Music Hall presents an original American story – THE FIRST OF HIS KIND- THE ROLAND W. HAYES STORY

Music Hall presents an original American story - "The First Of His Kind- The Roland W. Hayes Story" a new musical theatre work commissioned by Music Hall, about the life and career of Roland Hayes, the groundbreaking African-American lyric tenor and composer who broke color barriers to become a world-renowned artist - acclaimed on the biggest stages in Europe and finally, in his own United States, on Saturday, December 3rd at 8:00 PM

Roland Hayes was a celebrated interpreter of European art songs and a pioneer in creating space in the classical repertoire for the Negro spiritual. In his heyday, Hayes was the only concert attraction who could fill both Carnegie Hall in New York and Symphony Hall in Boston three times a season. By all accounts, Hayes possessed not only great artistry, but a gentle dignity, and he reached across the color line to move audiences and critics alike.

"The First of His Kind's" principal performer is Mr. Travis Pratt - an African-American groundbreaker in his own right who is highly regarded in the upper echelons of the opera world and enjoys popular recognition following his acclaimed performances on Season 8 of 'America's Got Talent'. The work's Saturday evening (12/03) performance is the culmination of a week of presentations in Detroit high schools as part of Music Hall's High School Assembly program. The programs use music, theatre, and dance to spark curiosity and learning about a broad range of social themes and ideas along with Joel Fluent Greene, a Detroit based Poet, Author and Promoter. He was the long running host at Detroit's iconic, Cafe Mahogany poetry nights, which was a popular hub for creatives during the late 90s. As a performance poet and host, Fluent has shared the stage with acts and personalities as diverse as The Roots, Pharrell Williams, The Last Poets, Talib Kweli, Ledisi, Big Sean, Saul Williams, The Detroit Red Wings and many more. He was also director of Music Hall Center's Words and Rhythms of the D outreach program for 4 years and has held workshops and performances in over 50 schools in the Metro Detroit area. This will be his first full-fledged acting performance to add to his incredible list of accomplishments.

Tickets are $30 to $50 and includes preservation fee. Available at Music Hall Box office. 313 887-8500

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