The Sembrich in Bolton Landing will be holding its annual gala on Aug. 26, featuring renowned tenor Leonardo Sánchez. This year’s event is titled “Mi México Querido” and is set to honor traditional Mexican music. Along with Sánchez, the performance will also incorporate instruments like the guitar, guitarrón, vihuela, and accordion.
Leonardo Sánchez rose to prominence after becoming the youngest tenor to win the “Carlo Morelli” National Singing Competition in Mexico. Highly regarded as the most important award in Latin America, Sánchez now hones his craft as part of the Chanteurs Solistes program in Switzerland. He trains under soprano Jeanne-Michelle Charbonnet and is an ambassador for “Opera for Peace”. After five years of performing in Europe, “Mi México Querido” marks the vocalist’s return to the sounds and traditions of Mexico.
The evening’s featured performer Leonardo Sánchez has shared the stage with great artists such as Rolando Villazón, Ramón Vargas, Susana Zavaleta, María José, Anastasiya Petryshak, Thomas Hampson, and Placido Domingo, and has performed on some of the most prominent stages in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, the United States, and Mexico.
Artistic Director Richard Wargo
Sánchez will be accompanied by outstanding musicians, including Humberto Flores of the Villa Lobos brother. Flores is the producer of the program which he plans to present at other venues around the world.
I am delighted to return to Bolton Landing with “Mi México Querido”, a project which represents the beauty of Mexican culture in an authentic and elevated way.
Humberto Flores
The Marcella Sembrich Memorial Association commemorates opera singer Marcella Sembrich at her former teaching studio and woodland retreat. Programming at the site includes a film series, musical performances, and discussions with scholars. The Sembrich also features an 80-year-old museum and an annual summer festival. The Association is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts.
Tickets are $150 for regular admission or $250 for the honorary committee. Tickets can be purchased here or by calling (518) 644-2431.
The iconic hip-hop group The Fat Boys was recently inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) at its newly opened museum in Stony Brook. Kool Rock-Ski (Damon Wimbley), the last surviving member of The Fat Boys, accepted the induction in person from hip-hop legend and LIMEHOF inductee Erick Sermon of EPMD. Public Enemy’s DJ Johnny Juice (also a LIMEHOF inductee) was also on hand to show support and speak about the group.
“It’s definitely an honor on behalf of the group, two members who are no longer here,” Kool Rock-Ski said. “To accept this on their behalf is huge because they brought so much to the culture. Their legacy lives on with an award like this. We got to the pinnacle of our success—and we got there the hard way, by doing a lot of hard work. We did a lot of hard work.”
The Fat Boys rose to fame in the 1980s, when they pioneered their influential beatbox style of hip-hop music. The group was from East New York in Brooklyn and included “Prince Markie Dee” (Mark Morales), “Kool Rock-Ski” (Damon Wimbley), and “Buff Love” (Darin Robinson). They would heavily influence hip-hop culture through beatbox, comedic charisma, and rhymes. The trio released seven studio albums, four of which went gold by RIAA. In addition to their music, they went on to star in three feature films: Krush Groove, Knights of the City, and Disorderlies.
The Fat Boys had several successful singles which included “Stick ‘Em,” “Can You Feel It,” “The Fat Boys Are Back,” “Wipe Out,” “Fat Boys,” and “Jail House Rap,” to name a few. Throughout their career, they participated in several tours, one of which was Fresh Fest. Despite having eventually broken up as a group, each of the three members maintained a strong brotherhood. The Fat Boys is credited as having had a strong influence on the development and growing popularity of hip-hop.
“The Fat Boys introduced the beatbox, to the world and the song they made was funky to me,” said EPMD’s Erick Sermon, himself a LIMEHOF inductee, when he officially inducted The Fat Boys on stage. “I’m honored to do this because my memories of my kitchen on that ledge were playing The Fat Boys album.”
Kurtis Blow, another LIMEHOF inductee, has a personal connection to The Fat Boys, as he produced their first two albums.
