Brandon Kazen-Maddox and Up Until Now Collective's Georgia for July Midnight Moment to be Presented by Times Square Arts

Times Square Arts will present Georgia by Brandon Kazen-Maddox and Up Until Now Collective for the month of July as part of the organization's signature Midnight Moment series. Midnight Moment is the world's largest, longest-running digital art exhibition, synchronized on over 75 electronic billboards throughout Times Square nightly from 11:57pm to midnight.

Throughout the month of July, Up Until Now Collective will also be presenting live performances and activations in Times Square incorporating music, dance and ASL, including a dance performance by Kayla Hamilton; a live ASL rendition of En Vogue's Free Your Mind featuring the SOUL(SIGNS) cast; a musical performance by singer, songwriter, and performer Linda Diaz; and a night of pop anthems and heart-wrenching lullabies from Shayfer James and Kate Douglas' The Ninth Hour, a rock-noir reimagining of Beowulf. Full schedule of performances below.

Every night in July, viewers will be taken on a train ride to Georgia with Up Until Now, a new artist collective creating interdisciplinary content that is radically empathetic, accessible, diverse and inclusive. The collective's American Sign Language (ASL) cover of Gladys Knight & The Pips' Midnight Train to Georgia is performed by Deaf actor and dancer Mervin Primeaux-O'Bryant and Brandon Kazen-Maddox, a hearing Grandchild of Deaf Adults (GODA), dancer, choreographer and third-generation native signer of ASL. Elevating sign language from supporting role to center stage, Georgia makes music visible nightly in Times Square, synchronized across more than 75 screens in the moments leading up to midnight.

In their moving and animated rendition of the 1973 classic, Primeaux-O'Bryant signs the role of a heartbroken Gladys Knight, and The Pips are personified by Kazen-Maddox - Knight's confidant as she rallies herself to join her lover who's decided to leave her for a "simpler place and time." The duo incorporates Black ASL and elements of Visual Vernacular to embody an invisible train and bring to life the seductive and punchy lyrics of the original song.

Georgia is one of ten covers of seminal musical works by Black female artists in a series titled SOUL(SIGNS): An ASL Playlist, all commissioned by Broadstream where the Collective's videos will be streaming through July at this link.

LIVE PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Friday, July 9 | 11pm - 12am
Duffy Square, Broadway and 46th
In celebration of their Midnight Moment Georgia, as well as their new Broadstream video series SOUL(SIGNS): AN ASL PLAYLIST, Up Until Now Collective presents live performances in Times Square showcasing the talents of a diverse roster of interdisciplinary artists.

Culminating with a live rendition of Georgia in the moments leading up to midnight, the late-night event will also include a dance performance by Kayla Hamilton and a live ASL cover of En Vogue's Free Your Mind featuring the SOUL(SIGNS) cast (Brandon Kazen-Maddox, Alexandria Wailes, Mervin Primeaux-O'Bryant and Michelle Banks). These ASL-accessible performances feature musical accompaniment from members of the Warp Trio, an internationally touring cross-genre chamber music experience conducted by David Bloom.

Tuesday, July 13 | 9pm-10pm

Broadway and 44th
Come hear the gentle yet soulful sounds of Linda Diaz, a singer, songwriter, and performer from Manhattan's Lower East Side, the winner of the 2020 NPR Tiny Desk Contest, and co-host of the PBS musical education series Sound Field. Featuring her easily recognizable lush vocal arrangements, powerful lyricism, and jazzy R&B sound, her Times Square performance will also feature ASL interpretation by Up Until Now member Brandon Kazen-Maddox.

Tuesday, July 20 | 9pm-10pm

Broadway and 44th
Join us for a night of triumphant pop anthems and heart-wrenching lullabies from Shayfer James and Kate Douglas' The Ninth Hour, a rock-noir reimagining of Beowulf, the famous epic exploring the intricacies of mankind's relationship with power and violence. Featuring ASL interpretation by Brandon Kazen-Maddox and special guests.

For more information, visit www.arts.timessquarenyc.org/times-square-arts.

