Gregg T. Daniel Calls Directing August Wilson Plays "A Real Gift"

Gregg T. Daniel

By Darlene Donloe

Over the years, Gregg T. Daniel has developed a working relationship with the late playwright August Wilson. 

Whether he’s acting or directing, Daniel considers it “a real gift” to work on any August Wilson play. 

A trained theatre actor from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Daniel directed Fences, the sixth entry in Wilson’s “Century Cycle,” a decade-by-decade series of 10 plays taking place in the Hill District of Pittsburgh that charts the African American experience throughout the 20th century. Daniel, the recipient of the NAACP’s Best Director award for the International City Theatre’s production of Fences, also performed in Fences at South Coast Repertory, and Jitney at South Coast Repertory and the Pasadena Playhouse. He’s also been in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at the Mark Taper and directed both Gem of the Ocean and Seven Guitars at A Noise Within. 

Once again, Daniel is set to direct an August Wilson show at A Noise Within. This time it's Radio Golf, the final chapter in Wilson’s 10-play cycle exploring the Black experience in 20th-century America. Radio Golf plays out the continuing struggle between history and progress.

“We are going to attempt to do all 10 of Wilson’s cycle,” said Daniel. 

Christian Telesmar, Matt Orduña, Alex Morris
Photo by Craig Schwartz

The 10 plays in Wilson’s cycle span a period of 90 years, from Gem of the Ocean in 1904 to Radio Golf in 1997 — with nine of them set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, where Wilson himself grew up. But they were not written sequentially and are not connected in the manner of a serial story. Each play stands alone.

In A Noise Within’s Radio Golf, it’s 1997 in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, where Ivy League-educated developer Harmond Wilks (Christian Telesmar) is determined to gentrify the dilapidated and broken-down neighborhood where he grew up. He and his golfing buddy Roosevelt Hicks (DeJuan Christopher) are on the cusp of finalizing a plan to tear everything down and replace it with an upscale, mixed-use property.

Christian Telesmar and Sydney A. Mason
Photo by Craig Schwartz

In fact, Harmond and his wife, Mame (Sydney A. Mason) are staking his campaign to become the first Black mayor of Pittsburgh on the project’s success. That is until Elder Joseph Barlow (Alex Morris) and local handyman Sterling Johnson (Matt Orduña) step in to save a seemingly ramshackle old house from demolition. 

Daniel, who has extensive television and film credits, is eager to sink his directorial chops into this production. He keeps coming back to the works of Wilson because “He writes with such care and dignity.” 

DeJuan Christopher and Christian Telesmar
Photo By Craig Schwartz

“He writes about struggle and the freedom to stay alive,” said Daniel, who is married to fellow actor, Veralyn Jones, who, with him, co-founded Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble with Jason Delane Lee and Yvonne Huff Lee in 2008. “He invests them with a real respect and dignity. I’m stunned by his genius and creativity.  When I’m involved with his works, I learn about our humanity, rhythms, physicality, and history. I get a sense of history and folklore, struggle, commitment, and survival.”

Gregg T. Daniel

I recently caught up with Daniel to discuss Radio Golf, his third directorial adventure with A Noise Within, set for an October 22 through November 13 run. 

DD: What are you looking for in the actors you choose?  

GTD:  It’s important that they can handle the language. They need to be sensitized to the rhythm and cadence and understand that this is poetry. Are they connected with the material?  It’s like a musical score. Play the poetry and deliver the meaning.  When I hold auditions - people of color come in ready to rock n roll. They prepare in a way you don't usually see in an audition. About 99.9% come in off-book.

 

DD: How do you decide what shows you’re going to direct?

GTD: I tend to mirror the African American diaspora. I can direct Shakespeare and the Greeks. I gravitate to people of color. We have so many extraordinary Black playwrights to choose from. It’s an exciting time right now for people of color.

 

DD:  Why did you want to direct Radio Golf?

GTD: Part of it was wanting to do them in chronological order. It seemed like the one to do. This is the time for help. To see a young man who thought he was on the right path. You don't know what’s going to happen to Harmon or Mamie.  In the end, he respects history.  He pays in some respects – but what he learns – he’ll never be the same. Now he’s a different person. It felt right. At the end of Radio Golf, it says ‘Black’. That’s all it says. He [Wilson] knows how to use Blackout. He didn’t forget. He leaves us with an enigma. I thought, yeah, I don't know what he was trying to tell us, but maybe he was affirming who we are.  That intrigued me. It’s up to us to decide what it means.

 

DD: You said in the press release “How much do we owe the past in terms of remembering where we came from?” What do we owe?

