“You put chocolate in my peanut butter.”
Anyone over the age of 30 is old enough to remember the famous television commercial for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The point of that classic ad is that sometimes things that don’t seem like they go together actually blend quite nicely.

By CHRIS BOURNEA
Staff Writer

COLUMBUS -- “You put chocolate in my peanut butter.”

Anyone over the age of 30 is old enough to remember the famous television commercial for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The point of that classic ad is that sometimes things that don’t seem like they go together actually blend quite nicely.

This concept is the basis for jazz trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis’ new musical production, “Sweet Thunder: Duke & Shak,” which played Columbus’ Southern Theatre on Feb. 12 and Toledo’s Museum of Art Peristyle on Feb. 14.

Throughout the show, Marsalis, who is part of the famous New Orleans musical family that includes brothers Wynton and Branford, performed compositions by jazz master Duke Ellington that make reference to or are in some way similar to the works of William Shakespeare. “Duke & Shak” is a stage version of Marsalis’ latest album, “Sweet Thunder,” which is an interpretation of Ellington’s 1957 tribute to Shakespeare, “Such Sweet Thunder.”

Marsalis addressed the audience between each musical number, explaining each song’s connection to Shakespeare. African-American actor Kenneth Brown Jr. portrayed Shakespeare and several of his most famous characters, reciting the Bard’s memorable lines.

Marsalis, on trombone, was backed by a full band: Lynn Grissett on trumpet, Mark Gross on alto saxophone, Shaena Ryan on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet, David Bryant on piano, Dezron Douglas on bass, and Winard Harper on drums. Also joining Marsalis on tenor saxophone and clarinet was Don Byron, a renowned jazz master and accomplished band leader in his own right.

The band opened with the title track, Ellington’s “Such Sweet Thunder.” The scenery was well-designed and helped draw the audience into the show. On the right side of the stage, the backdrop looked like the ornate Italian balcony where Juliet called to Romeo. The left side of the stage looked like the entrance to the Cotton Club, the legendary Harlem nightclub where Ellington often played.

Before performing Ellington’s “Half the Fun,” Marsalis related that the song was inspired by Shakespeare’s play “Antony and Cleopatra” and chronicles one of the Egyptian queen’s historic voyages along the Nile.

“But because she’s sailing without Marc Anthony, she’s only having half the fun,” Marsalis explained.

As the band played, a screen at the back of the stage displayed an elaborate illustration recreating ancient Egypt in magnificent detail.

Marsalis and company also performed the funky “Sonnet to Hank Cinq,” Ellington’s version of Shakespeare’s “Henry V.” Just as a Shakespearean sonnet has 14 lines, the song has 10 notes played 14 times, Marsalis said.

Brown recited the famous “To Be Or Not To Be” soliloquy from “Hamlet” before the band performed a song called “Madness In Great Ones.” Marsalis explained that the song features a “crazy” clarinet solo.

“Our clarinetist will be gradually losing his mind” during the solo, Marsalis told the audience.

The second act opened with the soft, mellow “Star Crossed Lovers,” a tribute to “Romeo and Juliet” -- very appropriate for Valentine’s Day weekend, when the concert took place.

The band closed with “Sonnet In Search of a Moor,” a tribute to the character Othello, the only major Shakespeare of African descent. The band returned for an encore for Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).”

It would be great if “Duke & Shak” could become an annual Black History Month tradition in which Marsalis partners with local schools and universities around the country to present the show. “Duke & Shak” is educational yet entertaining and could teach students about two very different historical figures who each contributed to international culture in his own way –- a winning two-for-one combination.