Up Until Now

Up Until Now is a new artist collective committed to developing and presenting inter-disciplinary content that is radically empathetic, accessible, diverse and inclusive. They aim to build collaborations featuring work by and for members of the BIPOC, Feminist, LGBTQAI+, and Deaf and Disabled Communities and their Allies. This collective brings together artists from multiple disciplines to animate projects that blur the lines between opera, theatre, film, dance and visual art. They are committed to providing employment, artistic leadership and mentorship to artists from marginalized communities.

Up Until Now Collective was founded by Brandon Kazen-Maddox, Kevin Newbury, Marcus Shields and Jecca Barry in the summer of 2020 to gather artists who have never been brought together before. These artists, currently numbering two dozen and counting, come from multiple disciplines to create work that is joyful, challenging and necessary. Committed to inclusive, accessible, and equitable working environments, Up Until Now develops and produces new interdisciplinary work that explores empathy, intimacy, and community, and seeks to challenge the status quo by building new structures for artistic creation.

Linda Diaz is a singer, songwriter, and performer from Manhattan's Lower East Side, easily recognizable for her lush vocal arrangements, powerful lyricism, and jazzy R&B sound. December of 2019, Diaz independently released Magic, a 6-track EP. In August of the following year, she won the 2020 NPR Tiny Desk Contest with a live rendition of the project's lead single Green Tea Ice Cream. Her entry garnered early recognition from the contest judges, including NPR Tiny Desk Creator Bob Boilen and Grammy Award Winning Artist Brittany Howard. Diaz was also featured in the 2020 MTV VMA's J Balvin x Toyota collaboration where she sang and performed Balvin's hit single "Mi Gente."

Brandon Kazen-Maddox is a BIPOC, LGBTQAI+, gender non-conforming third-generation native user of American Sign Language (ASL) and Grandchild of Deaf Adults (GODA). In 2010, Brandon received their undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, where they studied Spanish and French language and literature. After receiving their Bachelor of Arts, they moved to San Francisco, CA where they crafted a seven-year career as a professional circus acrobat. In May 2019, Brandon graduated with a Master's degree in Dance and New Technology from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Brandon currently lives, works and creates art in New York City, collaborating with and providing opportunities for Deaf artists who share a passion for bringing artistic works of American Sign Language dance theater to the stage, screen and beyond.

A native of Lafayette, LA, Mervin Primeaux-O'Bryant graduated from Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) in 1995. He also attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where he obtained his degree in Dance Performance & Choreography. He is an actor, director, producer, choreographer, international performer, and advocate. His creative journey has blessed him with many experiences; including with Quest Visual Theatre as an assistant director, and as a consultant for American Sign Language in theatre and music videos.

Kayla Hamilton (she/her) is an artist, experience maker, and educator based in the Bronx. She is a member of the collective behind the 2017 Bessie award winning skeleton architecture, the future of our world's, curated by Eva Yaa Asantewaa. In addition to skeleton architecture, Kayla has been in process with Gesel Mason Performance Projects, Sydnie L. Mosley Dances, and Maria Bauman Morales/MBDance. Kayla's creative explorations have been presented at Gibney, Performance Space New York and New Live Arts. When Kayla is not dancing, she's a special education teacher at the Highbridge Green School and loves to watch Law and Order on Hulu while sipping on peppermint tea.

Warp Trio is not your typical piano trio. Lying at the intersection of a chamber music ensemble, rock band, and art project, Mikael Darmanie (Piano), Ju Young Lee (Cello), and Josh Henderson (Violin) are pushing the boundaries of music consumption through interdisciplinary collaborations and eclectic programming that includes electrifying original material, dynamic interpretations of popular music, improvisation, and unique takes on classical repertoire. Whether performing in a nightclub, gallery space or concert hall, Warp Trio is transporting audiences to the next level of concert experience.

Since their inception at the beginning of 2014, Warp Trio has maintained a broad range of repertoire ranging from traditional classical to their own original compositions and virtuoso arrangements of music spanning several different genres. They have performed as individuals all over the planet, and as a trio have begun to make their mark on the classical music scene with their energizing performances throughout the U.S.