Undermain Theatre Presents LONESOME BLUES by Akin Babatundé and Alan Govenar
A solo meditation on the life and songs of Blind Lemon Jefferson: born blind, but ultimately able to express his deepest emotions through music.
Undermain Theatre presents Lonesome Blues, Akin Babatundé and Alan Govenar's solo-performer meditation on the life and songs of Blind Lemon Jefferson: born blind, but ultimately able to express his deepest emotions through music.
Discovered on a street corner in the Deep Ellum section of Dallas, Texas in 1925, Jefferson made more than 80 records over the next four years, becoming one the most prolific and influential performers of his generation and propelling the growth of rhythm and blues, soul, doo-wop, rap, and hip-hop.
Building on the success of their earlier musical Blind Lemon Blues, presented by the York Theatre in New York City in 2007 and 2009, Alan Govenar and Akin Babatundé have used new research to probe deeper into the life and psyche of Blind Lemon Jefferson. Lonesome Blues originally premiered in 2018 at The York Theatre starring Akin Babatundé and was directed by Undermain Theatre Founding Artistic Director, Katherine Owens
Now Undermain brings Blind Lemon back to Deep Ellum with Akin Babatundé directing J. Dontray Davis as the blues legend. Davis plays more than ten different roles, channeling the spirits of men and women alike, in a journey that is at once evocative, troubling, and transformative. Songs and monologues bring to life the voice of Blind Lemon Jefferson, his community, and his musical contemporaries, including Blind Willie Johnson, Lillian Glinn, Hattie Hudson, Bobbie Cadillac, and Lead Belly - all coming together in Jefferson's mind on the day of his death, December 19, 1929, in Chicago.
Director Akin Babatundé leads the creative team, which includes Scenic designer *Robert Winn, Lighting designer *steve woods, Costume designer Amanda Capshaw, and Choreographer Danielle Georgiou.
*Undermain Company member
Tickets are available at www.undermain.com.
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