Sarasota’s Urbanite Theatre concludes its 12th season with its first musical, “Who is Eartha Mae?” The show explores the striking contrast between Eartha Kitt’s glamorous public persona and her difficult upbringing.
Although she projected a sharp-witted, elegant persona onstage, backstage, between sets, was a completely different matter. She was a girl from the South Carolina cotton fields, orphaned by her mother until the audience adopted her. “I’m a dirt person. I trust the dirt. I don’t trust diamonds and gold,” she famously said.
In “Who Is Eartha Mae?” playwright and performer Jade Wheeler brings to life a powerful woman in search of happiness and the roots she never forgets — inviting audiences to discover the woman behind the icon.
The regional premiere of this intimate musical opens at Sarasota’s Urbanite Theatre on May 29 for a three-week run.
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“Eartha Kitt was resilient, singular, and fearless,” said Director Livy Scanlon. “Onstage, she dazzled. Offstage, she spoke truth to power, confronting racism, censorship, and political injustice with unwavering clarity. Her life reminds us that artistry, authenticity, and advocacy are not separate callings, but intertwined imperatives. To me, her story feels less like history and more like instruction.”
Urbanite audiences will recognize Scanlon from her acclaimed performance in “Judith” during Season 10. Like “Judith,” “Who Is Eartha Mae?” is presented in partnership with Hanover Theatre Repertory (THT Rep), continuing a dynamic collaboration between the two companies.
“Eartha Kitt was a groundbreaking artist, and we are proud to share her story with Sarasota audiences,” said Producing Artistic Director Summer Wallace. “This marks our second collaboration with Hanover Theatre Repertory, and it’s especially exciting as ‘Who Is Eartha Mae?’ becomes the first musical production in Urbanite’s history. It’s a thrilling opportunity to expand our artistic vision while staying rooted in the bold, intimate storytelling our audiences expect.”
More on Eartha Kitt
Say the name Eartha Kitt and those who are even remotely familiar with the late singer-dancer-actress will most likely recall her portrayal of Catwoman, the iconic feline femme fatale she played in the 1967 season of the ‘Batman’ television series. Others will reference her original version of ‘Santa Baby,’ the deliciously flirtatious Christmas classic, later famously recorded by Madonna.
Of course, then there was her confrontation with Lady Bird Johnson about the war in Vietnam during a White House Doers Luncheon.
When asked for her opinion on youth crime, Kitt stated: "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. They rebel in the street. They will take pot... and they will get high. They don't want to go to school because they're going to be snatched off from their mothers to be shot in Vietnam." The comment brought the first lady close to tears.
The backlash was swift and the incident made the front page of The New York Times. Coverage of the event in the Evansville Press the next day called Kitt “belligerent” and described her having “shouted angrily at Mrs. Johnson.” Almost every article referencing Kitt went out of its way to highlight her race.
Kitt held her ground, saying “I was not rude. I raised my hand and asked to be heard... I said what is in my heart... It was time that we began to examine our problems with the First Family. After all, the Johnsons are our family and as the head of the nation, who better to discuss the subject with?”
No matter. Kitt was blacklisted by the U.S. entertainment industry, forcing her to work abroad for nearly a decade.
That’s precisely where the musical opens — in the dressing room of a Paris nightclub, appearing more ready for bed than to perform. An offstage announcer reminds Kitt how long until showtime, and even during her warmup, the audience is treated to her sultry, accented, trademark snarl. But Eartha Mae is separate and distinct from her onstage persona and Wheeler spends the next 75 minutes brilliantly and carefully showcasing the distinction between the resilient, spirited woman and her flamboyant alter ego.
“Bouncing back and forth between preparing herself in the mirror at the dressing table, sipping champagne, and addressing the audience directly, Eartha appears decked in a varied collection of colorful headdresses, wigs, earrings, outfits, and heels,” wrote reviewer Christopher Verleger in April for Broadway World. “She shares the details about her upbringing with an aunt who treated her horribly, recreates her modern dance audition piece (for Katherine Dunham, meticulously choreographed by Joanne Caidor), retells her introduction to Orson Welles, and recounts that incident … with Lady Bird Johnson that led to her near-decade exile from the United States.”
Among the songs Wheeler performs during the musical with the accompaniment of pianist Catherine Stornetta are “C’est Si Bon,” “Santa Baby,” “I Want to be Evil” and "Check My French."
“Much like Kitt herself, Wheeler is tremendously talented, and her performance is radiant, engaging, and profound,” Verleger concluded. “Kitt's story deserves to be told, and Wheeler's delivery is equally sensitive and steadfast.”
About playwright and actor Jade Wheeler
Jade Wheeler is an award-winning actor, audiobook narrator, and voiceover artist. A graduate of George Mason University, Wheeler has been performing professionally since 2006. Her favorite credits include “Race” (Gablestage, Miami), “The Originalist” (Asolo Repertory Theatre, Sarasota), “Ruined” (Everyman Theater, Bethesda) and “Metamorphosis” (Constellation Theater, Washington, D.C.).
About Musical Director & pianist Catherine Stornetta
Catherine Stornetta has performed in all but three states, in five different countries, on cruise ships circumnavigating the globe, and once, after being bitten by a dog, with only her right hand and left thumb. She orchestrated “Forbidden Broadway” and “Forbidden Christmas” for symphony orchestra and has conducted the Detroit, Hartford, Winnipeg, North Carolina, Rochester, Syracuse, Ft. Wayne, UNLV, and Adelaide (Australia) symphonies.
She composed the score for the Cable ACE-award winning documentary for A&E’s “Biography” series: “Christa McAuliffe, Teacher in Space," and has written and arranged music for several shows, including “Intriguing People” (for People Magazine), “12 Angry Reindeer,” “All-of-a-Kind Family,” “Reindeer Games” and “Seasons.”
She has worked at most of the theaters in Boston, and in 2020 was a recipient of the Elliot Norton Award for her work on “Parade” with Moonbox Productions. She was most recently the arranger for David Hyde Pierce’s performance as the child twins on HBO’s “Julia.”
About Director Livy Scanlon
Livy Scanlon is a producer, director, actor, and teaching artist. They currently serve as Artistic Director of The Hanover Theatre Repertory in Worcester, Massachusetts, and Lecturer in Theatre at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
They are thrilled to return to Urbanite after performing the world premiere of “Judith,” by Katie Bender. Scanlon’s other credits include Prague Shakespeare Company, Trinity Rep, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse and Hartford Stage. Scanlon earned an MFA in Acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep and a BA in Theatre and Dance from Amherst College (summa cum laude).
What other critics have said
“Wheeler’s performance is radiant, engaging, and profound.” — Broadway World
“A charming show that explores Eartha Kitt’s extensive career as both singer and actress, but Wheeler also details Kitt’s legacy as an ‘unapologetic voice.’” — Metrmag
“A powerhouse triple threat.” — Bay State Banner
Performance schedule
Shows are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. May 29 through June 21, with a preview Thursday, May 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
