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''One Night in Miami'' is the debut play written by
Kemp Powers Kemp Powers is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for his play ''One Night in Miami'' and the 2020 film adaptation of the same name, as well as for co-directing the animated films ''Soul'' (2020) and '' Spider ...
, first performed in 2013. It is a fictional account of the real night of February 25, 1964. It pinpoints a pivotal moment in the lives of four, still nascent, Black American icons whose potential, thoughts and actions play out in the 90-minute, one-act play. The four characters are 22-year-old, newly crowned world boxing champion
Cassius Clay Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...
as he transforms into
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...
, iconic
Nation of Islam The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930. A centralized and hierarchical organization, the NOI is committed to black nationalism and focuses its attention on the Afr ...
leader
Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...
, influential singer-songwriter and record producer
Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931  – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...
, and star NFL running back
Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...
. The men, friends in real life, celebrate Clay's surprise title win over
Sonny Liston Charles L. "Sonny" Liston ( – December 30, 1970), nicknamed "the Big Bear", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. A dominant contender of his era, he became the undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1962 after k ...
at the Hampton House in
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, watched over by
Nation of Islam The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930. A centralized and hierarchical organization, the NOI is committed to black nationalism and focuses its attention on the Afr ...
security.


Premiere

Kemp Powers Kemp Powers is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for his play ''One Night in Miami'' and the 2020 film adaptation of the same name, as well as for co-directing the animated films ''Soul'' (2020) and '' Spider ...
won the Ted Schmitt Award for outstanding world premiere of a new play for ''One Night in Miami''. The production took place in Los Angeles at Rogue Machine Theatre in June 2013, where Powers was a resident playwright. It also won three LA Drama Critics Circle Awards, four NAACP Theatre Awards (best playwright, best director, best ensemble cast, best producer) and LA Weekly Theater Awards for playwriting and direction. The European premiere was at the
Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit Off-West End theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage, Josie Rourke and Michael Longhurst have all served as artistic direc ...
in London in October 2016. It was the first dramatic portrayal of the boxer Muhammad Ali after his death in June 2016 at age 74. Ali's family gave their blessing to the production. The production was nominated for the 2017 Olivier Award for Best New Play.


Reception

''The Hollywood Reporter'' described ''One Night in Miami'' as "a well-drafted and intricate sketch, with an uncommon feeling for shading. It gives fine actors good material to play in a congenially theatrical mode". ''Variety'' wrote "It's easy to see why investors are eyeing this crackerjack world premiere. Any playwright can stick celebrity facsimiles together in a room; it takes real talent not only to render those portraits believable but also to invest the encounter with dramatic weight". The ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that "the pull of history and considerable topicality sells ''One Night in Miami'' at Rogue Machine. Although this well-appointed dramedy about what might have gone down in the Hampton House hotel the night that Cassius Clay became world heavyweight champion slightly overdoes the 20/20 hindsight, that doesn’t stop it from grabbing our imaginations". The response to the European premiere praised both the outstanding individual performances and the committed ensemble playing The ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'' wrote about the play's depiction of a pivotal moment in black American history. ''
The Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free of charge in London, England. It is print ...
'' considered why it was more than just an Ali play. Boxing commentators expressed admiration for the credible language of the play, pointing out in regard to Clay/Ali that the production "succeeds in portraying a thoroughly believable Ali. Actor Sope Dirisu bounds around the room with Ali's restless swagger. Writing lines for a man who came up with countless memorable quotes would be a tough ask for any playwright. Copy lines he used in other contexts and it risks sounding forced; come up with completely fresh ones and it risks sounding weak compared to the original. Kemp Powers pulls it off, capturing both the cockiness and the wit: "They had Joe Louis on one side of the ring, Rocky Marciano on the other. Halfway through the sixth, I saw them looking at each other, like they was asking themselves "why couldn’t we do that when we was young?"