GTD: We owe everything. You have to acknowledge the past. All the ugly and the beautiful. Where did you come from? Who are you? Harmon doesn't know the past. Until he is reminded and discovers they’re cousins. He connects with the past.

 

DD: Another quote from you is, “Sure, we all want to get ahead, but what’s the price we pay for assimilation when it means losing parts of our culture? Explain.

GTD: We have to try not to lose parts of our culture. You can assimilate, but you don’t have to sound white or live in white neighborhoods. You have to do what assimilation might demand.  We are America. We are enough!

 

DD:  How do you tackle the work? Is Wilson intimidating?

GTD: I learn everything about the play I can. I go back. I follow his trail. I read his reviews. I took a tour of his house. I learn everything about who he is. He’s not that hard to access.

 

DD: What’s your biggest challenge with this show?

GTD:  With any of his plays, it’s pacing. You have to make sure everything is life and death. You have to drive the play. I push my actors. Once the train leaves the station, don’t get off of it. Drive, drive, and drive. It’s pushed and paced. It can’t be casual. Make it urgent! I want them on the edge of their seats. It’s about finding our song.

 

DD: What makes great art?

GTD: Art that transcends. When a white audience can see themselves and their families in the play. In its humanity –portrayal of the human condition - where everyone understands it.

 

DD: What could happen in your career that would make it all worth it?

GTD: It’s happened. I get to do a variety of work. My work is considered good. I just agreed to direct a play at the Mark Taper next year. It’s ‘Twilight: Los Angeles’ by Anna Deaveare Smith.  The opportunities that have been afforded me – it’s a gift.  

 

DD: Are you ever completely happy with your work?

GTD: No. I see a lot of flaws. I’m my own worst critic. I don’t punish myself. I should always be questioning. I don't think I should ever be happy with my work.

 

DD: What have you learned about yourself directing this show?

GTD:  I’ve learned that I’ve created a past now. The torch is being passed to me.

I’m now in the position to help mentor and guide. It's my time to teach and send the students on. 

DD:  Since 2010, you’ve been teaching MFA students in USC’s School of Dramatic Arts.

GTD: I’m with the BFAs this year. Young people inspire me. I love it there. 

DD: How do you feel about being back with this theater company? 

GTD:  I’m happy to be back with this company. I feel like the luckiest director on the West Coast.

Radio Golf is presented by A Noise Within, Geoff Elliot, and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, producing artistic directors. 

Radio Golf, A Noise Within, 3352 E Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107, 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays-Thursday, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through November 13, (no matinee on Oct. 22), (dark Oct. 27); $18-$25;

*Tickets to the preview on Wednesday, Oct. 19 include admission to a 6:45 p.m. pre-performance symposium with director Gregg T. Daniel.

**The preview on Thursday, Oct. 20 is “Black Out Night,” an opportunity for an audience self-identifying as Black to experience the performance together. Tickets include admission to a post-show reception.

Friday, Oct. 21 is: Pay What You Choose starting at $5 (available online beginning the Monday prior to that performance)

***Tickets to performances on Fridays, Oct. 28; Nov. 4; and Nov. 11, and on Sunday, Oct. 30 will include admission to post-performance conversations with the artists.

There will be two student matinees at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25, and Wednesday, Oct. 26. Interested educators should email education@anoisewithin.org.

Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.

Go to www.anoisewithin.org/covidsafety prior to each performance to find up-to-date Covid-19 safety protocols.

For information: (626) 356-3100 or go to www.anoisewithin.org

 

 

 

 

'Motown: Celebrating The Music, The Magic, The Love' In Pictures

Karla Gordy Bristol

By Darlene Donloe

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts recently presented the world premiere of 'Motown: Celebrating The Music, The Magic, The Love.'

The event, the brainchild of Karla Gordy Bristol, was held Saturday, Oct. 1 in the Wallis' Bram Goldsmith Theater. 

The show, led by radio personality and announcer Shadoe Stevens, and master of ceremonies Beverly Todd, was promoted as a unique opportunity to experience an evening with music trailblazers and icons who will share their rare insights into the music, and the stories behind it, that positively impacted people and music around the globe.

 

It included a Motown panel, moderated by four-time Grammy nominee Patrice Rushen, featuring artists, writers, producers, and executives including Claudette Robinson of The Miracles; Iris Gordy, former Motown vice president and associate producer on the show; Janie Bradford, co-writer of “Money That’s What I Want”; and Miller London, pioneering record salesman.

 

Highlights included nostalgic stories shared by Smokey Robinson, Otis Williams (The Temptations), The Four Tops’ Duke Fakir, and Martha Reeves “Dancing in the Street,” who will all relive the days of “Hitsville U.S.A.”

