and movement, but the detailed Victorian set, despite its sheen from designer Sarah Phykitt, seems like a hindrance. There are no natural entryways for choreography to be set free, with awkward entrances that make dances feel more obligatory than necessary.
While vocals throughout the cast are not always consistently sharp, two voices stand out with a terrific tone. Darryl V. Jones as an older and more regal Donte, the link to the Fillmore’s rich past, has some delightful dialogue in addition to his fantastic singing, adding muscle behind his number “On Fillmo.” It’s Donte’s wistful connection to the past that illustrates all we’ve lost as the soul of yesteryear yields to a more soulless Silicon Valley vibe.
RJ Wayne, a newcomer to SFBATCO, makes his presence felt immediately as Ardella’s problematic ex Bobby Joe, his rich scat hitting home early and often. His voice has an authoritative tone in “Life Ain’t Nothin’ but Jazz,” offering a deep register with a luscious hint of gravel, providing for some of the show’s best solo work.
The voices are fine-tuned thanks to music director Othello Jefferson, who handles the brassy, bass-filled jazz sound with aplomb. Duncan’s score gives strong authentic vibes, but some numbers just don’t snap, crackle or pop, making the play’s run time of more than 2 hours and 30 minutes unnecessary.
While the intent of “Every Saturday Night” is noble, the execution isn’t sharp yet. With more rewriting and development in this magical Victorian, where courage and conviction are as common as smiles and energy, “Every Saturday Night” has the opportunity to rise up for years and years to come.
David John Chávez is a former chair of the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association, a 2020 O’Neill National Critics Institute fellow, and a two-time juror for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (2022-’23). @davidjchavez.bsky.social.
‘EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT (A HARLEM OF THE WEST MUSICAL)’
By Danny Duncan and Michael Gene Sullivan, presented by SFBATCO
Through: Nov. 7
Where: The Strand Theater, 1127 Market St., San Francisco
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes with an intermission
Tickets: $25-$59; sfbatco.org