Colman Domingo to Direct New York City Children's Theater's A BAND OF ANGELS This Spring

by BWW News Desk Jan. 28, 2015

New York City Children's Theater (formerly Making Books Sing) will present A BAND OF ANGELS this spring, commemorating the ten-year anniversary of the musical along with the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War.

The production will be directed by award-winning star of the stage and screen, Colman Domingo. Domingo most recently appeared as Civil Rights leader Ralph Abernathy in the critically-acclaimed film Selma. New York City Children's Theater commissioned the late playwright Myla Churchill over ten years ago to adapt the children's book on which the show is based, and gave it a world premiere in 2005. That production received critical acclaim from The New York Times and other major press outlets.

New York City Children's Theater's new production of the musical A BAND OF ANGELS celebrates the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a choir still in operation today that was founded shortly after the Civil War at one of the first schools for freed slaves. The story focuses on Ella, a pop-culture obsessed teenager living in the present day who is transported back in time to meet the Jubilee Singers and gain a new appreciation for history and education. The show includes traditional African-American spirituals which will be performed a cappella.

"I am very excited that we are re-creating A BAND OF ANGELS for today's audiences," says New York City Children's Theater Artistic Director Barbara Zinn Krieger. "The subject is as relevant today as it was ten years ago, perhaps even more so, and is a fitting tribute to Myla and all those who fight for quality education for all people." Playwright Myla Churchill passed away unexpectedly last summer and the production will honor her memory as well.

A BAND OF ANGELS, written by Myla Churchill, directed by Colman Domingo with music direction by Kristen Rosenfeld, is adapted from the book "A Band of Angels" by Deborah Hopkinson. The production will run at Theater 3, located at 311 W. 43rd Street (bet. 8-9th Ave.), 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036, April 25th - May 10th, playing Sat. & Sun. at 2pm & 4pm. BAND OF ANGELS is appropriate for ages 8 to adult. Tickets: $25 (general admission); $45 (premium admission).

About New York City Children's Theater - New York City Children's Theater (formerly Making Books Sing) is a nonprofit organization that creates original, entertaining and enriching theater for young audiences and adults to enjoy together. We believe a city as culturally rich as New York needs a children's theater that produces high-quality original productions and develops robust arts-in-education programs, serving children in all communities across the five boroughs. In 1996, New York City Children's Theater began as the family theater and education program of the Tony Award-winning Vineyard Theatre. It became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2001. Over the last 18 years, our local and nationally recognized arts-in-education programs and professional theater productions have served over 100,000 children and adults across all five boroughs and surrounding communities in the tri-state area. We have increased arts accessibility for underserved communities in New York City through partnering with more than 400 urban schools and providing subsidized tickets to over 20,000 students. In addition, we have taught more than 2,000 teachers here and in California creative ways to integrate theater into their classroom instruction and distributed over 4,500 Curriculum Resource Packets and Anthologies to supplement course material.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski