DON'T BOTHER ME, I CAN'T COPE to Open at Black Theatre Troupe

Black Theatre Troupe turns up the volume with Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, a high-energy musical celebration packed with powerhouse vocals, exhilarating choreography and a live band, Oct. 23 through Nov. 8 at the Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center, 1333 E. Washington.

Directed and choreographed by Patdro Harris, with musical direction by Brenda Hankins and musical arrangements by Sanford Moore, the production brings together a dynamic ensemble of singers, dancers and musicians.

Rather than following a traditional plot, Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope unfolds as a musical revue, using songs and dance to capture Black life in the early 1970s, from love and relationships to urban life, Black pride, feminism and social change. Grant’s wide-ranging score moves through gospel, jazz, soul, funk, rock, calypso and ballads, mixing humor and social commentary with powerhouse vocals and big ensemble numbers.

Written by trailblazing composer and lyricist Micki Grant and conceived by Vinnette Carroll, Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope burst onto Broadway in 1972, running for more than 1,000 performances and earning four Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Original Score.

The musical also made Broadway history. Grant became the first Black woman to write the book, music and lyrics for a Broadway musical, breaking barriers at a time when few women, and even fewer Black women, were represented among Broadway writers and composers.

Harris, an accomplished director and choreographer whose work has been seen on stages across the country, brings his signature focus on music and movement to Black Theatre Troupe’s production.