Backstage at Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole at New York Theatre Workshop, the 14-person cast is full of energy after a fantastic performance. Now it’s time for the celebration—but first, they need to remove their stage makeup. Next stop: the Valentino Beauty glam room, where everyone’s getting glammed up before the cast party.

“We’ve really bonded as a cast over these weeks,” says Krystal Joy Brown, who plays Eartha Kitt and Natalie Cole in the show, before heading in for her makeup. “The message we want to share—like Eartha says—is joie de vivre: live your life. Be joyful in chasing more, striving for greatness, speaking your truth, and being open, honest, and vulnerable.”

That message runs deep in the powerful show, written by Vogue cover star and Oscar nominee Colman Domingo and Patricia McGregor. Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole explores the singer on the night of his final TV broadcast and what its cancellation truly represented.

“This show gives a voice to people and issues that were silenced in the 1950s,” Brown says as her name is called. It’s her turn under the ring light before joining the party. “It’s a very vulnerable piece. Even though we’re portraying people who are no longer here, the struggles they faced are still relevant today.”

ANDREW DAY STUDIO 2023
ANDREW DAY STUDIO 2023
ANDREW DAY STUDIO 2023