Joël René Scoville and Jenna Gillespie Byrd Release Harlem Renaissance Concept Album

Joël René Scoville (Broadway-aimed Yasuke: The Legend of the Black Samurai lyricist and BMI alum) and Jenna Gillespie Byrd (Tick, Tick... Boom!, music director) are excited to released the concept album for their original musical 2&1: A Harlem Love Story with Loose Morals. Set to a contemporary techno jazz score, the album features Broadway actors Natalie Wachen (Merrily We Roll Along, Gypsy revival) Brandon Burks (Gypsy revival, Aladdin), Matthew Sims, Jr. (The Wiz revival, Book of Mormon tour), LA jazz fusion vocalist Adryon de León as well as the writers themselves.

The show synopsis reads:

"It's 1927; the Harlem Renaissance is in full swing and Negros are in vogue. Everybody who's anybody slums it uptown for a bit of hooch and a good time. Over in Sugar Hill, the sweet part of Harlem, Olivia is a writer determined to be successful like her male counterparts. One night at a wild party with femme boys and butch girls, she catches the eye of Irene, a promiscuous flapper who white-passes for financial stability. Moments later she's lip-locked in a passionate kiss and despite the rumblings of her gal pal Max, plunges into a torrid love affair. Life is a gas until Irene plots a sham marriage to claim her inheritance. Enter Tommy: a white British Aristocrat eager to try on the bohemian lifestyle and none the wiser of the women's relationship. With their duo now a trio, Olivia juggles her career, her lover and her lover's husband. But just when Olivia is on the eve of success, an impetuous move by Irene demands Olivia finally choose between her morals and her heart; or risk losing herself forever.

Written and composed by two Black women, 2&1: A Harlem Love Story with Loose Morals is a two act queer musical that celebrates Black joy, Black love and boldly reclaims the sexuality of Black women. With a cast of riotous characters inspired by legends of the era, 2&1: A Harlem Love Story with Loose Morals authentically portrays the Roaring 20's from a perspective routinely ignored: the Black women who not only defined the "modern woman", but also invented her. See you in Harlem!"