“The Fat Boys being inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is so well deserved,” Blow said in a written statement that congratulated the group on this honor.
“These young men were talented and passionate about their craft at a very young age. Producing The Fat Boys was one of the highlights of my career. Rest in peace, Buffy (the Human Beatbox Master) and Prince Markie Dee (Mark Morales). I will never forget you, and you are greatly missed. Continue to carry the torch, Kool Rock-Ski!”
LIMEHOF has long recognized the unique talent and contributions that Long Island artists brought to the hip-hop genre. Notable hip-hop inductees include LL Cool J, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Kurtis Blow, Whodini, Salt-N-Pepa, and EPMD. Earlier this year, LIMEHOF held an event to honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop which had a strong participation and turnout from Long Island artists.
“This historic induction—coupled with our recent 50thAnniversary of Hip-Hop Concert—cements Long Island’s legacy as one of the most important regions in the country for contributing to hip-hop’s long-term success,” said Ernie Canadeo, LIMEHOF Chairman.
“Inducting The Fat Boys into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is a tribute to their enduring influence—recognizing their role in shaping the genre and inspiring generations,” said Tom Needham, LIMEHOF Vice Chairman and longtime host of the “Sounds of Film” radio show, and who organized the induction event.
At the induction ceremony, Kool Rock-Ski announced that he is working on a documentary film about The Fat Boys and intends to hold the premiere at LIMEHOF when it’s released.
For more information about events and future inductions, please visit the LIMEHOF website.
About LIMEHOF
Founded in 2004, the Long Island Music Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island’s musical and entertainment heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization, which encompasses New York State’s Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and Kings (Brooklyn) Counties, was created as a place of community that inspires and explores Long Island music and entertainment in all its forms.
In 2022, LIMEHOF opened its first Hall of Fame building location in Stony Brook Village. To date, the organization has inducted more than 120 musicians and music industry executives and also offers education programs and scholarships, and awards to Long Island students and educators.
Brooklyn band Big Bliss is set to drop their latest album Vital Return on August 18. Created by brothers Cory and Tim Race, and joined by Wallace May, Big Bliss has fostered an impressive and unique sound since 2015. Vital Return showcases the group’s ability to seamlessly incorporate elements of alt-rock, post-punk, indie-pop, and more into a cohesive body of work.
Big Bliss by Kevin Condon
The album is a profound and bold exploration into themes of sobriety, death, trauma, and recovery. Produced by Jonathan Schenke, Vital Return harnesses these difficult and unsettling ideas into a web of interconnected songs. While each track stands alone, there is an aura of anxiety and confusion that permeates each title on the project. Despite the intense nature of the topics, Big Bliss is still able to construct an enjoyable and hopeful album.
As a band, and also as individuals, were thrust into some massive changes starting around 2019… Many of which felt too heavy to surmount – the tumult of addiction/early sobriety and familial grief being at the top of the heap. We did make it though. Ultimately the record is about that: reemergence, about coming out the other side.
Tim Race
The Album
Marked by atmospheric layered sounds along with pounding drums, “A Seat at the Table” lays the foundation for what is to come in Vital Return. The opening track manages to be up-tempo and hypnotic, while also featuring tense and sincere lyrics. The song flows perfectly into the second track on the album “Sleep Paralysis.” Big Bliss expertly balances noisy instrumentation with melancholic and compelling vocals on the song. In “Sleep Paralysis,” the group details a decidedly confusing yet meaningful relationship. Poignant lyrics like “Am I falling or not? Hope I wake before landing” cut through the song’s catchy indie-rock soundscape.
While Big Bliss certainly doesn’t break down any walls with their vocal performances, the album is full of powerful and raw lyrics. Each song on Vital Return has a level of emotionality that can be heard with almost every breath. “Solace” is one of the band’s most moving songs and helps to show how versatile and varied the band can be. The track has an alt-rock sound but even features influences of contemporary folk-rock. “Solace” is laced with a frantic and inescapable feeling of being unable to escape from the past. The group is constantly searching for some reprieve from their trauma, singing “Nothing is just as it seems, some invisible violence arriving.” The song is haunting yet hopeful, a perfect representation of the album as a whole.
