"One Night in Miami"

As a season subscriber to Center Stage productions in Baltimore, I'm always excited to see new plays. On Saturday, January 17, 2015, a friend and I checked out the premiere of "One Night in Miami,"a play written by Kemp Powers and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah. When we arrived there was a boxing ring set up in the lobby with the announcer introducing a fight. This was very exciting as the theater goers were fascinated to see something different. We watched as one of the boxers jog down the hallway with his handler and made his appearance in the ring. Cool!

Then we decided to grab a drink before the play started and to our surprise, there was a drink called the "Miami Punch," that fit perfectly with the theme of the play. Of course, I couldn't resist getting one. It was a refreshing, fruity drink mixed with just the right amount of rum. Way to go Center Stage for thinking outside of the box!

See ya next time and for those who haven't seen this play - let me say that the actors were AWESOME! Their performances were captivating and the songs resonated with the times especially when Mr. Soul aka Sam Cooke played by Grasan Kingsberry belted out, "A Change Is Gonna Come." The audience ate it up! Wow!! Two thumbs up!!

Here's the synopsis of the play and I hope you get a chance to check it out! It runs from January 14 - February 8, 2015.

February 25, 1964. Twenty-two-year-old Cassius Clay has just won the world heavyweight boxing title. Instead of hitting the town, Clay chooses to celebrate in a Miami hotel room with three close friends - activist Malcolm X, singer Sam Cooke, and football star Jim Brown. This fictional account of a real night imagines what might have happened in that tiny hotel room. As the Civil Rights movement stirs outside, and the melody of "A Change is Gonna Come" hangs in the air, four men will emerge from that one night ready to define a new world.

The Cast

Tory Andrus - Malcolm X ("Brother Minister")
Royce Johnson - Kareem
Sullivan Jones - Cassius Clay ("The Greatest")
Grasan Kingsberry - Sam Cooke ("Mr. Soul")
Genesis Oliver - Jamaal
Esau Pritchett - Jim Brown ("Big Jim")

Comments

Interview with Jacqueline Seewald, Author of THE INHERITANCE

Author’s Bio: Multiple award-winning author, Jacqueline Seewald, has taught creative, expository and technical writing at Rutgers University as well as high school English. She also worked as both an academic librarian and an educational media specialist. Sixteen of her books of fiction have previously been published to critical praise including books for adults, teens and children. Her short stories, poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse publications and numerous anthologies. What inspired you to write your book? I enjoy writing romantic mystery fiction. The idea for this particular novel just seemed to evolve organically from my imagination. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? I would have to say reading the Bible was influential. As far as regular books go, I’m a big fan of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Is this your first book? How long did it take to start and

It’s A Book Thing Presents: An Interview with Debbie Stokes, author of The Stranger He Knew

Author’s Bio: Debbie Stokes was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She has always had a desire to be a published author of a fiction novel, but fear stopped her. She often shares how her story ideas come to her in her dreams, and how she jumps up to write them down. Finally, one day, she pushed past her fear and allowed her vision to come to past. She is now a published author, and The Stranger He Knew is her first book. Debbie is a former CEO, blogger, and interviewer for her previous women's empowerment blog called, 3 Women Voices, where she shared empowering stories of how people overcame odds to live their best lives. She is also a former contributing writer for FEMI Magazine, a cultural lifestyle magazine, where she interviewed and shared people’s stories. When not writing, she enjoys singing, dancing, inspiring others, and spending time with family. Deliah Lawrence: What inspired you to write your book? Debbie Stokes: That is a funny story. One day, I went

National Poetry Month’s Feature: Poet Jahi Trotter

Poet’s Bio: Jahi Minkah Trotter was born in Atlanta, GA, and moved to Alabama when he was six years old. He has been writing poetry since he was 11 years old. He has written two poetry books: It Was Already Written (2016) and Adapting To Life: Poems and Quotes by Jahi Minkah Trotter (2020). He developed a love for filmmaking while receiving his bachelor's degree in social science. Jahi decided to continue his quest for filmmaking at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, GA. During his final two years at SCAD, Jahi was encouraged by his professors to go into acting while continuing to work behind the camera as well. This was a crucial time for Jahi. He lost his father in 2019 a month before taking an elective acting class that lead him into acting. He lost his mother in 2021 and continues to act and create films, including his thesis film "The Last Job," in which he acted and starred in. Jahi graduated with a master's degree in film and television from S

Vocal Expressions

Search This Blog