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  • Tell Pharaoh

    Produced by DUNBAR REPERTORY COMPANY, Tell Pharaoh is a concert drama about Harlem, our nation’s foremost Black community, from the time of slavery all the way through the 21st century. Written by playwright Loften Mitchell who was part of a groundswell of writers that contributed to the Black American theatre movement in the 1960s, the play is a masterfully crafted and poetic recitation of a history that began long before the slave trade.

    “Mitchell reached his artistic heights as a dramatist in TELL PHARAOH, an eloquent ‘theater-at-the-lectern’ history of black people.”  —Darwin T. Turner, Contemporary Dramatists

    Directed by:
    Mark Antonio Henderson
    Starring:
    Darrell Lawrence Willis, Sr.
    Lorraine Stone
    Kirk Lambert
    Takia Clayton
    Featuring singers:
    Janet Clarke Graham
    Jazmin Graham
    Viveca Graham

  • Tell Pharaoh

    Produced by DUNBAR REPERTORY COMPANY, Tell Pharaoh is a concert drama about Harlem, our nation’s foremost Black community, from the time of slavery all the way through the 21st century. Written by playwright Loften Mitchell who was part of a groundswell of writers that contributed to the Black American theatre movement in the 1960s, the play is a masterfully crafted and poetic recitation of a history that began long before the slave trade.

    “Mitchell reached his artistic heights as a dramatist in TELL PHARAOH, an eloquent ‘theater-at-the-lectern’ history of black people.”  —Darwin T. Turner, Contemporary Dramatists

    Directed by:
    Mark Antonio Henderson
    Starring:
    Darrell Lawrence Willis, Sr.
    Lorraine Stone
    Kirk Lambert
    Takia Clayton
    Featuring singers:
    Janet Clarke Graham
    Jazmin Graham
    Viveca Graham

  • Cherish the Ladies

    One of America’s most heralded Irish music ensembles for the last 37 years, Cherish the Ladies has won the hearts of audiences worldwide with their rousing blend of traditional music, captivating vocals, and propulsive step dancing. Under the leadership of Joanie Madden, these extremely gifted women create a moving experience with a blend of virtuoso instrumentals, beautiful vocals, traditional and original arrangements along with stunning step dancing — all presented with extraordinary talent, creativity, and humor.

  • The Doo Wop Project

    Back by popular demand – The Doo Wop Project begins at the beginning: tracing the evolution of Doo Wop from the classic sound of five guys singing harmonies on a street corner to the biggest hits on the radio today. In their epic shows The Doo Wop Project takes audiences on a journey featuring foundational tunes from the Crests, Belmonts and Flamingos through the vocal artistry of Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, and The Four Seasons all the way to DooWopified versions of modern hits from Michael Jackson, Jason Mraz, Maroon 5, and Sam Smith.

    Featuring stars from the Broadway hits Jersey Boys, Motown: The Musical, and A Bronx Tale, The Doo Wop Project brings unparalleled authenticity of sound and vocal excellence to recreate—and in some cases entirely reimagine—the greatest music in American pop and rock history.

    Exact member-lineup is subject to change without notice

  • My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m Home For The Holidays!

    After last season’s sell-out, it’s another laugh-filled evening of family chaos from the award-winning writer and comedian Steve Solomon. Steve is back with more wild and hilarious stories – including holiday dinner at Grandma’s, where if you’re under 55, you STILL sit at the children’s table. A time of peace – a time of joy – a time of remembering why you left home in the first place!

    We’ll meet: Uncle Willie, Stuttering Cousin Bob, Demented Cousin Kenny, Steve’s new therapist Cousin Sal (and Sal’s parole officer) and a myriad of astounding characters we know, love and tolerate from our own families; each one brought to life on stage by Steve using his gift for creating voices dialects & wacky sound effects that only add to the hilarity of each story.

  • The Heart of Saturday Night the music of Tom Waits by Pat Guadagno & Small Change

    Pat Guadagno and some very special guests, celebrate the Head-Scratching, Mind-Bending, Brilliance of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tom Waits.

    Jazz, Rock Diva Eryn O’Ree and Shady Street Showman Ryan Gregg, join Guadagno and his band Small Change to deliver the Blood and Whiskey-Stained music of one of the most deviant and provocative artists of our time.