Big Bliss by Kevin Condon
Big Bliss is at their post-punk best with “Tell Me When You’re Ready” and “Off Guard.” Both offerings include fast-paced driving instrumentation which injects a sense of positivity into the project. While the songs are by no means free of the distress and discomfort that is standard with Vital Return, they mark a steady shift in the album. Both tracks are keenly self-aware and acknowledge the issues that Big Bliss struggle with. Although much of the album’s lyrics are abstract and symbolic, the writing starts to become more specific as the project progresses. “Tell Me When You’re Ready” is almost a call to action as the lyrics “I’ll figure out what I’m missing, I’ll draw it out of the ground, draw it out of my mouth” ring out as some of the first signs of recovery in the album.
As the ten-track project comes to a close, the group sonically and emotionally seem to turn a corner. “Vital Return,” the album’s title-track, caps off the project with a cathartic and dreamy sound. Big Bliss depart slightly from their often noisy production and opt for smoother, more stripped-back instrumentation. The writing on “Vital Return” indicates signs of stability and empowerment. The lyrics, “I have built a city and burned it down, now I know my grief is somewhere under the wreckage, for the first time I will dig it up” testify to how far Big Bliss has come. The song is not meant to represent complete closure but rather a sign that things are heading in the right direction.
Big Bliss by A.F. Cortés
Conclusion
Vital Return is a beautiful and authentic project that ultimately looks to tell the story of progress. Big Bliss don’t try to bite off more than they can chew and instead stick to the sounds, melodies, and lyrics that organically fit their performance range. While the instrumentation on certain songs can overpower the writing, each track still has a sense of emotion and purpose. The band’s varied musical influences spiral together to create a distinctive sound that resonates with each note. Vital Return is a truly cohesive and unified album that somehow manages to maintain the same earnest atmosphere throughout.
Former bassist and singer of Deep PurpleGlenn Hughes, known to millions as the ‘Voice of Rock,’ a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and the front man for rock super group Black Country Communion, has just announced a tour devoted to celebrating music from BURN and other classic hits from Deep Purple’s rich back catalog – during a tour that will mostly see Hughes co-headlining with notable guitarist Yngqie Malmsteen. The tour across the U.S. will stop in several cities across New York, including Hudson Falls, Poughkeepsie, and New York City.
Billed as “Glenn Hughes Performs The 50th Anniversary of Deep Purple’s BURN Live”, Hughes will perform classic hits from the legendary album, and the addition of Deep Purple MKIII and MKIV songs. Glenn’s band will feature Soren Andersen (guitar), Ash Sheehan (drums) and Ed Roth (keyboards).
“It was 50 years ago, in the summer of 1973, that the BURN album by Deep Purple was written at Clearwell castle in Gloucestershire UK,” reminisces Hughes. “It was recorded in October in Montreux, Switzerland.”
Continues Hughes, “We all became one in this centuries old castle in the UK countryside, it felt like Deep were a new band, with David (Coverdale) and I as new members, we couldn’t wait to start working on new song. The atmosphere was electric, in such amazing surroundings.”
“All the songs on Burn were written in the crypt/dungeon, underneath the great hall. We worked on a new song every day, and we were in the flow. Musically we would play, and work out ideas, and David and I would come up with vocal melodies that would later have lyrics. I remember it like it was yesterday.”
“As you could imagine, Ritchie Blackmore was in full prankster mode, Jon had warned me, and he rigged my room one night with a speaker that was hidden, and had ghostly voices delivered to my bedside.”
“The title track was the last song to be written. We came back from the pub, and went down into the crypt, and magic happened.”
Concludes Hughes, “It’s time to celebrate BURN, and I’m really looking forward to seeing you!”
Glenn Hughes Biography
Glenn Hughes is an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the MK 3 line up of Deep Purple. He spent the formative years of his career as the beloved bassist and vocalist of the group and performed on the classic albums Burn (1974), Stormbringer (1974) and Come Taste The Band (1975).