Keyboardist Herman Jackson was the evening’s music director, while Grammy-winner Thelma Houston, Brenda Holloway, Dorian Holley, Charlean Carmen, and Scherrie, Lynda & Susaye (former ladies of The Supremes), performed.

Below is the event in pictures.  All photos are by Lawrence K. Ho. 

Thelma Houston

Charlean Carmen and Dorian Holley

(l-r) Moderator Patrice Rushen interviewed Motown veterans Claudette Robinson,
Iris Gordy, Janie Bradford, and Miller London

The Band (l-r) Charlean Carmen, DeeDee Foster, Charlie Bereal, Kevin Ricard,
Herman Jackson, Teddy Campbell, Chris Thigpen, Ben Ah Sue, Charles Love,
Tatiana Tate, Keith McKelly, and Wes Smith

 

Brenda Holloway

Susaye, Scherrie, and Lynda (former ladies of The Supremes), also performed.

Academy Announces Jonas Gwangwa Music Composition Initiative Participants

LOS ANGELES, CA and LONDON, U.K. – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in partnership with Mercury Studios, today announced Peter Edwards and Oleta Haffner as the participants selected for the Jonas Gwangwa Music Composition Initiative, a one-year career development program for Black British musicians interested in composing music for film.  Part of the Academy’s ongoing global outreach and engagement efforts, the program aims to foster broader representation in film music composition.

The Academy and Mercury Studios hosted an event celebrating Edwards and Haffner at Abbey Road Studios in London yesterday evening (October 6).  Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang welcomed guests, Academy Executive Vice President, Impact and Inclusion Jeanell English spoke about the importance of the Academy’s talent and development programs, and Academy member Misan Sagay (Writers Branch) reflected on the Jonas Gwangwa Music Composition Initiative and its goals.  Academy members Gary Yershon and Nainita Desai (Music Branch), who spearheaded the creation of the program with Sagay, then joined composers Segun Akinola and Bankey Ojo, along with Natasha Baldwin, Executive Vice President, Classics and Screen at Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), for a panel discussion on the challenges of the industry, their own career journeys, and how the program can help to pave new paths for participants.

“We are so honored to have Peter and Oleta, two incredibly talented composers, participate in this program, through which we seek to provide the connections, tools, and opportunities needed to expand access to the global film industry,” said English.  “We also thank Mercury Studios and all of our partners for making this program possible.”

"Talent discovery and development is at the heart of what we do at Mercury Studios so we are looking forward to working with Peter and Oleta over the next year,” said Mercury Studios Co-President Marc Robinson.  “We hope this initiative will only expand as we continue to create ways to engage composers around the world." 

Edwards is a composer, musical director, and pianist who has been working in the London jazz scene for 12 years. Haffner is a London-based composer who writes music for animated short films and theater productions.  Throughout the year, they will receive access to Academy members across various branches in order to gain an understanding of the filmmaking process; one-on-one mentorship with a member of the Academy’s Music Branch to learn about the practical aspects of composing for film; access to Academy events and screenings in London; and introductions to leading practitioners from all areas of film music, among other mentorship programming.  They also will be matched with a filmmaker who is in the process of making a short film and will be given the opportunity to compose music for the film.  

The composition work will be funded by two grants from Universal Music Group’s (UMG) Decca Records and Mercury Studios, a full-service, global production film, and television studio.  Additional programming and support will be provided by UMG’s Abbey Road Studios.

Gwangwa, who died in 2021, was a prominent South African jazz musician and composer.  He received Oscar® nominations for Original Score and Original Song for his work, with George Fenton, on “Cry Freedom” (1987).

For more information on the Jonas Gwangwa Music Composition Initiative, visit https://oscars.org/learn/jonas-gwangwa-initiative.

Myron McKinley Mixes It Up With 'Sound Alchemist'

Keyboardist Myron McKinley has a clear vision for his own creative expression, but perhaps more importantly, he has a clear vision for providing a necessary impetus to shatter the boundaries and stimulate the evolution of jazz. Dropping October 28 on the Dark Elf Music label, the 10-song “Sound Alchemist” is a learned thesis of sonic exploration and experimentation written and produced by McKinley as a mélange of contemporary, straight-ahead, and fusion jazz; hip hop, R&B, and soul; and multicultural nuance.

 

While the music industry continues to shift towards singles as singular musical statements, McKinley prefers taking listeners on a complete journey via an album. “Sound Alchemist” does just that. Deftly, he offers enough of the familiar allure, such as recording The Carpenter’s “Close to You,” Sting’s “La Belle Dame San Regrets,” Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Imagination,” and Drake and Jhene Aiko’s “From Time,” but he reinvents each one - sometimes radically - making you forget the source material.

