NATE JACOBS,
FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
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
*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
December 14, 2011 – January 16, 2012
Written and adapted by Nate Jacobs
Want “R-E-S-P-E-C-T?” Believe that there “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing?” Then you will love visiting with our four women who live together in a Florida apartment building. They musically review their life experiences as told through the songs made famous by the legendary “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin. In this original production, we celebrate Aretha’s masterful artistry, bigger-than-life talent, and remarkable understanding of human relationships.
It is 1968 and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. instills hope that the times are changing. Mattie, Carolyn, Devora and Sharon want to believe that someday the world will be a better place for them. Even though the four women are in different stages of life, they are intertwined with each other as they deal with new love, lost love and the search for love. Aretha’s lyrics take the words straight out of their hearts and put them in the greatest songs of the decade.
December 14, 2011 – January 16, 2012
Written and adapted by Nate Jacobs
Articles
PBS American Masters : Aretha Franklin
Rolling Stone: Greatest Singers of All Times
Aretha Franklin greatest singer in rock era: poll
Interesting facts about Aretha Franklin
- Aretha’s version of “Respect,” which had a feminist-powered theme, served as a fight song for social change when it was released in 1967
- Received 18 Grammy Awards and, in 1995, a lifetime achievement Grammy
- Sold the most million-selling singles of any female artist
- Honored as first female singer inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987)
- Selected as one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century by Entertainment Weekly magazine
- Named by Rolling Stone Magazine as the number one all-time best singer of the rock era
- Awarded National Medal of Arts by President Clinton and the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bush
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.
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.
Cast
Ariel Blue
Gregory “GIG” Burke (Singer/Guitarist)
Apostle J.L. Cash (Singer/Guitarist)
Tsadok Porter
Whitney Mignon Reed
Horace Smith
Earley Dean
World Premiere
Created and adapted by Nate Jacobs
February 19 – March 23, 2014
Imagine two legends on stage at the same time, along with some of their well-known friends, interacting and singing the songs that made them famous. Nate Jacobs honors the debonair “King of Calypso” Harry Belafonte and the incomparable singer and actress Lena Horne in an original musical revue guaranteed to delight you. These stars broke barriers and won the hearts of millions.
Cast
Reviews and Interviews
Harry and Lena Reviews
http://arts.heraldtribune.com/2014-02-23/featured/theater-review-wbtts-harry-and-lena-capture-the-style-of-famed-singers/
Harry and Lena opens to sold out audiences
http://arts.heraldtribune.com/2014-02-17/featured/harry-and-lena-suits-groundbreaking-singing-stars/
Theatre Location
1012 N. Orange Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34236
Mailing Address
1012 N. Orange Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34236
All Rights Reserved.