The vocalist/bass guitarist/songwriter is a true original. No other rock musician has carved such a distinctive style blending the finest elements of hard rock, soul and funk. Stevie Wonder once called Hughes his favorite white singer. The first important band Hughes was a member of that achieved notable success was Trapeze.
In 1973, Hughes joined Deep Purple. The trailblazing hard-rock legends had just weathered the departure of vocalist Ian Gillan and bass guitarist Roger Glover, but guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice continued with the addition of Hughes and David Coverdale.
Since 1992, Hughes has toured extensively in Europe, Japan, and South America in support of solo albums. He’s recorded four studio albums with the multi-award-winning supergroup Black Country Communion featuring guitarist Joe Bonamassa, keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) and drummer Jason Bonham, son of the late Led Zeppelin legend John Bonham.
In 2016 he released his critically acclaimed solo album Resonate featuring the rock radio hit “Heavy” and in 2017 he released Black Country Communion’s fourth studio album BCCIV to ecstatic reviews.
In 2019, Glenn joined the Dead Daises as their lead singer and bass guitarist, recorded two albums, HolyGround (2021) and Radiance (2022) and toured the world.
Jonathan Wilson released his latest single, “The Village is Dead,” ahead of the release of his upcoming album, Eat the Worm.
Wilson, a North Carolina native, moved to Los Angeles 15 years ago. There, he became an integral part of the music community as a respected artist and producer. Also in Los Angeles, Wilson recorded his previous albums Gentle Spirit (2011), Fanfare (2013), and Rare Birds (2018).
Just prior to the pandemic, Wilson went to Nashville to record what would become Dixie Blur (2020). These were a collection of songs that harkened back to his Southern roots, both musically and personally. Dixie Blur found Wilson reaching back to the musical foundation of his upbringing while simultaneously moving forward by infusing the music with modern textures and aesthetic soundscapes
Wilson also has his own Fivestar Studios in Topanga Canyon, CA. This allowed him to devote as much time as he wanted to fine-tune the tracks.
“There are a lot of details to the songs,” Wilson said. “There’s a lot of experimentation, and almost none of the songs started as me with a guitar. I really wanted something that sounded fresh and new.”
In “The Village is Dead,” Wilson laments the evolution of New York’s Greenwich Village. While folk clubs once reigned supreme in the 1960s, the area is now gentrified and more upscale.
It’s my homage to the one-time folk revival of the ‘60s in Greenwich Village, with visions of Moondog and Dave Van Ronk crawling down MacDougal Street. But I’ve set it in 2021, where all you find is a few dozen vape shops, karaoke at the Gaslight, beer pong at the Cafe Wah, and wealthy young college boys strutting around NYU’s corner of Manhattan. At the end of the song, just as the strings rise and the music reaches a climax, two young Zoomers set fire in my narrative to Jimi Hendrix’s old guitar, at which point I throw in the towel, stating officially that ‘The Village is Dead.’
Jonathan Wilson
You can listen to Jonathan Wilson’s new song on all streaming services.
As colleges are preparing to welcome back students, the University at Albany is anticipating the music as its Department of Music and Theatre has announced its upcoming performances for the 2023-2024 season. The performances will begin on Sept. 19 and will take place at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center.
The Music and Theatre programs have prepared for a year jam-packed with incredible musical talent. The Music program itself will present twenty-three performances while the Theatre Program will prepare three full productions offering five to six performances of each show plus its annual festival of new plays written and conducted by students.
Tickets for all shows are now available for purchase here.
Full 2023-2024 Schedule
Viva Mexico
Tuesday, September 19, 2023, at 7 pm
Pianist Max Lifchitz celebrates the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month performing a recital featuring music by Mexican composers.
Tangos & More
Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 7 pm
Pianist Max Lifchitz marks the ending of Hispanic Heritage Month performing a recital featuring dance-inspired music from the Americas.