 

McKinley’s own compositions are just as far-reaching and ambitious, challenging jazz to grow and listeners to open their minds. He offers “Will You” as a tribute to Nat King Cole, who long before he was known for seducing and charming with his elegant and silky voice, he was a remarkably dexterous pianist. Another track on which McKinley performs all the instruments is “Matrix,” a wildly adventurous instrumental rooted in elements that are seemingly polar opposites: bebop and European electronic club music. In the company of guitarist Morris O’Connor and trombonist Reggie Young, the keyboardist stretches out even further on “Crowded Club,” referencing early 1970s funk and jazz fusion hybrids created by The Headhunters and Herbie Hancock. McKinley fuses straight-ahead jazz, hip hop beats, and electronic dance music on “Let’s Just See,” the result of which is a vividly ingenious recording. Sensual and somber elements spawn “Remembering You.”

 

An all-star lineup illumines the centerpiece selection “Tunisian Morning.” Grammy-winning saxophonist Gerald Albright solos amidst fellow saxman Gary Bias, bassist Reggie Hamilton, and percussionist Munyungo Jackson.

 

“I got the chance to play at Nelson Mandela’s birthday party and while we were there celebrating, I heard all these different types of rhythms. I thought it was amazing. So, I kind of took a Bob James approach to the melody but using the rhythm that I heard over there and then had everybody play on it. I was blessed to have all those musicians play on it. They had so much fun doing it. I literally had to stop Munyungo from adding more tracks. He wanted to do more, but he had filled it up so much that you don’t even notice that there are no drums on the track,” said McKinley.

 

Visuals are an important aspect of McKinley’s approach for “Sound Alchemist” thus three videos were created with a fourth in the planning stages. On the auspicious date of September 21, McKinley’s tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire drops, and his “Imagination” video is quite personal. For the past twenty years, McKinley has toured with the legendary band, serving as their musical director for the last dozen years. The group’s energizing bass player Verdine White plays on the track featuring falsetto singer Danny McClain. The video consists of McKinley’s photos from two decades of touring the globe with EWF.

 

The “Let’s Just See” video arrives on October 5. The clip depicts the real-life story behind the song.

 

McKinley explains, “I was in New York City, and it is just so loud. I was trying to practice and then kept getting distracted by the noise. Finally, I decided to go hang out at the club and I brought a melodica. I went in there and the DJ was playing. He gave me a mic and I started playing melodica there with him. It turned out really cool. Everybody was enjoying it and I had a lot of fun. The DJ played a bunch of different stuff and we just fooled around, and it became a thing for about a good hour. For the video, I had to write a script and time everything. It was the first I’ve ever done anything like it. I had to write the timeline and tell the animator what is supposed to happen in each cartoon. We had a lot of fun creating that.”

    

The animated video for “From Time” is slated to hit October 21. What drew McKinley to the song was the lyric “I love me enough for the both of us,” which is sung in a dreamlike voice by Denaine Jones.

 

“I think that statement is going to resonate with any man because that means you’re not going to have to supplement for her what she’s supposed to have already. When I heard the song, I fell in love with what she’s saying. For the video, I was thinking about how a lot of people play music and do other things while they’re messaging people. I thought it would be nice to have her texting a guy about how she feels. ‘I love me enough for the both of us.’ You see her sitting up against the wall in New York, texting during the solo and at the end. I thought it was an interesting journey to add a lot of feeling to it,” explained McKinley, who will perform music from “Sound Alchemist” at Denver’s Soiled Dove Underground on October 22.

    

Los Angeles native McKinley studied classical and jazz piano under the tutelage of Grammy-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. But hip hop’s influence in his works is just as prevalent as jazz and classical.

 

“I grew up in the hip hop era. I was listening to A Tribe Called Quest and Oscar Peterson on the same radio station. I loved all of those. When you come up like that, it’s still a part of you, even though you have classical and jazz. It still becomes a part of your DNA musically. I think ‘Sound Alchemist’ shows a lot of that. You can hear church aspects, classical aspects, jazz aspects and it also shows hip hop aspects.”

 

In addition to his long-time duties with Earth, Wind & Fire, McKinley has toured with Whitney Houston, Kenny Lattimore, Stanley Clarke, En Vogue, and Shai. He has written, co-wrote, or produced songs for EWF, Clarke, Doc Powell, Silk, Vesta, Cherokee, and Howard Hewett. He’s also composed music for film and television scores, contributing to “Soul Food,” “Romeo Must Die,” “The Best Man,” “Think Like A Man,” “Shaft,” and “The Godfather of Harlem” among many others. But jazz is home, so McKinley makes time to perform with his own straight-ahead jazz trio.  

