'Josephine' gets its world premiere in Sarasota

For Joey McKneely, seven years of work is coming to fruition this weekend at Asolo Repertory Theatre.

"It's been in development for many years now," McKneely said. "I've been with the project for seven years."

McKneely is the director and choreographer of "Josephine," a new show about legendary singer-dancer-actor Josephine Baker. It has had some preview performances this week, but official opening night is Friday.

"This is the world premiere," McKneely said, "and it's our pre-Broadway tryout."

The show has some pretty impressive Broadway names involved. McKneely himself choreographed the 2009 Broadway revival of "West Side Story" (as well as the spectacular Asolo Rep production of that musical last season.) Deborah Cox, who has the title role, starred in "Jekyll & Hyde" on Broadway, and provided the voice of Whitney Houston in the TV movie "Whitney." The show was developed with producer Kenneth Waissman, who produced the original Broadway stagings of "Grease" and "Agnes of God."

Besides those Broadway heavyweights, the creative team behind "Josephine" includes lyricist John Bettis, who wrote the words for a lot of the Carpenter's biggest hits, plus Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" and lots of other hits, and composer Steve Dorff wrote such hits as "I Fall in Love Again."

In other words, there's every reason to believe that Sarasota-area audiences will be the first to see a show that will be on Broadway before long.

"This show smells like a big Broadway hit," McKneely said.

Even more impressive than the creative team, though, is the show's subject, Josephine Baker.

The show focuses on Baker's life in France, from 1939 to 1945, when she became a stage sensation.

"She really was the first black entertainment star," McKneely said. "I think if she had stayed that may not have happened."

Baker starred in the Folies Bergeres in Paris, had a scandalous affair with the King of Sweden and worked with the French Resistance.

Her fans and admirers included Pablo Picasso, who called her the "Nefertiti of Now," and Ernest Hemingway, who referred to Baker as "the most sensational woman anyone ever saw."

McKneely cautioned that this is not a family show. Baker was known for pushing boundaries on stage, and McKneely describes "Josephine" as "erotic."

Still, he said, it's positive and ultimately uplifting.

"It's a story of love and acceptance," he said.

Details: May 6-29, Cook Theatre at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Show times: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesay, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $15.50-$108. Information: 941-351-8000, asolorep.org.

Marty Clear, features writer/columnist, can be reached at 941-708-7919. Follow twitter.com/martinclear.

This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 5:01 PM with the headline "'Josephine' gets its world premiere in Sarasota ."