    In a career spanning 6 decades, Grammy Award winner Tom Waits recorded over 30 groundbreaking albums. His prolific catalogue, with theatrical tales of bungled romance, late night diners and early morning cold fronts sets the stage for a unique, innovative evening, as The Music of Tom Waits ‘cuts through the night like a Cleveland-bound Greyhound’ straight to The Heart of Saturday Night.

  • Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn

    Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, “the king and queen of the banjo” (Paste Magazine), have a musical partnership like no other. Béla Fleck is a fifteen-time Grammy Award winner who has taken the instrument across multiple genres, and Abigail Washburn a singer-songwriter and clawhammer banjo player who re-radicalized it by combining it with Far East culture and sounds.   The two met at a square dance, began collaborating musically and eventually fell in love. Over the years, they played together most visibly in the Sparrow Quartet alongside Ben Sollee and Casey Driessen and informally at a pickin’ party here, a benefit there, or occasionally popping up in each other’s solo shows. Fans of tradition-tweaking acoustic fare eagerly anticipated that Béla & Abigail would begin making music together as a duo.

    Fleck has the virtuosic, jazz-to-classical ingenuity of an iconic instrumentalist and composer with bluegrass roots. His collaborations range from his ground-breaking standard-setting ensemble Béla Fleck and the Flecktones to a staggeringly broad array of musical experiments.   From writing concertos for full symphony orchestra, exploring the banjo’s African roots, to jazz duos with Chick Corea, many tout that Béla Fleck is the world’s premier banjo player.  Washburn has the earthy sophistication of a postmodern, old-time singer-songwriter who has drawn critical acclaim for her solo albums. She has done fascinating work in folk musical diplomacy in China, presented an original theatrical production, and has contributed to singular side groups Uncle Earl and The Wu-Force.   In addition to being named a TED Fellow in 2012, Abigail was recently named the first US-China Fellow at Vanderbilt University, in addition to Carolina Performing Arts/Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s DisTil Fellow for 2018-2020

    On stage, Fleck & Washburn will perform pieces from their Grammy-winning self-titled debut as well as their new record, Echo in the Valley (Rounder 2017).   With one eye on using the banjo to showcase America’s rich heritage and the other pulling the noble instrument from its most familiar arena into new and unique realms, Bela & Abigail meet in the mean, head-on, to present music that feels wildly innovative and familiar at the same time.   Whether at home, on stage or on record, their deep bond, combined with the way their distinct musical personalities and banjo styles interact, makes theirs a picking partnership unlike any other on the planet.

    belafleck.com
    abigailwashburn.com

  • An Evening of Poetry, Jazz and “Harp”Beats with Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise, Robert Pinsky, Digba Ogunbiyi Quartet and Gregory Schwartz

    Join us for an evening of an evening of Poetry, Jazz and “Harp”Beats featuring – Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise’s hip-hop poetry with bluesy beats supported by the harp, New Jersey native and former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky’s “PoemJazz” with a reading and performance of poems in concert with a variety of jazz improvisations. Also featured on the evening’s bill are the Digba Ogunbiyi Quartet playing original compositions that are deeply rooted in Ogunbiyi’s Nigeria roots, yet highly informed by his years of studying Jazz; and an opening set by Gregory Schwartz, former recipient of the Poet Laureate of Asbury Park award.

    This event is part of the Monmouth University Summer Music and Arts Festival 2022.


    Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise
    Since the 2018 release of “Higher Grounds,” their first album, Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise have brought their unique blend of hip-hop, soul and classical traditions to various communities. Releasing their highly anticipated second album “Ké m yōōnədé” (2021), Kuf and Christine’s music explores themes of unity, spirituality and the infinite possibility of creating a better world. They fuse hip-hop poetry with bluesy beats supported by the harp. And, you can dance to it. They recently have been featured on NPR Music and WHYY.  Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise offer motivational creative arts workshops and performances at various settings such as hospitals, schools and community centers. Their mission is to use the power of music, personal experience and empathetic relation to help individuals grow to meet their fullest potential.

