THE COLONY THEATRE PRESENTS THE FIRST PRODUCTION
OF ITS 2013-2014 SEASON
BREATH AND IMAGINATION:
The Story of Roland Hayes
A West Coast Premiere by Daniel Beaty
Limited Engagements opens Saturday, September 14 at the Colony Theatre in Burbank
August
13, 2013...Burbank... The Colony Theatre is thrilled to present the
West Coast Premiere of
BREATH
AND IMAGINATION: The Story of Roland Hayes,
a
true story
by
Daniel Beaty, directed by Saundra McClain, with Musical Direction by
Rahn Coleman.
BREATH
AND IMAGINATION
will preview on Wednesday, September 11; Thursday, September 12; and
Friday, September 13 at 8:00pm and will open on Saturday, September
14 at 8:00pm and continue through Sunday, October 13.
Long
before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, before
Hattie McDaniel won an Oscar for the role of Mammy in
Gone
with the Wind
or the Tuskegee Airmen won honors as black pilots in World War II,
Roland Hayes made history as the first world-renowned
African-American classical singer. The son of slaves, he grew up in
poverty on a Georgia plantation. As a man, he became the toast of
two continents, headlining at Carnegie Hall and singing for kings and
queens of Europe, blazing a path for Paul Robeson, Marian Anderson,
and countless others who came after. A major celebrity in his time,
today he has been largely (and inexplicably) forgotten. Until now. In
this extraordinary, inspiring play filled with music, audiences
will discover how the gift of his father's pocket watch set him on
his remarkable journey to greatness.
ABOUT
THE CREATIVE TEAM
DANIEL
BEATY (Playwright)
is an award-winning actor, singer, writer and motivational speaker. His
critically acclaimed plays
Through
the Night, Emergency, and
Mr. Joy
have been performed at venues ranging from Lincoln Center to the
White House, and garnered numerous awards including an Obie Award for
writing and performance and two NAACP Theater Awards.
Through
the Night
and
Emergency
both played extended, sold-out runs at LA's Geffen Playhouse. His
new solo play on the life of Paul Robeson,
The
Tallest Tree in the Forest,
will have its World Premiere this fall at the La Jolla Playhouse,
directed by Moisés Kaufman, and be performed at the Mark Taper Forum
in spring of 2014. He
is a highly requested keynote speaker and thought leader, an adjunct
professor at Columbia University, a diversity trainer and a youth
development specialist. In the fall of 2013, Beaty will launch a
nationwide initiative (funded by W.K. Kellogg and Ford Foundation,
among others) using the tools of storytelling to help individuals and
communities heal trauma. He holds a B.A. with Honors in English and
Music from Yale University and an MFA in Acting from the American
Conservatory Theatre. His poem
Knock
Knock has
been transformed into a children's book of the same title, published
by Little Brown Books. Penguin-Random House will publish his
empowerment book
Transforming
Pain to Power
in February 2014. www.DanielBeaty.com
SAUNDRA
McCLAIN
(Director) received rave reviews this season for her direction of
Ain't
Misbehavin'
at International City Theatre as well as her productions of
Frankie
and Johnny in the Clair De Lune, The Fantasticks and
In the Continuum
at Ensemble Theatre in Santa Barbara. Recent productions include
Ain't
Misbehavin' and
Spunk
at Two River Theatre. Her production of
Ain't
Misbehavin'
at Playhouse on the Green won the Drama Critics' Award for Best
Ensemble in Connecticut. As adjunct professor at Queens College, she
directed Sophocles'
Electra
and also created and taught the Black Theater Workshop. She directed
Death
of a Salesman, Antigone, To Be Young, Gifted and Black. and
The Women of Plums
for Kennedy Center's Youth and Family Programs, and at Henry Street
Settlement,
Dark
of the Moon, Hello Out There, Don't See My Bones, and
Think I Am Dead.
At UBU Rep,
A
Modest Proposal,
and at Cherry Lane Theatre,
Harriet's
Return,
a one-woman show which toured nationally for five years, along with
Of
Ebony Embers-
Vignettes
of the Harlem Renaissance,
a one-man show with chamber orchestra. She was Artistic Director of
Troupe NY, which adapted classic works forthe
schools and developed new works with emerging playwrights and
directors. She is a lifetime
member of the Actors Studio, an ensemble member of Antaeus Theatre
Company, and is Artist in Residence at Ensemble Theatre Company in
Santa Barbara. As an author, Ms. McClain is recipient of an NEA
grant for her musical
Storm
Warning; Caribe,
currently in development with composer Kathryn Bostic, and was
workshopped at Kennedy Center and the ASCAP/Disney Workshop in Los
Angeles. She is also collaborating with Emmy Award-winning composers
Bobby Daye and Tom Kochan on
Ties
That Bind.
She has just returned from National Black Theatre Festival 2013
where she performed her one-woman show,
Barbara
Jordan: A Rendezvous with Destiny.
RAHN
COLEMAN
(Musical Director) has served as musical director, conductor, and
pianist for
Play
On, Purlie, Blues in the Night, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and
Grill, The Wiz, Ain't Misbehavin, Ray (Charles), Play On, Sammy
(Davis), Baby it's You, and
Williams and Walker
to name a few. A product of extensive classical training having
studied under the renowned teacher Nadia Boulangier, Rahn has over 25
years of professional experience, and has performed, conducted
coached, and arranged for such notables as Aretha Franklin, Freda
Payne, Nichelle Nichols, Michael Feinstein, Gladys Knight, Barry
White, The Ojays, The Temptations, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Sarah
Vaughn, the Philadelphia Philharmonic, and the Clinton Presidential
Inaugural Orchestra. He is the recipient of national and
international critical acclaim and always in the running for top
honors. Hailed as one of the most effective performance coaches in
the world, he has also shared his artistic gifts through service as
Minister of Music at Christ the King and Faith Lutheran churches in
Southern California. He is producing director of "The Mystic
Knight Recorder," L.A's leading underground studio, where new
vistas for world class music and its performance are in constant
creation.
