Sophisticated Ladies opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on March 1, 1981, and closed on January 2, 1983, after 767 performances and fifteen previews.

The original cast included Gregory Hines, Judith Jamison, Phyllis Hyman, Hinton Battle, Gregg Burge, and Mercer Ellington.

In his review for The New York Times, Frank Rich wrote that[T]he new musical revue at the Lunt-Fontanne, is an Ellington celebration that just won't quit until it has won over the audience with dynamic showmanship.

It's not a perfect entertainment - let's save the flaws for later - but it rides so high on affection, skill and, of course, stunning music that the lapses don't begin to spoil the fun.

What's more, this is the only Broadway revue of recent vintage that operates on a truly grand scale.