Performances begin April 18 for Pipeline Theatre Company's Playing Hot, a jazz concert-party-play co-written by Kevin Armento and C.A. Johnson. The world premiere, staged at Theater 511 Off-Broadway, features a live brass band and direction by Jaki Bradley.

Set within a brassy dance hall, Playing Hot tracks the birth of jazz in New Orleans alongside the rise and fall of Buddy Bolden—the radical trumpeter who pioneered American jazz.

Leading the cast as Buddy is Linton Smith II, making his theatrical debut. Rounding out the company are Fernando Contreras (Ghost the Musical), Danté Jeanfelix (Balls), Roi King (The Argument), Emma Meltzer (Good Men Wanted), Cristina Pitter (Behind the Sheet), Monique St. Cyr (Thunderbodies), and Eric R. Williams (Into the Woods).

Playing Hot features music supervision by Marcus Miller. The production is scheduled to run through May 12 with a May 2 opening night.

The world premiere also has set design by Jason Sherwood (Rent on Fox), lighting design by Stacey Derosier (Mies Julie), costume design by Haydee Zelideth (This Is Modern Art), and sound design by Jim Petty of Five Ohm Productions (Folk Wandering). Casting is by Margaret Dunn of TBD Productions. Kristy Bodall (Folk Wandering) serves as stage manager.

Playing Hot was developed by Pipeline. The show received a one-night-only production in summer 2016 at the Gym at Judson.

For more information visit Pipelinetheatre.org.