FREE EVENT - We Are All Connected (Zoom)

In this time of COVID-19, it has become increasingly apparent that we are all reliant on each other.  To that end, MusicalFare will be having a roundtable discussion with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and white cast members of SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE, RAGTIME and VIOLET.  Subjects and outcomes will include:

·         Deeper understanding of the themes, characters, and storytelling in Smokey, Ragtime, and Violet from the perspectives of BIPOC

·         The different perspectives of white and BIPOC actors performing (in the case of SMOKEY JOE'S) music that was written by white composers but who's seminal performances were often by BIPOC artists

·         The through line of all of us, especially in these unprecedented times, being connected and how that resonates, or doesn't resonate, in the RAGTIME and VIOLET stories

·         The sharing of our collective creative processes

·         A conversation about race in the Buffalo performing arts ecosystem

·         Increased visibility and cultural capital as three-dimensional artists and thinkers

·         The creation of works about the BIPOC experience by non BIPOC writers (SMOKEY - Lieber/Stoller, RAGTIME - Ahrens/Flaherty and VIOLET-Tesori/Crawley) and what that says about the business of Broadway and Theatres in our country.

·         Conversely, how frequently are actors of color given the opportunity to perform work written and composed by people of color for white audiences?

·         Additional text-to-world connections with these productions and historical events/movements

The roundtable will be moderated by Thembi Duncan, Director of Arts Engagement and Education at Shea’s Performing Arts Center.  www.thembiduncan.com