Desirée Roots feels at home in her role as Ella Fitzgerald for Virginia Rep’s production of Ella and Her Fella Frank, opening Friday, July 9, at November Theatre.
“Ella and Her Fella Frank is comprised of so many feel-good moments, it’s a singer’s joy kind of show,” says Roots. “This is not your regular musical theatre production. It’s a staged concert with an awesome script.”
Inspired by the late Randy Strawderman’s 1999 hit musical of the same name, Ella and Her Fella Frank, the musical is staged as a heavenly concert with Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra (played by Scott Wichmann). The new musical, written by Richmond playwright Bo Wilson, celebrates the enduring magic of music and live theatre as it pays tribute to Ella, Frank, and Strawederman..
Roots began a deep dive into researching the life of Ella in 2017 when Roots wrote her production, Ella@100, in honor of Ella’s one hundredth birthday. Ella, known as the First Lady of Song, performed from 1934 to 1994.
“So many facets of her life were of interest to me,” she says. “The fact that she loved dancing and felt as though that was her true talent. She was so well known for the purity of her tones and her phrasing, and her scatting was like no other. I love the fact that her step-father, who raised her after her mother died, was Portuguese, just like my husband.”
Roots is also excited about performing with Scott Wichmann again, who reprises his role of Frank Sinatra.
“The thing I love about performing with Scott is that he gives it his all, and that this is his dream role,” she says. “I get to sing with big bands and orchestras all the time, but watching Scott live in this moment is everything. He lives, eats, breathes Frank Sinatra. Performing with someone that shares that much passion for the music is a dream. This show is a happy place for both of us.”
Costumes Show the Arc of Fashion
“She wore everything from form-fitting dresses to sheer shawls to dazzling sequins,” Roots says. “You’re getting all of that from our amazing costume designer, Keith Walker.”
Walker, who started his career in men’s clothing and tailoring, designed all of Roots’ costumes in the production. He and Roots have been working together for fifteen years.
He, like Roots, has done a lot of research on Ella. “Ella was stout and self-conscious about her body,” he says. “She was modest in how she dressed. She liked modest colors.”
She also loved evening gowns and glitter. “In that era, everything was about sequins and rhinestones,” Walker says. “I wanted to make the costumes as sparkly as possible. That’s what I do best. I wanted to evoke angelic looks with heavenly features.”
When he starts on a show, Walker dreams the actual show on stage so he can see it before it comes to fruition. Then he goes fabric shopping. He chooses fabrics that “speak” to him and tries to picture the fabric in the light of his research on what the legendary singer wore on stage.
“Everything comes naturally,” he says about his process.
Once he got the script for the upcoming show, he realized just one look for Ella didn’t pay homage to the singer and her style. “Now she has six looks in the production with three costume changes,” he says. “She has two looks per costume. I’m excited to see what the audience thinks of it.”
Honoring Randy Strawderman
Randy Strawderman, a dancer, choreographer, director, and playwright whose productions lit up stages, brought rapturous audiences to their feet for three decades. He died last summer at the age of 71.
The lights outside lights the theater will dim in honor of Randy Strawderman, after the opening night show this Friday. Weather permitting, there will be a a virtual toast, a song, and a brief speech to honor Strawderman’s family who will be present.
Randy was a passionate, creative genius that took great joy in seeing his work on stage,” says Roots. “His smile was infectious and his laughter was everything. I so loved working with him and miss him dearly.”
Roots says being able to get back on stage, on the Virginia Rep stage in particular, is “like coming home,” she adds. “As artists, we all felt stifled and somewhat lost during the pandemic. Not having that artistic outlet was our way of breathing. Being able to jumpstart post-pandemic theatre with this production is like a sigh of relief. My lungs are happy and I’m ready to sing.”
Ella and Her Fella Frank runs from July 9 to September 12 at Virginia Rep. For the safety of all patrons, cast and crew, Virginia Rep asks ticket holders to wear a face mask at all times while they are in the building. No food or drink is currently allowed inside the theatre. The theater’s air handlers have been upgraded so the air is cleaned on a constant basis in the theatre.
Virginia Rep has invited 285 healthcare workers from Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center and VCU Health to the preview of the show on Thursday night to say thank you for all their health and expertise during the pandemic.
For tickets and showtime, visit VirginiaRep.org.
