Musical Theatre West will be celebrating Black History Month with programming that will honor Black Broadway artists, according to a press release from the theatre.
“Featuring three complementary components, this month-long tribute takes audiences on a virtual tour of some of the most important moments in Black Musical Theatre History,” the press release said.
The tribute will also introduce audiences to the many talents that helped create the Broadway Musical we know today.
Using social media, the theater will feature an icon of the day throughout the month of February, highlighting an artist and their contribution to musical theatre.
Stevi Meredith will be hosting Black Broadway History, which will stream live on Musical Theatre West’s Facebook and YouTube platforms each Friday in February at 7 p.m.
The live stream will feature free history classes, but donations are encouraged. Donations will go directly to the teaching artists, according to the press release.
The classes are as follows:
•February 5 – Florence Mills, Broadway’s Queen of Happiness
•February 12– Show Boat, Porgy and Bess
•February 19– Hello, Dolly, Your Arms Are Too Short to Box with God, Guys & Dolls, The Wiz
•February 26- Ragtime, The Color Purple, The Scottsboro Boys, Hamilton
On Saturdays at 11:00 a.m., 30-minute choreography classes will focus on the work of an influential Black choreographer. This will take place through Zoom with pre-registration required. This will be a “pay what you can” event, however, a $15 donation is recommended. All donations will go to the teaching artists.
The schedule is as follows:
•February 6 – Antoine T. Lee: Celebrating the work of Camille A. Brown (Tony nominee Choir Boy, Once on this Island, “Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert”)
•February 13 – TBA
•February 20 – TBA
•February 27 – Grasan Kingsberry: Celebrating the work of George Faison (The Wiz, Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope, “The Josephine Baker Story”)
More details will be available on the Musical Theater West website here, starting Thursday, Jan. 28.
To view Icon of the Day or to learn more about Musical Theater West, follow them on social media at:
Facebook: @musicaltheatrewest
Twitter: @musicalthtrwest
Instagram: @musicaltheatrewest
TikTok: @musicaltheatrewest