 

McKinley’s bold spirit and intrepid scope heard throughout “Sound Alchemist” are purposely sprawling, purposely edgy, purposely youthful and vibrant, and purposely inclusive. That’s where he believes jazz needs to go in order to thrive again in relevancy.

 

“I don’t think musically right now the boundaries are being pushed. I could have easily done (recorded) something else and directed it towards a certain genre and left it there without pushing, but musically, to really make things grow, it takes adventurers to push the genre.”

 

Singer Rebecca Jade Releases "A Shade of Jade"

Vocalist Rebecca Jade has carried a journal in her backpack ever since she was a college athlete at UC Berkeley. She journaled her thoughts, feelings, reflections, and experiences in the form of poetry and song lyrics. However, although she sang and came up with the album title “A Shade of Jade,” she didn’t consider herself to be a songwriter and didn’t have the confidence to put out original material, so she just toted the notebook around thinking “one day.” That day has arrived. Jade opened the pages of her journal to create ten R&B, jazz, and pop songs that she wrote and co-produced with Carnell Harrell for “A Shade of Jade,” which drops on October 14 from LadyJade Music.  The album is previewed by the first radio single currently garnering airplay as well as an award-winning video that has received more than 126,000 views.

 

“The bare bones of a couple of the songs on this album have been sitting and waiting patiently to come to life in a lyric book from many years ago. I knew in my heart that I had something to say that might resonate with others,” said Jade who recently previewed the album at sold-out concerts in San Diego and just south of Los Angeles.

 

“I have had the title for this album since college, and I wasn't even doing music at the time. With this being the first album that I wrote and co-produced, I feel like it represents who I am because I have so many different styles of music that have influenced me and make their way into my music. This album is one of, hopefully, many ‘shades’ of me.”

 

Jade’s songs on “A Shade of Jade” are personal, visceral, emotional, and motivational. Melody-rich harmonies emoted skillfully with warmth, passion, urgency, and ardor, her voice reflects the authentic heart and soul of a confident and courageous woman, an artist desiring to connect with listeners via intimate stories, resonant themes, and messages of hope and inspiration. Jade dares to make herself vulnerable; loves, desires, and fantasizes freely; confronts brazenly celebrates with gratitude in the face of loss, and empowers strength and resilience.    

 

“I wanted the songs on the album to touch on what so many people experience in real life - from love to heartbreak, to loss and overcoming difficult situations. Sometimes a song can help put feelings into words or encourage someone to push through when they want to quit. I've had songs do that for me, so I wanted to create music that might do that for someone else,” said Jade.

 

Jade has been working on “A Shade of Jade” for a while. Last December, she gave listeners a glimpse of what’s to come when she put out a video for the uplifting hip-hop/funk tune “What’s It Gonna Be,” which won two statues at this year’s San Diego Music Awards. The basketball-themed clip – Jade played division one hoop at UC Berkeley and was invited to try out for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks twice – has received more than 126,000 YouTube views.

 

“We all go through tough times in life, but I truly believe that we can get through those tough times a little easier if we accept that they will happen and face them head on, knowing that we will get on the other side of it,” said Jade who produced the life-affirming song with Timothy "Twizz"  Bailey, Jr.

 

Earlier this month, radio serviced the jazzy, atmospheric, hard-hitting neo-soul groove “Show Me,” a multilayered cut showcasing Jade’s intricate vocals and deft arranging skills on a song asking for action over words in the context of a romantic relationship.

 

"Like so many others, I've experienced love, and heartbreak, and had my share of potential relationships where I thought I had feelings for someone but wasn't sure if they felt the same way and vice versa. I know that anticipation is a part of the story when it comes to relationships and I wanted to write a song about that very specific moment, that moment right before a decision is made to either go forward with a new love adventure or stop it in its tracks. ‘Show Me’ is my version of putting those feelings into words, the idea of either the possibility of what that relationship could be or the reality of what it never becomes,” Jade said about the single swiftly garnering airplay across the nation.