    Robert Pinsky
    New Jersey native Robert Pinsky (United States Poet Laureate 1997-2000) has devised a collaborative program which showcases his two great passions: poetry and jazz. Pinsky presents the human voice — the reading and performance of poems – in concert with a variety of jazz improvisations. In PoemJazz, Pinsky’s rich and textured voice takes on a role like that of a horn or wind instrument in conversation with melody and rhythm, creating an exchange between the sounds of poetry and of music. “In jazz, as in poetry,” says Robert Pinsky, “there is always that play between what’s regular and what’s wild. That has always appealed to me.”  Robert Pinsky has performed with Grammy-winning pianist Laurance Hobgood and other celebrated jazz musicians, including Vijay Iyer, Ben Allison, Bobby Bradford, and Stan Strickland.

    Digba Ogunbiyi Quartet
    The Digba Ogunbiyi quartet is a musical group that consists of Drummer Chris Paredes, Bassist Bill Moring, Alto saxophonist Jalin Shiver and pianist Digba Ogunbiyi. The quartet which is led by Digba Ogunbiyi started while he was a student at the New Jersey City University. As a pianist from Nigeria, he is obsessed with exploring sounds that are informed by his childhood experiences in Lagos. This is evident in his 2020 debut album “Ade’digba” which has been described as a “sound of hope for the African jazz community. ”With his quartet, Digba stretches the boundaries of genre often playing original compositions that are deeply rooted in his roots yet highly informed by his years of studying Jazz.

    Gregory Schwartz
    Gregory Schwartz, a former recipient of the Poet Laureate of Asbury Park award (2007), has been a resident poet at the MC Skate & Surf Break contest and the 2010 Bamboozle Festival. He has also been featured on the front page of the Asbury Park Press (2002, 2009, 2012), appeared in Steve Forbert’s music video “Sandy” and is a writer for Asbury Park Vibes.

  • Roger McGuinn

    As a co-founder of The Byrds, Roger McGuinn is firmly established as an indisputable industry icon. From his signature 12-string Rickenbacker sound, to his instantly recognizable vocals on hits like Turn, Turn, Turn, Eight Miles High and Mr. Tambourine Man, Roger McGuinn didn’t just make music; he made history.

    Roger McGuinn was already a veteran of the New York and Los Angeles music scenes when he co-founded the group that would become the Byrds with Gene Clark and David Crosby in 1964. Prior to forming the Byrds, Roger toured and performed with the Limeliters, Chad Mitchell Trio and Bobby Darin as a guitarist and banjo player. He was also the musical director on Judy Collins #3. In 1973, the legendary Byrds disbanded and Roger McGuinn went on to make five solo albums with Columbia Records, and continued to tour.

    In 1995 Roger McGuinn began The Folk Den Project. He records and uploads a traditional Folk song to his website www.Mcguinn.com as an effort to preserve traditional songs. Each month a different song is added to the site accompanied with lyrics and chords for free download.

    Today, Roger McGuinn offers shows that are as mesmerizing and magical as ever. He delivers the gift of an evening with a master that is as intimate as it is spellbinding. He’ll take you along a journey of story and song, populated by the “old friends” you expect to hear, as well as new acquaintances from the folk music that Roger so passionately embraces. This Grammy Award-winning artist tours the world delighting audiences with the songs and stories from his long and continually productive musical career.

  • Robert Klein

    Robert Klein is a pioneer in modern stand-up comedy who has inspired heavyweights like Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld. For more than forty years, he has entertained audiences, and he continues to have an acclaimed career in comedy, on Broadway, on television, and in film. Born in the Bronx, he was a member of the famed “Second City” theatrical troupe in Chicago. Robert has been nominated twice for Grammy Awards for “Best Comedy Album of the Year” for his albums “Child of the Fifties” and “Mind Over Matter.”

    In 1975, Klein was the first comedian to appear in a live concert on Home Box Office. He has gone on to do nine one-man shows for HBO and received his first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music and Lyrics in 2001 for Robert Klein: “Child in His 50’s.”

    His most recent special for HBO, “Robert Klein: Unfair and Unbalanced”  earned him a second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Currently, he can be seen on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” where he is a show favorite, and on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

    Opening Act: Max Adolf ’22 & Jenaé Louis-Jacques ’23