ABOUT
THE CAST AND DESIGN TEAM
ELIJAH
ROCK
(Roland Hayes) was born in Cleveland, where he grew up singing in
church and was discovered by the Cleveland Orchestra Children's
Chorus and the Cleveland Opera Children's Chorus. While in high
school, he studied classical voice at the world-renowned Interlochen
Arts Camp for two summers. In his senior year, he had the honor of
being one of the first vocalists to be accepted into the prestigious
Cleveland Institute of Music Young Artist Program. Also in
Cleveland, he studied comedy and drama at the Karamu House Theatre,
the oldest African-American theatre in the country. LA beckoned him
as a soloist for the Los Angeles Jubilee Singers, singing Negro
Spiritual music in concert halls around the world. After moving to
Harlem, his diverse skill set landed him leading roles in productions
off-Broadway and in regional theatres across the country. His stage
credits include
Fences,
Jitney,
Vaudeville,
To
Be Young Gifted and Black, Hoodoo Love,
Baby
Its You, Sophisticated Ladies, Paradise
(a World Premiere bluegrass musical), Adrian in
Smokey
Joe's Café,
the iconic role of Coalhouse Walker Jr. in
Ragtime
and, most recently, Anatoly in
Chess
at the East West Players in LA. His film credits include the comedy
3
Blind Saints
and the upcoming independent drama
Salvation
Street,
set to release in December, 2013. His debut jazz vocal single,
That
First Time,
and his debut jazz vocal album,
Elijah
Rock LIVE in Hollywood,
are available on iTunes and Amazon. He is also a professional tap
dancer, and continues to study classical voice privately with
Vladimir Chernov.
KARAN
KENDRICK
(Angel Mo', the mother of Roland Hayes) marks her Los Angeles
theatre debut with
Breath
and Imagination.
Other work includes NY Theatre:
Goddess
(Workshop), Eugene O'Neill Musical Theatre Conference;
Macbeth,
Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death...Classical
Theatre of Harlem; Regional Theatre: Hartford Stage, Arena Stage,
Goodman Theatre, Alliance Theatre, True Colors Theatre, Portland
Center Stage. TV/Film:
Law
and Order: CI, Army Wives, Drop Dead Diva, The Wronged Man,
The
Hunger Games, Parental Guidance, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Madea
Goes to Jail,
and the upcoming
A Friggin' Christmas Miracle.
KEVIN
ASHWORTH
(The Accompanist))
is
thrilled to be working at The Colony Theatre for the first time.
Favorite stage credits include
Chapter
Two (Laguna
Playhouse),
The
Dinosaur Within (Theatre
@ Boston Court),
All
My Sons (Raven
Playhouse),
A
Streetcar Named Desire and
Musical of Musicals: The Musical! (Foothills
Theatre), and
1776 (Lyric
Stage). TV:
Scandal,
90210, CSI:
Miami,
Desperate
Housewives,
24 among
others. www.kevinashworth.com
The
Scenic Design for
BREATH
AND IMAGINATION is
by Shaun Motley (
Conversation
With My Father).
The Costume Design is by Dianne
K. Graebner (Ovation nominations
–
The
Brothers Karamazov and
Battle Hymn).
The Lighting Design is by Jared A. Sayeg (Ovation nominations –
Trying
and
Kiss
Me, Kate).
The Sound Design is by Dave Mickey (
American
Fiesta).
Props Design and Set Dressing is by Colony Theatre resident
designers MacAndMe.
ABOUT
THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING
BREATH
AND IMAGINATION
will
open on Saturday, September 14, at 8:00pm and continue through
Sunday, October 13. Performances for
BREATH
AND IMAGINATION
are
Thursdays & Fridays at 8:00pm; Saturdays at 3:00pm & 8:00pm;
and Sundays at 2:00pm. Ticket prices range from $25.00 - $45.00
(student, senior, and group discounts are available).
BREATH
AND IMAGINATION
will
preview on Wednesday, September 11; Thursday, September 12; and
Friday, September 13 at 8:00pm at The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third
Street (at Cypress) adjacent to the Burbank Town Center Mall.
Opening
night performance with reception - all tickets $50.00. There are
question-and-answer talkbacks after the performances on Friday,
September 20 and Thursday, October 2. For tickets, call the
Colony Theatre Box Office at 818/558-7000 ext. 15 or online at
www.ColonyTheatre.Org.
The award-winning Colony Theatre Company was
founded in 1975 as a 99-seat Equity-waiver theatre in Silver Lake. Over
the years the company was so successful artistically, and built such a
large subscriber base, that in 2000 it was able to move into a 270-seat
theatre created for it by the City of Burbank, becoming one of only 5
mid-size professional theatres in the LA area that produce a year-round
season of plays and musicals, and that employ actors under contract
with Actors' Equity Association.For more information, press interviews, photos, or for press comps,
please
contact David Elzer/DEMAND PR at 818/508-1754 or at DavidElzer@me.com or
visit
www.demandpr.com.
The theatre is located at 555 North Third
Street, at the corner of Cypress, in the heart of the Burbank Media
Center. For further information, call (818) 558-7000. Fax number: (818)
558-7110. E-mail: colonytheatre@colonytheatre.org.
Or visit our website at www.colonytheatre.