LA MAMA Presents THE DARK STAR FROM HARLEM: The Spectacular Rise Of Josephine Baker
Today, LA MAMA announced the limited engagement of the world premiere musical THE DARK STAR FROM HARLEM: The Spectacular Rise of Josephine Baker. Featuring a book and direction by Glynn Borders and music and lyrics by Mario E. Sprouse, the production will play LA MAMA located at 66 East 4th Street, New York, NY, November 21 - December 1, 2019. Tickets are $30 with discounts available for students, senior adults and groups. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online at lamama.org, by calling 212.352.3101, or at the LA MAMA box office one hour before a performance.
THE DARK STAR FROM HARLEM: The Spectacular Rise of Josephine Baker is the musical journey of 19-year old Josephine Baker, from her arrival in Paris in 1925 to her rapid rise to stardom in Europe. As a young black woman and member of La Revue Negre, she navigates fame in a foreign land, a new language, and racial acceptance, while the violent Jim Crow laws rage on back home.
"I wanted to tell the Josephine Baker story most people don't know, playwright and director Glynn Borders said. We have a fantastic cast led by Iris Beaumier, who blew us away."
Newcomer Beaumier is making her New York musical theater debut in the role of the iconic Josephine Baker. Additional cast includes Katelyn Bowman, Melissa Victor, Zuri Washington, Kimberlee Murray, James A. Pierce III, Catherine Calloway, Jed Peterson, Joe Komara, Heather Gault, Christopher Bolan and Mario E. Sprouse. The creative team consists of Kim Grier -Martinez (choreography), Joshua Warner (scenic design), Raymond Pizarro (costume design), Matthew Deinhart (lighting and projection design), and Josh Samuels (sound design).
THE DARK STAR FROM HARLEM: The Spectacular Rise of Josephine Baker began as a 45-minute play with music at LA MAMA in 1989. With the encouragement of LA MAMA founder Ellen Stewart, Borders and Sprouse returned to the venue a year later with a well-received one-act musical. The musical's development was halted for nearly 30 years when Borders' television career took flight. Upon his retirement, he returned to his first love - theater and developing the Josephine Baker vehicle into a full-length production.
For more information about THE DARK STAR FROM HARLEM: The Spectacular Rise of Josephine Baker visit www.thedarkstarfromharlem.com.