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
• Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 8 pm
• Thursday, October 19, 2023, at 8 pm
• Friday, October 20, 2023, at 3 pm
• Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 2 pm & 8 pm
• Sunday, October 22, 2023, at 3 pm
This poetic drama, about the choices in the life of a young artist, made the yet-unknown playwright an overnight sensation. It’s an American classic: envisioned for our world today and our unique theatre in the round.
UAlbany Symphony Orchestra & Concert Band
Sunday, October 22, 2023, at 1 pm and Thursday, March 14, 2024, at 7:30 pm
Two of the University’s large ensembles present a shared program.
The Choral Hour
Saturday, October 28, 2023, at 3 pm and Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 3 pm
The UAlbany Chamber Singers and Community Chorale perform separately and combined in a program of music from a wide array of styles and cultures.
Senior Recital
Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at 7 pm
This program of guitar music features solo classical pieces as well as jazz ensemble selections arranged by Sam Piazza.
Clyde’s by Lynn Nottage
• Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 8 pm
• Thursday, November 16, 2023, at 8 pm
• Friday, November 17, 2023, at 3 pm
• Saturday, November 18, 2023, at 2 pm & 8 pm
• Sunday, November 19, 2023, at 2 pm
The most produced play in America in 2022, this comedy, by the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Sweat and Intimate Apparel, is set in the kitchen of a truck stop where the art of making a sandwich is perfected by a group of formerly incarcerated individuals.
Bach to Broadway
Friday, November 17, 2023, at 7:30 pm
Students in the vocal program perform staged versions of classical and contemporary song repertoire.
Miolina: The Dueling Violinists
Wednesday, November 29, 2023, at 4 pm
Mioi Takeda and Lynn Bechtold perform music for two violins by contemporary composers including Capital District composers Hilary Tann, Max Lifchitz, and Rain Worthington.
Student Recitals
Friday, December 1, 2023, and Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 6 pm
A host of performers showcase their vocal and instrumental talents as part of their departmental studies.
Holiday Concert
Sunday, December 3, 2023, at 3 pm
Music Program ensembles (Chorale, Chamber Singers, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Symphony Orchestra) are joined by student groups (Serendipity, Pitch Please) for a concert celebrating the season.
UAlbany Percussion Ensemble & Jazz Band
Monday, December 4, 2023, at 7 pm
Two of the University’s large ensembles present a shared program.
American Romantics
Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at 7 pm
Pianist Max Lifchitz performs piano music by American composers.
Albagli & Friends
Friday, February 16, 2024, at 7 pm
Faculty member Richard Albagli and his top students perform a percussion recital.
“To Refresh Their Spirits” – Keyboard Music of Bach and Handel
Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 7:30 pm
Pianist Kuok-Wai Lio presents two great works side by side: the Handel Chaconne in G Major, HWV435, and Bach’s Goldberg Variations, BWV 988.
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
• Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at 8 pm
• Thursday, March 7, 2024, at 8 pm
• Friday, March 8, 2024, at 3 pm
• Saturday, March 9, 2024, at 2 pm & 8 pm
• Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 2 pm
Unfolding with music and merriment, a nearly all-female cast of players takes on Shakespeare’s classic comedy about the politics of empowerment and who wears the pants when two fabulously headstrong individuals fall in love.
Festival of Contemporary Music
Monday, March 11, 2024, at 7 pm
This concert of percussion music features four ensembles.
Music by Women Composers
Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 7 pm
Pianist Max Lifchitz marks Women’s History Month by performing music by women composers.
Fresh Acts
• Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 8 pm
• Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 8 pm
• Friday, April 12, 2024, at 3 pm
• Saturday, April 13, 2024, at 2 pm & 8 pm
This spring festival of brand-new plays is written, directed, and performed by students, the future of American theatre.
Showcase Concert
Friday, April 12, 2024, at 7:30 pm
Vocal students complete their study of the operatic and oratorio repertoire with this staged production.
Youth Movements XVI
Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 3 pm
The annual festival includes musicians of all ages from around the Capital Region.
