NATE JACOBS,
FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
The Eve of Jackie: A Musical Tribute to Jackie Wilson
October 6, 2014 – One Night Only
8:00 PM
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
The Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will kick off its 15-year anniversary with a one-night performance of The Eve of Jackie, a musical tribute to Jackie Wilson. Award-winning Broadway performer, Chester Gregory, stars in this raw and jaw-dropping tour de force of Jackie Wilson during his last complete performance in September 1975, one night before he collapses on stage. Known to sellout wherever it is presented, this show is a flashback to that concert in which the great artist felt compelled to share details of his troubled life. Chester masterfully performs many of the singer’s signature hits and expertly executes his awe-inspiring trademark moves.
Critics say: “There is essentially one reason . . . to see (the show) and that is the star, Chester Gregory” (NY Times); “This show was high energy from start to finish” (Trend Magazine Online); and “If this was on Broadway, this would seal Gregory the Tony Award” (The Pegasus News)
Some of your favorite troupe members will present an exciting pre-show and perform songs with Chester in The Eve of Jackie.
Don’t miss this electrifying show – you’ll be dazzled!!!!
Tickets $35-$100 and are available ONLY at the Van Wezel
Van Wezel Box Office: 941-953-3368
or http://www.vanwezel.org/boxOffice/event.cfm?eveID=1476#.U85uBPldVOF
To become a sponsor or for information, call our office: 941-366-1505
Chester Gregory's talents abound
http://youtu.be/vFhgUv-auK8
Thank you to our corporate sponsors.
By Sherman Yellen
MUSIC BY: Wally Harper
April 18 – May 13, 2012
This funny, sexy, exuberant world premiere, written by an award-winning playwright, traces the life of Josephine Baker from Jim Crow America to Paris, where she became a stage sensation. Hold on to your seats as the Bronze Venus takes our theater by storm with her barely-there dresses and no-holds-barred dance routines. Baker is the ultimate rags-to-riches story despite the difficult times in which she lived.
The play opens in 1919 with Josephine as a young girl determined to escape the grinding poverty and racial violence of her world through nerve, talent, wit, and an unbreakable will. She grows from unschooled ghetto teenager from East St. Louis to a sophisticated, self-educated entertainer right before your eyes.
Articles
Red Hot Jazz: Josephine Baker's biography
Interesting facts about Josephine Baker
- Dropped out of school at 12 and lived on the streets of East St. Louis
- Toured U.S. with vaudeville show, dancing and performing comical skits
- Opened in Paris in 1925, where she became an instant success for her exotic dancing
- Rose to celebrity status in France but not in the US until 1973
- Said to have received 1,500 marriage proposals
By Loften Mitchell
April 9 – May 11, 2014
Journey back in time to the Harlem Renaissance (1920-1940) when audiences flocked to the area’s popular nightclubs to see the greatest talents entertain. Artists like Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Billie Holliday created a golden age of music with their exciting sounds and glamorous shows. You’ll jam, jump, and jive to this exuberant, three-time Tony-nominated musical revue.
Cast
Creative Team
Reviews and Interviews
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s Bubbling Brown Sugar
http://sarasotamagazine.com/on-stage/2014/04/16/westcoast-black-theatre-troupes-bubbling-brown-sugar/
Behind the Scenes: With gloved hands, music director shares his love of theater
http://arts.heraldtribune.com/2014-05-04/featured/behind-scenes-gloved-hands-music-director-shares-love-theater/
Westcoast Troupe bubbles up some Harlem 'Sugar'
http://arts.heraldtribune.com/2014-04-10/featured/westcoast-troupe-bubbles-harlem-sugar/
Written and performed by Apphia Campbell
Black Is The Color Of My Voice, written and performed by founding troupe member, Apphia Campbell, is an intimate cabaret-type musical revue loosely inspired by the story of Nina Simone.
The play’s story follows the life of the fictional Mena Bordeaux, a successful jazz singer seeking redemption after the untimely death of her father. During a three-day period of isolation without cigarettes, alcohol, or access to the outside world, Mena reflects on the journey that took her from a young piano prodigy destined for a life in the service of the church to a renowned jazz vocalist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.
Black Is The Color Of My Voice was first performed at Play the Spotlight Theatre in Shanghai where Apphia is one of their most in-demand singers and dramatic actresses. There have been three successful runs in Shanghai and one last summer in New York. In addition, Play the Spotlight Theatre is currently working to take Black Is the Color of My Voice to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival after its summer run in Sarasota.
Critics say:
"Black is the Color of My Voice shines, bringing a little bit of American soul to Shanghai theatre." -TimeOut Shanghai
"Want to see Nina Simone depicted the way you think she should be? Go to China." -IndieWire
"Campbell transfixed, she charmed, she entertained and ultimately moved a packed theater with her touching portrayal of a jazz musician reeling and reminiscing in the aftermath of her father's death." -SmartShanghai.com
"Memories of her life's most decisive moments and choices are evoked, flashbacks solely carried by Apphia's expressional performance and powerful singing voice, which do justice to her source of inspiration." -Shanghaiist
Media and Reviews
Black Is The Color Of My Voice "TRAILER"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mql_Zaxd9oU
Theatre Location
1012 N. Orange Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34236
Mailing Address
1012 N. Orange Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34236
All Rights Reserved.