Photos: Melba Moore And Kathy Sledge Sit Down for UNSCRIPTED LIVE At Lincoln Center

Tony Award-winning vocalist Melba Moore and GRAMMY-nominated singer, songwriter, producer Kathy Sledge joined award-winning filmmaker and photographer Sekou Luke (Notes from Harlem) and noted music journalist Christian John Wikane (PopMatters) in the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center on Saturday, April 6 for the fourth edition of "Unscripted Live," the live branch of "Unscripted: Conversations with Christian John Wikane," an interview series that spotlights the stories of legendary and innovative artists. The evening was featured as part of Lincoln Center's 2024 American Songbook.

See photos from inside the event!

Tony, GRAMMY, and Emmy-Award winning legend André De Shields made a surprise guest appearance at the top of the evening after a special screening of his video "Keep Climbing." He serenaded the audience with an a cappella rendition of "I Can See Clearly Now" before introducing Unscripted producers Sekou and Christian, who also premiered "New York Nights," a short film that celebrates how New York became the epicenter for the disco phenomenon during the 1970s while also featuring excerpts from Unscripted interviews that comment on the groundbreaking artists who defined the disco era. The film was shot at ARRI Studio (Long Island City) and on location throughout New York City, with interview footage filmed at Ashford & Simpson's Sugar Bar, Apollo Theater, Harlem Stage, Joe's Pub, among other venues. 

Following their joint interview with Christian, Melba sang her Top 10 dance classic "You Stepped Into My Life" while Kathy serenaded the audience with a rousing rendition of "Thinking of You." The evening closed with a disco dance party featuring Qool DJ Marv (Soho House, HBO). Audience members also experienced an augmented reality gallery of Sekou's Unscripted portraits on display throughout the Atrium. 

"Unscripted: Conversations with Christian John Wikane" is a video series featuring exclusive interviews filmed and produced by director Sekou Luke and music journalist Christian John Wikane. Launched in April 2020, Season 1 of "Unscripted" featured eight interviews with GRAMMY, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning legends, as well as chart-topping singers and songwriters: André De Shields, Nona Hendryx, Melba Moore, Ruth Pointer, Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson), Kathy Sledge (Sister Sledge), Bruce Sudano (Brooklyn Dreams), and vocal legend Fonzi Thornton. Season 2 continued with icons and innovators, including original Ikette Joshie Jo Armstead, Cory Daye (Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band), GRAMMY-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer, cabaret artist/dancer Christian Holder (The Joffrey Ballet), GRAMMY-winning musician Van Hunt, groundbreaking singer-songwriter Rahsaan Patterson, Janice Pendarvis, and Ray Shell (Starlight Express). All interviews were published in tandem with PopMatters, an online magazine of cultural criticism. Season 3, which kicked off with Ray Parker, Jr. and Brenda Russell, is currently in production. 

Photo Credit: Erin Patrice O'Brien