The soul of the blues wails out full and strong when Long Beach’s International City Theatre, in association with L.A.’s Ebony Repertory Theatre, presents the Tony and Olivier award nominated, Sheldon Epps-conceived musical Blues in the Night. Directed by Ebony Rep producing artistic director Wren T. Brown and featuring music direction by William Foster McDaniel and choreography by Keith Young, Blues in the Night opens on Oct. 22 at ICT’s home in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Performances will continue through Nov. 7, with two low-priced previews set for Oct. 20 and Oct. 21.

Set in 1948 in a rundown Chicago hotel, three women and a man – Jenna Gillespie Byrd (Recorded in Hollywood at the Kirk Douglas Theatre) as “The Girl with a Date,” Karole Foreman (Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, Fences at ICT) as “The Woman of the World,” starring two-time Tony nominee Vivian Reed (Bubbling Brown Sugar, The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club) as “The Lady from the Road” and Parris D. Mann as “The Man in the Saloon” – share their stories about the misery and humor of life, love and the dogged determination to do more than just survive. The drama reveals itself through 26 hot, torchy, glorious songs by Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Alberta Hunter, Harold Arlen, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox and more.