 

“A Shade of Jade” finds Jade typically in the company of Harrell on keyboards, guitarist Kyle Bolden, bassist Raymond McKinley, and drummer Charles Streeter Sr. The dreamy “Drift Away” is augmented by real strings – violin, viola, and cello, adding opulence to the celestial tapestry. Saxophonists Dave Koz and Eric Darius are featured soloists on the ballad “My Reason” and the sweet and whimsical “Bottle Up Magic” (with lyrics co-written by Veronica May) respectively. Jade’s history with Koz dates back to performing on his all-star cruise in 2016 and will continue this holiday season when she heads out on the superstar’s 25^th anniversary Christmas tour, a monthlong trek at which she’ll share the stage with luminaries Rick Braun, Peter White, and Keiko Matsui. Jade and Darius are frequent touring partners as well with five concert dates on the itinerary before the end of the year, including festivals and performing arts venues.       

 

Jade has toured extensively with Sheila E. and performed with the “Queen of Percussion” on the Emmy-nominated Grammy salute to Prince a couple of years ago. Also in 2020, Jade accompanied Sir Elton John at the Academy Awards. She has opened for Musiq Soulchild, Will Downing, Boney James, Jeffrey Osborne, and El DeBarge, and on record, Jade has shared the spotlight on songs by Darius, DW3, and Aubrey Logan. But now her attention is focused on occupying the spotlight on her own, building her brand, and elevating her recording career to new heights. Part of Jade’s evolution involves learning to play bass and keyboards, which she now does on stage.

 

There’s a lot of substance and depth to explore on “A Shade of Jade” – from the seamless alchemy of musical styles to the intoxicating melodies that cascade throughout the set, to Jade’s proficient ability to use her voice to seduce, swoon, and sway while providing nuanced color and texture. While essentially being a new singer-songwriter on the scene, she exudes the poise, power, and purpose of a seasoned veteran in her prime, making “A Shade of Jade” a calling card harbingering the arrival of a rare and special artist.

 

“This album is very special to me because I have learned so much about what it takes to make a record. I challenged myself to write all the lyrics for this album and to be the person to produce this record. I wanted to experience the process from start to finish and there is no better way for me to learn than to do it. And I'm so grateful for the people along the way in this journey, especially my primary writing and producing partner Carnell Harrell, people who have helped guide me and shared their knowledge to help me along.”

 

Catch Rebecca Jade on tour through the end of the year at (dates may be added):

 

September 9                 Hyatt Regency Summer Concert Series            Newport Beach, CA

September 10                  Bishop Arts Center (ft. w/ Eric Darius)             Dallas, TX

September 11               Oxnard Jazz Festival (w/ Eric Darius)               Oxnard, CA

September 18               Smooth Jazz Cruise on Land at The Factory (ft. w/ Eric Darius)  St. Louis, MO

October 8 & 9              Barbados Jazz Excursion                                  Barbados

October 22                   Catalina JazzTrax Festival (w/ Eric Darius)     Catalina Island, CA

November 3-6              Florida Smooth Jazz Weekend (w/Eric Darius) Daytona Beach, FL

November 25-                 Dave Koz & Friends 25^th Anniversary Christmas Tour

December 23

December 30 & 31       Rick Braun’s New Year’s Eve Getaway           Tucson, AZ

 

 

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Celebrates The Music, The Magic, The Love of Motown

Patrice Rushen
Panel Moderator

(Beverly Hills, CA, August 31, 2022) – Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the world premiere of Motown: Celebrating the Music, the Magic, the Love on Saturday, October 1, 2022, 7 p.m., at The Wallis’ Bram Goldsmith Theater.

Immerse yourself in the magic of early Motown with a unique opportunity to experience an evening with music trailblazers and icons who will share their rare insights into the phenomenal music, and the stories behind it, that positively impacted people and music around the globe. Motown: Where legends were born and dreams were made!

Created, produced and directed by Karla Gordy Bristol, of Bristol Entertainment, this spectacular  show highlights the early days of Motown Records as only can be told by those truly in the Motown Family.

The show includes a Motown panel, moderated by four-time Grammy nominee Patrice Rushen, featuring artists, writers, producers, and executives including: Brian Holland, hitmaker known for songs including “Stop! In the Name of Love”; Claudette Robinson of The Miracles; Iris Gordy, former Motown Vice President; Janie Bradford, co-writer of “Money That’s What I Want”; and Miller London, pioneering record salesman.

Experience a presentation of nostalgic stories shared by Smokey Robinson, The Temptations’ Otis Williams, The Four Tops’ Duke Fakir, and Martha Reeves “Dancing in the Street,” and relive the days of “Hitsville U.S.A.,” the little house with the big sound as envisioned by Motown Founder and living legend Berry Gordy.  

Smokey Robinson

Dynamic keyboardist Herman Jackson is the evening’s music director. Performing songs that have brought people together for over six decades are singing sensations Grammy-winner Thelma Houston, Brenda Holloway, Scherrie, Lynda & Susaye Former Ladies of The Supremes, and special guests.