UAlbany Jazz Band
Monday, April 22, 2024, at 8 pm
Directed by Keith Pray, this student and community ensemble presents a concert featuring classic and contemporary jazz.
UAlbany Symphony Orchestra
Sunday, April 28, 2024, at 3 pm
With conductor Christopher David Neubert, this large ensemble performs works representing outstanding repertoire from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The Sound of the Trumpets, The Roar of the Drums
Monday, April 29, 2024, at 7 pm
The UAlbany Concert Band and UAlbany Percussion Ensemble present a shared program.
Snow Ridge Ski Resort, the former home of moe.down, in Turin, NY, was recently hit by a confirmed EF-3 tornado, causing extensive damage to several lifts, outbuildings, the cat, and more.
Snow Ridge damage, photo courteous of moe.
One of the longest-running music festivals in New York State, moe.down, was started in 2000 by the jam band moe. No one knew what to expect, and the first installment featured a hodgepodge of talent including, of course, moe., Martin Sexton, Les Claypool, David Grisman, and Charlie Hunter, among others at Snow Ridge in Turin.
The festival ran for three days and took place every Labor Day Weekend since 2000, however, the last one was in 2019. It attracted nearly 12,000 revelers a year. moe.down not only drew crowds because of its epic lineup of music but for its hilarious and quirky events that are fit for all ages such as its annual Campaign for Mayor or the opportunity to take part in overnight community camping.
The festival attracted a diverse array of established and up-and-coming musicians, featuring an eclectic mix of jam, pop-rock, jazz, and other genres. Past performers have included Dr. Dog, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, TV On the Radio, Slightly Stoopid, The Black Keys, The Flaming Lips, and more.
More of the damage, photo provided by Snow Ridge.
With hundreds of trees down and their base area covered in debris, Snow Ridge will be holding a volunteer day on Aug. 26 starting at 10 a.m. to aid in the efforts of cleanup. They ask you to bring your own equipment, with lunch provided. If you’re unable to help clean up, there is a fundraiser set up to cover the things insurance won’t.
Snow Ridge is a staple among the famoe.ly, and needs the community’s help to rebuild. For more information about the resort and to help out, visit here.
Brooklyn-based indie-rock duo hunter & wolfe released their new full-length album, I deserve this. The group, made up of Michael Maffei and Sundeep Kapur, previously released singles in anticipation of the album release, such as “Last Time,” “Famous Friends,” and “When I Wake Up,” each of which has a sound reminiscent of indie-rockers like Elliot Smith and St. Vincent.
To further celebrate the release of their new album, hunter & wolfe have also shared a lyric video for the album’s focus track, “Go For It.” As Maffei wrote on the track: “‘Go For It’ is a song about the phase of denial and loneliness that can come from loss. I’d recently lost a friend and wrote about the thread between those feelings and those I’d experienced from previous losses in my life.”
About hunter & wolfe
The Brooklyn-based indie duo has a unique way of conveying complicated emotions, often pairing them with sarcasm and loud indie-rock stylings. The group draws inspiration from notable artists of the indie genre, including Elliot Smith, St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers, and more.
Hunter & wolfe released their first album back in 2011, a self-titled EP, and a full-length album, Days and Works. Their most recent album, Late Then Never, has been recognized on several platforms, and featured in Spotify’s Fresh Finds, Impose Magazine, and The Deli Magazine among others.
The group’s most recent album, I deserve this., was written through sleepless nights about sleepless nights. The album is truly about the self-importance to think you deserve something, paired with the self-loathing to think that what you deserve is nothing good. Vocalist Michael Maffei and guitarist Sundeep Kapur’s message of ennui, lost love, and the paradox of choice in the modern era reflect both seriousness and the self-awareness to not take themselves too seriously.
