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Dynamic divas E. Faye Butler, Felicia P. Fields reunite for cabaret concert

E. Faye Butler has received plentiful praise over the years. The nine-time Joseph Jefferson Award-winner is accustomed to it. So fans may find it odd when she doesn't respond to compliments on her performance in “The Color Purple.” There's a good reason for that.

E. Faye Butler wasn't in “The Color Purple.” That was her longtime friend and fellow Chicago theater icon Felicia P. Fields, who earned a 2006 Tony Award nomination for her performance.

Butler says she and Fields get mistaken for each other so frequently they composed a sendup titled “That Wasn't Me,” which they include in their cabaret revue. They'll perform it along with other numbers in “Lettin' the Good Times Roll with Fe and Faye,” a concert version of the show they'll stage outdoors July 9 and 10 at Northlight Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.

“It's us being us,” Butler said of the show, which consists of the divas sharing stories and singing duets and solos of Broadway tunes, standards, jazz, blues, gospel and more.

Fields says they created the show originally to disprove the misconception that they're the same person. Their limited run at Victory Gardens Theater in 2017 sold out.

“We decided we'd come together, prove how different we are,” she said. “We get along great, but we're different people.”

The title, says Butler, tells audiences all they need to know about the content.

“It's the epitome of who we are and what the show is,” she said. “Letting it roll and having a good time — that truly is what the show is about.”

“It's where we're at our best,” she said.

Among their duets is “Bosom Buddies” from “Mame,” a musical Butler and Fields have never performed together. Laughing, Butler says the tune reflects their relationship although “sometimes we don't know who is Vera and who is Mame.”

They wrote “Lettin' the Good Times Roll with Fe and Faye” together and perform it with world-class musicians Butler says they've known for years.

“Any time we get to do this, it's a good time for us,” she said.

“The beauty of this show is we're being ourselves, we're not being characters,” added Fields, who says she and Butler banter as if they were in the dressing room they once shared.

They first worked together in Marriott Theatre's 1987 production of “The Wiz.” At a friend's suggestion, Fields auditioned for the show along with Butler. After singing for director/choreographer David Bell and members of the production team, she assumed the audition was over until the stage manager told her they wanted her to read.

“Read what?” a wary Fields asked.

Butler convinced her to give it a try.

That production — with Fields playing Glinda opposite Butler's Evillene — sparked a personal and professional relationship underscored by similar backgrounds and shared beliefs.

Both grew up on Chicago's South Side. Family and faith play important roles in their lives. Veterans of Marriott, Goodman, Court, Drury Lane, Chicago Shakespeare, Victory Gardens and Northlight theaters (among others), they each possess a keen work ethic.

Their musical tastes differ: Fields prefers blues, Butler favors jazz and show tunes. Their temperaments also differ. Fields describes herself as laid back while Butler is “much more on top of things.”

“I developed lupus and it gave me a different perspective,” said Fields. “I don't stress myself ... I pace myself in a different way.”

“I'm also a lot more sarcastic,” she said.

Butler, currently starring as civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer in Oregon Shakespeare Festival's musical “Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer,” continued performing during the COVID-19 imposed shutdown. Last fall she starred in Goodman Theatre's abridged version of “Fannie” which she performed outdoors in Chicago parks.

For Fields, the concert marks the first time she's performed since 2020.

“The (coronavirus pandemic) was a terrible time in so many ways,” said Fields, who spent much of the hiatus with her grandchildren, “but it gave me an opportunity to catch up on so many things I was not able to catch up on when I was working.”

Now that the worst of the pandemic appears to be over, they've put the band back together. Literally.

“Coming out of a pandemic ... I want to enjoy myself, express a different energy. I want to laugh,” Fields said. “This is an outlet for that.”

• • •

“Lettin' the Good Times Roll with Fe and Faye!”

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 9, and Saturday, July 10 (rain date, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 11)

Where: Parking lot at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Audience members should bring chairs and blankets.

Tickets: $35-$45 at northlight.org/events/lettin-the-good-times-roll or (847) 673-6300

COVID-19 precautions: Face coverings required for anyone not fully vaccinated. Physical distancing in effect.

Longtime friends and colleagues Felicia P. Fields, left, and E. Faye Butler bring their stage show featuring Broadway tunes, pop standards, blues, jazz, rap and contemporary songs to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. Courtesy of E. Faye Butler
Longtime friends and colleagues Felicia P. Fields, left, and E. Faye Butler perform the concert version of their show "Lettin' the Good Times Roll" outdoors at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. Courtesy of E. Faye Butler
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