Thelma Houston

This incredible show truly celebrates the Music, the Magic and the Love of the Motown story, and will be led by legendary radio personality and Announcer Shadoe Stevens and Master of Ceremonies, Emmy Award-winning news anchor Pat Harvey. 

Pat Harvey
Master of Ceremonies

Motown: Celebrating the Music, the Magic, the Love, a Bristol Entertainment Production, is supported by Sony Music Group and The Berry Gordy Foundation for Truth and Justice.

Tickets for Motown: Celebrating the Music, the Magic, The Love ($29 - $99) are sold out. To be added to the waitlist, please emailed Ticket Services at tickets@thewallis.org. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills.

The Wallis is closely monitoring the ever-changing local health and safety environment carefully and addressing known health factors at the moment. Should plans change and any performance be required to be postponed or cancelled or if venue capacity limitations are instituted, ticket holders will be notified immediately with options for their purchased tickets per The Wallis' ticketing policies.

The health and safety of patrons, our staff, and artists inside and outside the venue are a top priority for The Wallis, which is requiring all patrons to provide, upon entry, proof of full vaccination or a negative PCR test result within 48 hours or a verifiable Antigen test within 24 hours from your performance date, along with a government issued photo ID. Facial masks, covering both the mouth and nose, are still required at all times while within the venue. The Wallis' health and safety protocols are also subject to change at the venue's sole discretion or in accordance with LA County and City of Beverly Hills regulations. Current Health & Safety Protocols and updates may also be accessed at TheWallis.org/Safety. Policies are subject to change. 

About Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts: 

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a dynamic cultural hub and community resource where local, national and international artists share their artistry with ever-expanding audiences. The campus, located in the heart of Beverly Hills, CA, is committed to robust and distinctive presentations and education programs curated with both creativity and social impact in mind. Distinguished by its eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its location in the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis has produced and presented more than 350 theater, dance, music, film, cabaret, conversation, and family entertainment programs since its doors opened in October 2013. Hailed as “au courant” (LaLa Magazine), The Wallis was lauded by Culture Vulture, which proclaims, “If you love expecting the unexpected in the performing arts, you have to love The Wallis.” Its programming has been nominated for 79 Ovation Awards and nine L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards. The campus itself, a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot facility, celebrating the classic and the modern, has garnered six architectural awards. Designed by acclaimed architect Zoltan E. Pali (SPF:architects), the restored building features the original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places), which serves as the theater's dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and includes the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater; the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater; an inviting open-air plaza for family, community and other performances; and GRoW @ The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education, where learning opportunities for all ages and backgrounds abound. Together, these elements embrace the city's history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for L.A.-area visitors and residents alike. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is led by Chairman of the Board Michael Nemeroff and Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Rachel Fine.

For more information about The Wallis, please visit: TheWallis.org.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

WHAT:

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Presents

Motown: Celebrating the Music, the Magic, the Love (World Premiere)

Created, produced and directed by Karla Gordy Bristol

FEATURED MOTOWN ARTISTS/WRITERS/PRODUCERS/EXECUTIVES (in alphabetical order):

Shelly Berger

Janie Bradford

Duke Fakir

William Goldstein

Iris Gordy

Brian Holland

Brenda Holloway

Thelma Houston

Miller London

Scherrie, Lynda  & Susaye Former Ladies of The Supremes

Martha Reeves

Paul Riser

Claudette Robinson

Smokey Robinson

Otis Williams

MASTER OF CEREMONIES/MODERATOR/ANNOUNCER (in alphabetical order):

Pat Harvey, master of ceremonies

Patrice Rushen, panel moderator

Shadoe Stevens, announcer 

WHEN:

Saturday, October 1, 7 pm

WHERE:

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Bram Goldsmith Theater

9390 N. Santa Monica Boulevard

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

RUN TIME:

Approximately 150 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission

TICKET PRICES AND INFORMATION:

$29 - $99

SOLD OUT

Join the waitlist by emailing Ticket Services at tickets@thewallis.org.

PLEASE NOTE:

Due to current health and safety variables, performances are subject to change, postponement or cancellation.

                                                                                          # # #

CTG's 2022-23 Kirk Douglas Theatre Season

The season begins with a historic new works festival the L.A. Writers’ Workshop Festival with an all-women cohort of 10 writers in September 2022.