The songs were written by Michael Maffei, and the record was co-produced by Asher Kurtz, Sundeep Kapur, and Michael Maffei. The record features Michael Maffei (vocals, guitar, piano), Sundeep Kapur (lead guitar), Anders Kapur (bass), Sean Mullins (drums, percussion), Chris Baum (violin), and Asher Kurtz (guitar). It also features vocals from Asher Kurtz (Anyone) and Gabbi Coenen of RVBY MY DEAR (Laugh Lines).
Listen to I deserve this. here, and view the lyric video to “Go For It” below.
National Black Theatre (NBT) recently announced that it would be joining the production team for the revival of Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch. The venture marks the second consecutive season that NBT will be on Broadway, following its acclaimed production of Fat Ham. Previews will begin on Sept. 7 and opening is set for Sept. 27 at The Music Box Theatre.
Jonathan McCrory, Leslie Odom Jr., Sade Lythcott (Credit: Jennifer Broski/Broadway World)
Artist Dr. Barbara Ann Teer founded National Black Theater in 1968. Recognized as the longest-running Black theatre in New York City, NBT has received Tony and Emmy nominations. The organization aims to produce powerful works of theatre that “shift the inaccuracies around African Americans’ cultural identity by telling authentic stories of Black lives.” NBT also serves as a space for learning, using arts to educate and empower those in the community. Based in Harlem, the Theatre is set to undergo a capital redevelopment project that will transform the space “into a 21st-century destination for Black culture.”
We are delighted to welcome the venerated National Black Theatre, under the leadership of Sade Lythcott and Jonathan McCrory, to the producing team of Purlie Victorious. Their participation and input into the production seems especially appropriate, since both the play and National Black Theatre… emerged in the 1960’s, during a period of intense social upheaval and cultural reexamination.
Producers Jeffrey Richards and Irene Gandy
Legendary playwright, actor, and activist Ossie Davis originally penned Purlie Victorious. The comedy details the story of a Black preacher returning to his small hometown in Georgia. Based in the era of Jim Crow, the preacher looks to save the community’s church and free the cotton pickers working on a nearby plantation. The play premiered on Broadway in 1961 and initally featured actors Alan Alda, Godfrey Cambridge, Sorrell Booke and Beah Richards. For its 100th performance, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited the company and celebrated the milestone with them.
Kenny Leon will direct the latest rendition of the iconic play. Actors Leslie Odom Jr, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Billy Eugene Jones, Noah Pyzik, Noah Robbins, and many more set to star Purlie Victorious. The performance will also feature contributions from Tony Award winner Derek McLane who will be responsible for scenic design.
United in vision and intention, it is a privilege to partner with National Black Theatre on the revival of Purlie Victorious. Creativity, ingenuity, resources, and a touch of class—our room is better for having them in it!
Leslie Odom Jr.
NBT is led by CEO Sade Lythcott and Executive Artistic Director Jonathan McCrory. The group hosts more than 90,000 visitors annually and has produced over 300 original works.
Tickets are on sale here. Call 212-239-6200 or in person at The Music Theatre box office. Here for more details and information.
The co-led, cooperative NY music project, Elysium Furnace Works is set to welcome the legendary creative forces Eugene Chadbourne and Jim McHugh in the Fall. The duo will perform at the VBI Theatre of Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center in Poughkeepsie on Sept. 14 at 8:00 PM.
Although this performance will not be the first time that the artists have performed as a dynamic duo, the musicians are both stars in their own right. Chadbourne is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, author, and all-around creative artist having performed on over 358 albums with artists ranging from John Zorn and Jello Biafra to the Violent Femmes and Camper Van Beethoven. His genre knows no bounds, originally exploring the conventions of rock and pop and later switching over to the bottleneck blues. On the other hand, McHugh took to rock music and stuck there, being an essential part of the New York City-based ensemble The Sunwatchers. The artist himself is an incredibly talented guitarist and vocalist whose contributions have shaped the band’s sound.
Together, the pair is unmatched, from their intimate live performances to their nine-track record Bad Scene released back in 2021. Eugene Chadbourne and Jim McHugh’s performance scheduled for Sept. 14 will see the duo perform original music, covers, and so much more. Interested parties can get their tickets here.