London cast and crew

;Cast *
David Ajala David Ajala (born 21 May 1986) is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Manchester Black in ''Supergirl'' (20182019), Captain Roy Eris in '' Nightflyers'' (2018), and Cleveland "Book" Booker in '' Star Trek: Discovery'' (20202024). Ea ...
Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...
* François Battiste –
Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...
*
Sope Dirisu Sope Dirisu (, ; born 1991) is an English actor. He made his film debut in 2016 with '' Sand Castle'', ''Criminal'', and '' The Huntsman: Winter's War''. Since 2020, he has starred as Elliot Carter / Finch in the Sky Atlantic series '' Gangs of ...
Cassius Clay Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...
* Arinze Kene
Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931  – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...
* Dwane Walcott – Kareem * Josh Williams – Jamaal ;Crew *
Kwame Kwei-Armah Kwame Kwei-Armah (born Ian Roberts; 24 March 1967 in Hillingdon, London) is a British actor, playwright, director and broadcaster. In 2005, Kwei-Armah became the second black Briton to have a play staged in London's West End when his award-w ...
– director * Robert Jones – designer * John Leonard – sound designer * Brett Yount – fight director * Duncan McLean – video designer Director
Kwame Kwei-Armah Kwame Kwei-Armah (born Ian Roberts; 24 March 1967 in Hillingdon, London) is a British actor, playwright, director and broadcaster. In 2005, Kwei-Armah became the second black Briton to have a play staged in London's West End when his award-w ...
and the actors in the London run described the process and demands involved in creating performances which aim to credibly define the characters, friendship and lives of four black, controversial icons at a critical point in their lives and as a part of American history.
Sope Dirisu Sope Dirisu (, ; born 1991) is an English actor. He made his film debut in 2016 with '' Sand Castle'', ''Criminal'', and '' The Huntsman: Winter's War''. Since 2020, he has starred as Elliot Carter / Finch in the Sky Atlantic series '' Gangs of ...
, who played
Cassius Clay Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...
, said "people often sugar-coat Ali's life and find it convenient to forget the struggles of the time he lived through". All actors agreed when interviewed by the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
that the play shouldn't be seen as a political tract. Dirisu also said Powers told the cast his play should feel like watching best friends in a room, "even in previews we've felt the audience picking up on that – I feel I'm on stage with my brothers. The energy is amazing."
David Ajala David Ajala (born 21 May 1986) is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Manchester Black in ''Supergirl'' (20182019), Captain Roy Eris in '' Nightflyers'' (2018), and Cleveland "Book" Booker in '' Star Trek: Discovery'' (20202024). Ea ...
, who played
Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...
, the NFL star, remembered something Powers said that really struck him, "Kemp said this was the play he would love to have seen as a 16-year-old – the black Avengers...a group of guys fighting for different causes but also for a common cause. And they're held in high regard and are iconic people. The simplicity of that and the excitement of it has really resonated with me: in that room we're all superheroes in our own way, in each other's company." François Battiste, the only American actor in the European premiere, who played Malcolm X, said, "you don't have the ability to tell these stories unless you are actively pursuing the new writers. There are a whole lot of writers out there who need to be heard." Arinze Kene, whose portrayal effectively included singing
Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931  – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...
songs, commented on increasing diversity, "the fact that the situation is getting better shows not how great things are now, but only that they used to be even worse. We've got a long way to go."


Film adaptation

On July 9, 2019, it was announced that actress
Regina King Regina Rene King (born January 15, 1971) is an American actress, director and producer. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, ''Time'' magazine named her o ...
would direct a film adaptation, and it would be produced by Keith Calder and Jess Wu Calder for Snoot Entertainment and Jody Klein,
ABKCO ABKCO Music & Records, Inc. (Allen & Betty Klein Company) is an American independent record label, music publisher, and film and video production company. It owns and/or administers the rights to music by Sam Cooke, the Rolling Stones, the Animal ...
. It had its world premiere at the
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...
on September 7, 2020, the first film directed by an African-American woman to be selected in the festival's history. The film also screened at the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
on September 11, 2020. It was released in a limited release on December 25, 2020, followed by streaming on Prime Video on January 15, 2021.


See also

* '' Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting'' – play by Edward Schmidt


References

{{reflist 2013 plays African-American plays American plays adapted into films Plays about sport Works by Kemp Powers