Columbus Saints Announce 2024 Production
It’s 1930s New York City
…The rhythm of the city is pulsing in your veins!
The lights dim, the crowd hushes. A lone sound pierces the silence, a melody yearning for escape. You and the Columbus Saints are on a Friday night mission – Harlem bound, with the Savoy Ballroom and the legendary Chick Webb Orchestra calling your name!
“Excuse me, how do I get to Harlem?” Everyone you ask gives the same answer: “Take the A Train!” But fate has other plans. A wrong turn lands you in the heart of Chinatown, the neon lights a dizzying kaleidoscope. Undeterred, you bust out a Shanghai Shuffle, your body a compass searching for the beat of Harlem.
Suddenly, a storm brews. Stormy Weather descends, a downpour mirroring the anxieties of the times. Yet, the rhythm persists, a defiant pulse against the rain.
Finally, you burst through the doors of the Savoy! The electrifying energy of the crowd washes over you. The music explodes – a Harlem Congo erupts!
This is Lenox Avenue At Midnight! A journey through the heart of a city, a testament to the enduring power of music and the relentless pursuit of joy.
Get ready for a night you won’t forget!
Presenting: Lenox Avenue: Midnight
Selections:
- Take The A Train by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington
- Shanghai Shuffle by Larry Conley and Gene Rodemich
- Stormy Weather by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler
- Harlem Congo by Harry Alexander “Father” White
- Music Arranged by Marco J. Iannelli | Battery Arranged by Joshua Boulis
Program Information:
“Lenox Avenue: Midnight” is a pulsating drum corps production inspired by Langston Hughes’ iconic poem of the same name. Immerse yourself in the electrifying energy of 1930s New York City on a Friday night during the Harlem Renaissance. Feel the rhythm of the city pulsing beneath your feet as you yearn to reach the legendary Savoy Ballroom. “Lennox Avenue: Midnight” is a celebration of resilience, rhythm, and the enduring power of artistic expression celebrating the height of the swing era.
References:
- Harlem World Magazine. “The Savoy Ballroom, Harlem NY.” https://welcometoharlem.com/
- Kennedy Center. “Chick Webb.” https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/artists/webb-chick/
- Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture. “Langston Hughes.” https://www.si.edu/object/langston-hughes:npg_NPG.77.264
- WOSU Public Media. “Harlem in the 1920s.” PBS LearningMedia, https://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/powerprose/harlem/.
- Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture. “New African American Identity: Harlem Renaissance.” https://nmaahc.si.edu/search?keyword=harlem%20renaissance&page=0
- History Channel. “Harlem Renaissance.” https://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/the-harlem-renaissance-video
- Biography. “Langston Hughes Biography.” YouTube, 22 Oct. 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inP76rkYUso.
- Academy of American Poets. “Lenox Avenue Midnight by Langston Hughes.” https://poets.org/
- PBS. “Jazz: The Savoy Ballroom.” https://www.pbs.org/video/jazz-the-savoy-ballroom/
- Turner Classic Movies. “Stormy Weather.” https://youtu.be/fxUR53FX_ks?si=8IHtDFlcrJbiZtiv .
- UCLA Newsroom. “Stormy Weather: Q&A with Miriam Petty.” https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/stormy-weather-qa-miriam-petty
- Variety. “Stormy Weather.” https://variety.com/1942/film/reviews/stormy-weather-1200414029/
