Despite the fact that Jackie Wilson was amongst the earliest pioneers to bridge R&B and soul with rock and roll, in addition to possessing a four-octave range and dazzling dance steps worthy of influencing Elvis Presley, James Brown and Michael Jackson along the way, “Mr. Excitement” is often inexplicably left out of the history lessons.

Thankfully, the Black Ensemble Theater is reminding fans and those who didn’t quite realize how much he accomplished since the mid-1950s in “The Jackie Wilson Story,” which runs through Sunday, April 26 and launches the Uptown venue’s 50th Anniversary Season.

This was actually the same esteemed organization responsible for launching the show in 2000, created by its founder, producer, writer and director Jackie Taylor, prior to becoming a national tour in 2002, including a record-breaking run at New York’s storied Apollo Theater, then serving as the grand opening production of the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center a decade later.

Yet no matter how many times it’s been told, there’s always something to learn from Wilson’s equally triumphant and tragic life, as faithfully replicated by Jaitee Thomas (Jackie), Destin Warner (BB), Rhonda Preston (Eliza Mae Wilson), Britt Edwards (Freda/Ensemble), Solomon Langley (Sam Cooke/Ensemble), Dennis Dent (Ensemble), Vincent Jordan (Ensemble), Michaela Dukes (Harlene/Ensemble), Raeven Carroll-Lavern (Baker/Ensemble) and Ben Woods (Ensemble).

Accompanied by a proficient live band, they tell the unvarnished account of the Detroit native who took “Reet Petite,” “To Be Loved,” “Lonely Teardrops” and “Baby Workout” straight up the charts, while simultaneously sharing a darker side of drugs, repeated infidelity, experiencing racism and an extremely unfavorable record contract apparently attached to the Mafia.

Unfortunately, the amount of tears may match the cheers in multiple instances, especially when the star slips into a coma after a shocking episode on stage, though rather than wallow in the sorrows, “The Jackie Wilson Show” makes sure the audience remembers the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s immeasurable impact.

Getting to hear a bit of Commodores’ “Nightshift,” written in his honor, was one example, plus a finale of “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher,” recorded right here in Chicago, did a superior job describing precisely how it felt leaving the Black Ensemble Theater’s start to a full circle season.

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“The Jackie Wilson Story” continues at the Black Ensemble Theater through Sunday, April 26. For additional details, visit BlackEnsembleTheater.org.