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Miami Native and Acclaimed Playwright: Keith C. Wade Unveils the World Premiere of the play: “The Last Sun of the Hampton House” A 4D Live Theater Experience Revealing the Untold Stories of the Hampton House
The Historic Hampton House Museum and Cultural Center, in partnership with acclaimed playwright/director and Miami native Keith C. Wade, is thrilled to announce the world premiere of the innovative musical, “The Last Sun of the Hampton House.” This groundbreaking production sets to captivate audiences in an “immersive theatrical experience” at the one and only Historic Hampton House Motel – a national historic landmark, still thriving in the heart of Miami.
The play offers a dazzling journey through the musical, visual, and emotional landscapes of the 1960’s and 70’s. Chronicling vivid memories and true-life stories, as told by Keith’s beloved parents Henry and Barbara, employees of the Hampton House, who met, fell in love and eventually married. They worked there during its heyday from 1964 to 1975. Keith their only child, grew up hearing all the intriguing details of parties and celebrations shared by his parents. The narrative is enriched with original musical scores written by Danette Inyang and Jerald Dorsett, transporting the audience back to relive the events that shaped the rich history of this national treasure.
The “Last Sun of the Hampton House” will run from September 27-29 and October 4-6, with performances at 8:00 PM on Friday and Saturday and 5:00 PM on Sunday. The Historic Hampton House Museum and Cultural Center located at 4240 NW 27th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33142.
Tickets for this must-see event are now available at Eventbrite.com or by contacting the Historic Hampton House at (305) 638-5800. For group sales, please click here.
Come and be a part of the historical journey that promises not only to entertain but also to enlighten!
About the Playwright: Keith C. Wade, has made significant contributions to the arts as an actor, writer, and director. With a career spanning over 35 years that began at the “M” Ensemble Theater, Miami, FL. Wade has consistently delivered powerful performances and collectively written and directed more than 100 stage, film and video productions. His most recent stage work, “Hustle: Cause these @#%&* Ain’t Playin” garnered critical acclaim from the Yale Repertory Theatre and the legendary director Spike Lee.
About the Hampton House Motel: The Historic Hampton House Museum of Culture & Art, is situated in the heart of Miami-Dade county’s Brownsville neighborhood, 10 minutes from Miami Beach. The Historic Hampton House Motel, served as a safe haven for Black travelers using The Negro Motorist Green-Book to locate lodging and dining venues during a time of strict Jim Crow segregation laws. The Motel also had an acclaimed night club where Black entertainers such as the iconic Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, Josephine Baker, Sammy Davis, Jr., and athletes like Muhammad Ali, formally known as Cassius Clay could safely congregate after hours to celebrate. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as a member of the Congress of the Racial Equality, visited often, and delivered an earlier version of his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Motel in 1960. The Historic Hampton House Motel stands as the only surviving lodging site from this significant era in history, offering a unique glimpse into America’s segregated past.
Partners: Miami-Dade County, the Carrie Meek Foundation and Florida International University.
THE LAST SUN OF THE HAMPTON HOUSE SYNOPSIS
Can you remember hearing the stories of all the great times your parents used to have in the “good ole’ days”?
The parties, the music, the people…well, allow us to transport you back to the years between 1964-1975 at the legendary Hampton House.
The play offers a dazzling journey through the musical, visual, and emotional landscapes chronicling vivid memories and true life stories, as told by the Playwright Keith Wade’s beloved parents, Henry and Barbara.
They were employees of the Hampton House, who met, fell in love and eventually married. They worked there during the heyday of the rip-roaring parties. The voyage back in time follows Barbara, Keith’s mother, Marion Williams, their brothers Ronald and Leroy, and a so-called smooth talking country boy named Henry, Keith’s father.
The opening act begins on February 25, 1964, the night Cassius Clay won the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston on Miami Beach. Because of the discriminatory Jim Crow Laws, blacks were not permitted lodging on Miami Beach, so Cassius, Malcom X and others celebrated the victory at the Hampton House.
Other scenes chronicle Dr. Martin Luther King’s first visit to the Hampton House in 1966. James Brown and Aretha Franklin’s visits in the late 1970’s, April 4, 1968, the night Dr. King was assassinated, the Miami riot of 1968, the start of the Vietnam War, with the play ending the day the hotel closed in 1974.
Barbara and Henry were there through it all. Their tale is a story of community and culture, historical triumphs and national tragedies, as they served as gatekeepers of the Hampton House, a place of refuge for a people spiraling through the monumental changes of that era.
The play is infused with original music scores, employing the rhythm, funk and blues of the era. The Last Sun of the Hampton House, is a visceral theatre experience that will transend the audience into those historic events, visually and musically.
The most revolutionary and unique aspect of the production is that the true-life stories are reenacted at the historic Hampton House, which has been rebuilt and restored as a historical landmark. The audience will be emersed in the play, moving from the check in desk in the lobby, to the lounge, the pool area, and then finally the ballroom.
Come and join us on this adventure, as we cascade through the historic events of The Last Sun of the Hampton House!
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