Season 33 (Grandel Theatre)

Black Nativity by Langston Hughes

  November 27 - December 27, 2009

"One of the most beloved events for you and your family to attend during the Christmas season is a presentation of Black Nativity by Langston Hughes. Hughes called it a “gospel song play.”

Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

January 13 - February 14, 2010

The summer of love gives way to a summer of hate as two families fight to rule the streets. Inspired by social movements and popular music of the late '60's, The Black Rep's dynamic production of Romeo and Juliet follows the Montagues and Capulets in their tragic dance with honor and destiny. And in the middle of it all, the world's most famous couple reminds us that love is the real revolution.

Yesterdays: An Evening with Billie Holiday, Reenie Upchurch, featuring Vanessa Rubin as Billie Holiday

February 24 - March 14, 2010

May 1959. A New York club is the stage for a stunning night of music - the last performance of the soulful, incomparable Billie Holiday. Now critically acclaimed jazz vocalist Vanessa Rubin portrays the legend in a night of song and story, featuring Billie's unforgettable classics including "My Man", "Strange Fruit", and "God Bless the Child".

Here's a link to watch Vanessa Rubin perform Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaW2alvEZcE

Five Guys Named Moe, Musical by Clarke Peters, featuring Louis Jordan's Greatest Hits

March 24 - April 25, 2010

Nomax, whose girlfriend has left him and who is without money, finds Big Moe, Four-Eyed Moe, Eat Moe, No Moe, and Little Moe emerging from his 1930s-style radio to comfort him. They sing the hit songs of songwriter and saxophonist Louis Jordan, whose new slant on jazz paved the way for rock and roll in the 1950s.

Art by Yasmina Reza

May 5 - May 23, 2010

Art concerns the cataclysmic effect on three friends,Serge, Marc, and Yvan, when Serge purchases and expensive work of abstract art- a large painting consisting of white lines on a white canvas. As the three men engage in an ongoing debate over the value of the painting, emotions run high and the conflict escalates to the point of nearly destroying a long-standing friendship.

The Me Nobody Knows, Music by Gary William Friedman, Lyrics by Will Holt

June 2 - July 2, 2010

A compelling musical based on the anthologized writings of more than 200 inner city youth collected by school teacher Stephen M. Joseph. At odds with a squalid setting and a cynical, materialistic view of the world, themes of hope and renewal emerged.

For more information on any of these upcoming events contact The Black Rep Box Office at (314) 534-3807.