Black Theatre Troupe concludes its 2023-24 season with a rousing musical set in the birthplace of jazz.

Featuring a 9-piece band, “Storyville” tells the story of Butch "Cobra" Brown who falls for the torch singer Tigre Savoy at Bird Box Cabaret, the nightclub where they both headline, according to a theater press release. Storyville was the legalized red-light district of New Orleans which flourished from 1897 until 1917 and is considered the birthplace of jazz.

With a story by Ed Bullins and music and lyrics by Mildred Kayden, Black Theatre Troupe's production “Storyville” is directed and choreographed by Patdro Harris, with musical direction by Brenda Hankins. The cast features Frederick Alphonso as "Hot Licks Sam," the leader of the band at the Bird Box Cabaret nightclub, Rico Burton as "Countess Dolly Denger," with Andre Neal and Akira Goggins as "Butch 'Cobra' Brown" and "Tigre Savoy."

“Storyville” features a score that harkens to the early days of jazz.

The production opens with a 7:30 p.m. show Friday, March 22 at the Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center, 1333 E. Washington, in Phoenix. Shows continue through April 7.

Tickets are $50 and are available at blacktheatretroupe.org.

Founded by Helen K. Mason in 1970 as a space for underserved artists to share the Black experience, Black Theatre Troupe began performing small plays, poetry readings, and musical performances in a community center in Phoenix’s historic multi-cultural Eastlake Park.