Past Seasons - Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe -Live Theater

Soul Crooners

February 20 - March 24, 2013

Conceived and adapted by Nate Jacobs

By popular demand, WBTT revisits the soul music of the 1970s with unforgettable melodies, heavenly harmonies, and great vocalists. You’ll fall in love again with your favorite guys from the original show (Charles, Leon, Mikeyy, Nate and Sheldon)who masterfully croon new songs from the greatest singers of that engaging era.

What is Soul Music?

Soul music has been defined as music that arose out of the black experience in America through the modification of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying (lyrics). Characteristics include catchy rhythms, handclaps and a call and response between the soloist and the chorus. Listen for the occasional addition of improvisation or auxiliary sounds.

There are many styles of soul music – from the classic recordings in the early years to those that are more in a pop music vein by artists such as Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson.

In the beginning of the 1970s, soul music was influenced by psychedelic rock and other genres. The end of the Vietnam War and rock's political statements inspired artists like Gaye and Curtis Mayfield to incorporate hard-hitting social commentary into their lyrics. Soul music also continued to express the African-American experience, capturing the increasingly troubled nature of the times.

Artists like James Brown led soul towards funk music, which became a typical sound of a number of 1970 bands. A new generation of street-corner harmony or "city-soul" groups also came into existence.

Later in the decade, disco and funk dominated the charts and soul music changed direction once again to what has been called the "quiet storm." It was influenced by soft rock and adult contemporary styles, resulting in songs with a relaxed tempo and soft melody.

NATE JACOBS (Creator/Director/Singer)

Cast

EMMANUEL AVRAHAM
CHRISTOPHER EISENBERG
MICHAEL MENDEZ
LEON S. PITTS II
JAMES (JAY) E. DODGE, II (Music Director/Production Manager)
CRISTY OWEN (Costume Designer)

See Cast Bios

Purlie 2

Book by Ossie Davis, Philip Rose, Peter Udell

Lyrics by Peter Udell, music by Gary Geld

November 13 – December 15, 2013

In this fun-loving musical, a dynamic traveling preacher, Purlie Victorious Judson, returns to his small Georgia town to shake things up and change lives. Despite the advent of the civil rights movement, many southern sharecroppers still lived under the Jim Crow laws. A Tony Award- and Drama Desk Award-winning show, Purlie has a spirited charm that will “grab your feet and make them tap.”

"The book is so strong . . .that this musical should have you calling out Hallelujah!” - The New York Times

"A robust, tuneful and thoroughly enjoyable musical comedy, with dandy songs." New York Daily News

Cast

Jim Weaver ** – Director

Dr. Lonnetta M. Gaines

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

**Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Union

Songbirds of the 70s

Adapted by Nate Jacobs

July 18 – 29, 2012

{description}Summer at WBTT sizzles with an original musical revue of songs made famous by some of the most celebrated female pop and soul divas of the 1970s. Five of our glamorous gals will light up the stage with the hits of Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Barbra Streisand, Karen Carpenter, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, and more! These songbirds, Get Close To You help you wonder What’s Love Got To Do With It and send you off understanding That’s What Friends Are For. {/description}

Nothin' But The Blues

April 10 - May 12, 2013

By Charles Bevel, Lita Gaithers, Randal Myler, Ron Taylor, Dan Wheetman

Take a journey through time as this rich and rousing musical revue depicts the evolution of the blues from African chants through the Southern spirituals to the electrifying songs of postwar Chicago nightclubs. Nominated for four Tony Awards, this show captures the heart of American music and leaves the audience clamoring for more!

"Lifts you up, lays you out and leaves you screaming for more!" --Denver Post

"A nonstop, joyous spree of entertainment! " --Newark Star-Ledger

"If you're looking for a good time, you won't be disappointed!" --Baltimore Sun

"Looking for a sure cure to the blues? Latch on to a ticket for IT AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT THE BLUES. More than a musical feast... it is a potent blend of visual eloquence and historical sweep that engages the eye and touches the heart, while its songs soothe the ear, occasionally work mischief on the funny bone and always raise the spirits." --The New York Times

It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

Harry Bryce Director's Vision

According to director/choreographer Harry Bryce, audiences of this show will be attending the best party of the season. At times, he states, you'll feel like you are sharing an intimate moment of pure storytelling; other times you'll feel like you are at a big, bawdy, high-octane concert. You are sure to tap, clap and move in your seats to the music in this rich, rousing revue that earned four Tony Award nominations in 1999.

The show celebrates the history of the blues and pays homage to the many artists who contributed to its continual evolution. It begins with raw, African chants considered the source of the blues. As the slaves came to America, they used music to remember their roots, praise the lord, and communicate in the fields while they worked. As African Americans migrated to other parts of the country, their traditional music picked up the sounds and rhythms of their new communities and incorporated their different struggles within the lyrics. The show's nearly 40 songs span many years of blues evolution from chants through gospel and Southern spirituals to the electrifying songs of postwar Chicago and St. Louis nightclubs.

As great artists like Ethel Waters, Jelly Roll Morton, B.B. King, and Koko Taylor played or sang the blues, their own style of delivery contributed to the many permutations of the genre. Mr. Bryce's choreography reflects the variations in style and the differing emotions expressed in this music.

Bio

Harry Bryce has developed visionary works as a director, choreographer, writer, and arts educator for more than 30 years. Harry has led dance companies in Richmond, Virginia, and in Atlanta where his original concert ballet Beyond the Canebreaks: MomentsIn the Life of Harriet Tubman performed to sell-out crowds and received national and critical acclaim at the National Black Arts Festival. In 1997 Harry founded the Memphis Black Repertory Theatre and served as producing artistic director for five seasons, during which he garnered 17 theater awards. Harry has directed for professional theater companies throughout the U.S. and was the recipient of the 2000 Carter G. Woodson Award of Merit for Lifetime Achievements in Performing Arts. Currently, Harry serves as an Artistic Associate for the Cumberland County Playhouse (the largest and oldest professional regional theater in Tennessee) where he has directed numerous productions for more than 10 years. He is thrilled to be back with WBTT to direct and choreograph his seventh show.