2022 Pulitzer Prize Finalist play “Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord”

Written by Kristina Wong

Directed by Chay Yew

A co-production with East West Players

in March and April 2023

A fresh take on the play “Fetch Clay, Make Man”

Written by Will Power

Directed by Debbie Allen

Produced in association with SpringHill

in June and July 2023

The West Coast premiere of “Our Dear Dead Drug Lord”

Written by Alexis Scheer

Directed by Lindsay Allbaugh

Produced in association with IAMA Theatre Company

in August and September 2023

The 2022-2023 Kirk Douglas Theatre Season was unveiled today as Center Theatre Group Managing Director / CEO Meghan Pressman joined Center Theatre Group’s Associate Artistic Directors Luis Alfaro, Lindsay Allbaugh, Tyrone Davis, Neel Keller, and Kelley Kirkpatrick to share the upcoming programming for the Culver City theatre.

The season will begin with the L.A. Writers’ Workshop Festival, which is set to take place over the course of two weekends, September 9-11 and September 16-18, 2022. For the first time in the history of Center Theatre Group’s L.A. Writers’ Workshop, all 10 playwrights in the group will have their work presented at the Douglas. This notable cohort of 10 women writers includes Jami Brandli, June Carryl, Penelope Lowder, Lisa Ramirez, Jessica Ko, Pia Shah, Judy Soo Hoo, Delanna Studi, Julie Taiwo Quarles, and Tisha Marie Reichle-Aguilera. 

A 2022 Pulitzer Finalist, Kristina Wong, will return to the Douglas from February 12 to March 12, 2023 in a co-production with East West Players in “Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord.” Emmy® Award winner Debbie Allen will make her Center Theatre Group directorial debut with Will Power’s “Fetch Clay, Make Man,” produced in association with SpringHill from June 4 to July 2, 2023. Rounding out the 2022-2023 Season is the West Coast premiere of Alexis Scheer’s “Our Dear Dead Drug Lord,” from August 20 to September 17, 2023.  

“The Kirk Douglas Theatre presents bold, authentic, and engaging works, and this season our Artistic Team has created a thrilling lineup of innovative artists making work that breaks boundaries and unites people through the power of their storytelling,” said Center Theatre Group Managing Director / CEO Meghan Pressman. “These three vibrant productions, paired with works from the outstanding playwrights in our L.A. Writers’ Workshop Festival, center human connection and celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of Los Angeles.” 

“We believe that theatre creates the energy that feeds a city, a culture, and a society. This season’s programming at the Douglas focuses on using the art of theatre to broaden horizons and illuminate new perspectives,” the five Associate Artistic Directors stated.  “We are grateful to our theatre community for challenging and engaging with us as we set out to honor the commitments to our global majority community. This season, we have also intentionally partnered with like-minded organizations on each production, as we believe that collaboration is vital to our L.A. theatre ecology.” 

The L.A. Writers’ Workshop Festival includes a variety of stories from women playwrights ranging from female magicians, the exploration of American singer/songwriter and activist Nina Simone, the kinship of teachers, trademarking African culture, as well as Cherokee circular storytelling, to name a few. 

Center Theatre Group’s 2019 Dorothy and Richard E. Sherwood Award winner Kristina Wong returns to the Douglas with a co-production with East West Players of her Pulitzer Prize-Finalist play, “Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord.” In this solo show — directed by Chay Yew and with additional support from the Skirball Cultural Center — the COVID-19 pandemic takes a twist with a sewing squad that borders on a feminist utopia or a doomsday cult all with the goal of fixing the U.S. public health care system while in quarantine one mask at a time from a Koreatown apartment. Wong explores and reflects what we have been through and imagines what we want to become with hilarity and generosity.

Produced in association with SpringHill, Will Power’s “Fetch Clay, Make Man” brings together two unlikely celebrities: boxer Cassius Clay (better known as Muhammad Ali) and Hollywood star Stepin Fetchit. Set in the 1960s at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, these two drastically different people combine young and old to discover how public personas shape themselves and how legacies are determined. Tony Award® nominee and Drama Desk Award winner Debbie Allen will stage this powerful production. 

An abandoned tree house, an Ouija board, and a group of teenage girls set the scene for a wild and twisted exploration into the young minds of women where mystery and magic collide in the West Coast premiere of “Our Dear Dead Drug Lord” by Alexis Scheer, directed by Center Theatre Group Associate Artistic Director Lindsay Allbaugh and produced in association with IAMA Theatre Company. This fierce comedy shares a riotous perspective of the danger and damage of formative years, as Miami-based girls summon the ghost of Colombian drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar. 

Tickets and subscription packages for the Kirk Douglas Theatre 2022-2023 Season will be on sale at a later date. Tickets — $10 for a reading or $30 for a Festival Pass — are now currently on sale for the L.A. Writers’ Workshop Festival and are available at CenterTheatreGroup.org.