Off-Broadway's eleven-time Obie Award-winning Soho Rep - which the New York Times calls the "downtown powerhouse" - continues its 2010-2011 season with Jomama Jones « RADIATE - a once in a lifetime performance event, directed by Kym Moore with music direction by Bobby Halvorson. Previews of Jomama Jones « RADIATE begin December 29 prior to an official press opening of January 4 at Soho Rep. (46 Walker Street) in Manhattan. The show was developed in collaboration with New Dramatists, as part of New Dramatists' Full Stage NYC, supported by funds from the City of New York Theater Subdistrict Council, LDC, the City of New York, and Time Warner.
"I am thrilled to be bringing
Jomama Jones to
Soho Rep for this celebratory and exuberant show to ring in the New Year. She is a bold artist with an extraordinary voice and vision who I am delighted New York audiences will finally have the chance to experience for themselves" commented Artistic Director,
Sarah Benson.
Jomama Jones - the legendary expatriate performer kicks off her U.S. comeback and tour with
Jomama Jones «RADIATE, combining her unique style of song and narrative. Jones' story speaks to the comeback in us all. Through her songs and stories, Jones invites you to share her experiences from a journey into the unknown. Jones' dynamic, emotional and humorous performance transcends mere hope or cynicism as she sets out on her own to seek authenticity, love and strength of soul. Jones' CD, RADIATE will be released in tandem with the show.
Jomama Jones first burst on to the scene in the early 1980's with R&B hits like "Ghetto (In My Mind)" and "Afromatic" -making her an instant fan favorite. She graced the cover of magazines and made the rounds of the hip TV shows of the day (her appearances on Soul Train and Solid Gold are the stuff of legend). She starred in the science fiction cult classic SISTER SOUL AND THE COLONIZERS FROM MARS. But her conflict with the politics of the day led her to renounce her US career and leave the country in pursuit of other dreams. She spent the next several years traveling extensively - both without and within. Then, in 2009, Jomama began laying the groundwork for her return to the US. She collaborated with wunderkind musician,
Bobby Halvorson and crafted the album, LONE STAR. She convened a new backing group, the Sweet Peaches. She made select appearances in the States, building her momentum with Standing-Room-Only gigs including her sold-out LONE STAR CD release concert at Joe's Pub in New York City.
Directed by Kym Moore with music direction by
Bobby Halvorson,
Jomama Jones: RADIATE features
Jomama Jones and her Sweet Peaches.
The
Jomama Jones « RADIATE band is led by
Bobby Halvorson and features: Ted Cruz, Sean Dixon, Michael O'Brien and Kelly Rossum.
Design team for
Jomama Jones: RADIATE is
Arnulfo Maldonado (Set Design),
Lucrecia Briceno (Lighting Design),
Oana Botez-Ban (Costume Design), and
Nick Kourtides (Sound Design).
Kym Moore (Director) is the Gerard Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies at Brown University where she teaches acting and directing. Her directing credits include: for colored girls that have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (Penumbra Theatre); KHMER AMERIKA (HereArts Center); BLACK, OUTSIDE, and THE DATE (The
Women's Project); MUSES (The Boston Center for the Arts); COVER (Semi-Finalist Samuel French Festival); ADVENTURES OF A BLACK GIRL IN SEARCH OF GOD (The Workshop Theatre); and LE HOT BLU: AN AMERICAN SYNCOPATED MUSICAL (Assoc. Dir;
Manhattan Theatre Club).
Bobby Halvorson (Music Director) is a Los Angeles-based composer and multi-instrumentalist. He has composed two musicals with librettist,
David Murray, the most recent entitled, BERMUDA. Bobby holds a BFA from UC Santa Barbara, and an MFA in Music Composition from CalArts.
With
Jomama Jones « RADIATE -
Soho Rep will continue its literary and humanities program - FEED - now in its second season. The anticipated events include: on Thursday, January 13 at 9pm a record release party for the album
Jomama Jones « RADIATE, on Friday January 14 at 9pm "What Makes a Diva?," with Rich Juzwiak; on Friday January 7 at 9pm "Performing Gender" with Ms. Jones, Taylor Mac and Mildred Gerestant; and on Thursday, January 6 at 9pm a talk with the creative team behind
Jomama Jones « RADIATE,
Now in its 34th year,
Soho Rep's 2010-11 season is the fourth under the leadership of Artistic Director,
Sarah Benson, and the third for Executive Director, Tania Camargo.
Soho Rep is dedicated to cultivating and producing visionary, uncompromising, and exuberant new plays. They perform to one of the youngest adult audiences in New York City, with over three-quarters of its audience aged 18-40.
Critics continue to herald
Soho Rep as the go-to theatre destination for new and original works.
New York Magazine states, "this indispensable theater offers more excitement per chair than any space in town," Time Out New York says, "
Soho Rep is the best theater in NYC (official)," Variety exclaims "[
Soho Rep] has claimed an increasingly vital spot...the venue has suddenly become one to watch for Manhattan theatergoers starved for new work," and the New York Times declares
Soho Rep to be "one of the most daring companies."
Dan Le Franc was recently awarded the New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award for the
Soho Rep production of his play SIXTY MILES TO SILVER LAKE in 2009. Over the last decade,
Soho Rep productions have garnered eleven OBIE Awards -- most recently for
Sarah Benson (director) and
Louisa Thompson (set designer) for the critically acclaimed New York premiere of
Sarah Kane's BLASTED; six Drama Desk nominations, two for BLASTED (Outstanding Director of a Play -
Sarah Benson and Outstanding Actor in a Play -
Reed Birney) and four for their critically acclaimed production of FRANKENSTEIN, the Oppenheimer Award for EVERYTHING WILL BE DIFFERENT, and two Kesselring Awards for Melissa
James Gibson and
Mark Schultz. In recent years,
Soho Rep has presented plays by established and emerging theatre artists such as Richard Maxwell,
Mac Wellman, Dan LeFranc, Nature Theater of Oklahoma, Young
Jean Lee and The Flying Machine.
Scheduled December 29 through January 15, performance schedule for
Jomama Jones varies (see end of release for specifics). Tickets are $25 general admission, $35 premium reserved seats, and $15 day-of student rush. Tickets for the December 31st performance of
Jomama Jones « RADIATE will be $50 and include a special New Year's Eve Show & Party. Tickets can be reserved by calling TheaterMania at 212-352-3101 or online at www.sohorep.org.
For additional information about
Soho Rep., call 212-941-8632 or visit www.sohorep.org.
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