“What if the U.S. government offered Black Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa?”
This is the question at the heart of a critically-acclaimed, celebrity-adored dud of a Broadway play that will close on December 18, after just two-and-a-half weeks, 22 preview performances, and 21 regular performances.
(Video: YouTube)
Jordan E. Cooper’s Ain’t No Mo’, a comedic play that overdosed on wokeness, revolves around a group of black characters — some of whom are, of course, drag queens, because, of course they are — who are among the first to score free passage to Africa courtesy of the U.S. government’s slavery reparations package.
“Moving faster than a transatlantic jet plane, this unprecedented, unpredictable comedy speeds through the turbulent skies of being Black in today’s America,” the show’s website promised. “Brilliantly blending sketch, satire, avant garde theater, and a dose of drag, AIN’T NO MO’ will leave you crying with laughter—and thinking through the tears.”
Well, at least one person is likely crying: the flop’s producer, Lee Daniels, who became the first black solo producer of an Oscar-winning film with the 2001 hit Monster’s Ball, according to Breitbart. Other credits include the TV series Empire, which tanked after its star, Jussie Smollett, decided to get a Subway sandwich and scream “Hate Crime!”
“It shook me to my core,” Daniels said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter of the first time he saw Ain’t No Mo’. “I know firsthand how this world — and industry — doesn’t always embrace our stories, and I vowed to do everything I could to bring Jordan’s riveting play written in his distinct voice and perspective to Broadway.”
(Video: YouTube)
Of the play’s closure, Daniels said, “It was my intention to make history with this play. I’m proud to say we did. Jordan E. Cooper is now the youngest Black American playwright in Broadway history with Ain’t No Mo’.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of our magnificent cast and crew,” he continued. “This is not the end.”
Though it didn’t last a month, it did draw in a slew of notable names, including Queen Latifah, Tamron Hall, Gayle King, Monique, Clive Davis, Eric Holder, Matthew Broderick, Deborah Cox, and Katie Holmes, The Reporter notes.
Even so, the production couldn’t fill the seats.
“According to the New York Times, Ain’t No Mo’ grossed $120,901 last week, which is ‘well below’ the production’s weekly running costs, and had the lowest average ticket price on Broadway,” Vulture reports.
On Twitter, Cooper, 27, isn’t given up on his quirky baby just yet.
“Now they’ve posted an eviction notice, we ‘must close’ December 18th,” he tweeted. “But thank God black people are immune to eviction notices.”
#SaveAINTNOMO ‼️ “Now they’ve posted an eviction notice, we “must close” December 18th. But thank God black people are immune to eviction notices.” pic.twitter.com/7bhQrMR2wH
— Jordan E. Cooper (@JordanECooper_) December 10, 2022
“Ain’t No Mo’ needs your help!” Cooper said in his statement. “It’s a new original play that’s BLACK AF, which are both things that make it hard to sell on Broadway.”
“This show is THRILLING audiences night after night and has been acclaimed by critics,” he said, “but it hasn’t had time to reflect in our ticket sales. people are coming, loving the show and calling it the best theatrical experience of their life, but traditional Broadway marketing doesn’t work for this kind of show.”
“We’re doing something new on Broadway, but is Broadway ready?” he asked. “I believe great things happen in this world when the world ain’t ready. Help us get it ready by spreading the word and showing up to support.”
The young writer, who stars in the show as a drag queen called “Peaches,” may have had better luck had he not publicly disinvited “white folks.”
“I always say white folks are not invited to the cookout, but we’ll leave the door open,” Cooper told Vulture. “You can come in, and you can grab some food, get you a drink, and have a good time.”
But ultimately, Cooper said of white audience members, “I wanted to write as if there were none there.”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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