‘Ain’t No Mo’ Should Have Been A Broadway Hit: What Happened? A Deadline Conversation With Producer Lee Daniels & Playwright Jordan E. Cooper On The Shocking Closing – And A Possible Rescue
13.12.2022 - 23:55
/ deadline.com
Ain’t No Mo’, the Broadway debut of author and star Jordan E. Cooper, opened at the Belasco Theatre on Dec. 1 to the sort of reviews producers and playwrights dream about. Even the few critics who weren’t completely won over couldn’t help but point out a singular brilliance at work here, not to mention a stars-in-the-making cast and more laugh-out-loud moments than most of the rest of Broadway combined. A celebrity-packed opening night, with producer Lee Daniels greeting a crowd that included Gabrielle Union, Dwayne Wade and C. J. Uzomah – who happen to be among the starry cohort of co-producers – as well as Matthew Broderick, Tamron Hall, Deborah Cox, Stephanie Mills, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Susan Kelechi Watson, Camryn Manheim, Tony Kushner, Tituss Burgess, Gayle King, Pat Williams, Christopher Sieber, Jennifer Simard, Colton Ryan, Ari’el Stachel and Timothy Olyphant suggested nothing less than the buzzy arrival of Broadway’s next big thing, out-of-the-box division.
Ten days later, Daniels, an early and fervent champion of the piece, announced that the show would close early on Sunday, Dec. 18, after just 22 previews and 21 regular performances. Ain’t No Mo’ was to have run until March.
Shortly after the announcement, Cooper went on Instagram to muster support. “Ain’t No Mo’ needs your help!,” began a lengthy and funny post. “It’s a new original play that’s BLACK AF…Now they’ve posted an eviction notice, we “must close” Dec. 18th. But thank God Black people are immune to eviction notices.”
In a subsequent IG video, Cooper, appearing as his Ain’t No Mo’ character Peaches, a flight attendant on African Americans Airline Flight #1619 – yes, the number references just what you think it does – beseeches ticket-buyers