Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk | |
---|---|
Music | Daryl Waters Zane Mark Ann Duquesnay |
Lyrics | Reg E. Gaines George C. Wolfe Ann Duquesnay |
Book | Reg E. Gaines |
Productions | 1995 Off Broadway 1996 Broadway |
Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk is a musical that debuted Off-Broadway at the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater in 1995 and moved to Broadway in 1996. The show was conceived and directed by George C. Wolfe, and featured music by Daryl Waters, Zane Mark and Ann Duquesnay; lyrics by Reg E. Gaines, George C. Wolfe and Ann Duquesnay; and a book by Reg E. Gaines. The choreography was by Savion Glover.
Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk premiered off-Broadway at the Public Theater's Newman Theatre on November 3, 1995, and closed on January 28, 1996, after 85 performances. Directed by George C. Wolfe with costumes by Karen Perry, set design by Ricardo Hernandez, lighting by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, and Production Managed by Bonnie Metzgar. The cast included Savion Glover, Duquesnay, Gaines, and Dulé Hill. [1]
The musical moved to the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway, opening there on April 25, 1996. The show closed after 1135 performances on January 10, 1999. The opening night cast included Jeffrey Wright, Glover, Duquesnay and Hill. Again directed by Wolfe, with sets and lighting by the off-Broadway team, costume design was by Paul Tazewell. [2] Glover left the show but returned for 40 performances from December 8, 1998, through January 10, 1999. [3]
Glover toured with the musical in 2002. [4]
The Original Broadway Cast recording was issued by RCA Victor (09026-68565-2). [5]
Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk is a musical revue telling the story, through tap, of black history from slavery to the present. The musical numbers are presented along with supertitles, projected images and videotapes and with continuing commentary.
Wolfe took the rap words of Reg E. Gaines and turned them into "tap/rap (tap dancing informed by hip-hop and funk rhythms)." [6]
|
|
The New York Times review said that "Mr. Glover has found choreographic equivalents for the black experience in the days of plantations, urban industrialization, the Harlem Renaissance and latter-day race riots...This sense of flaming individuality is finally what the evening is about: not just the collective history of a race but the diverse and specific forms of expression that one tradition embraces." [8]
The show is "an explosive and bravely literal-minded chronicle of the genre's history from slavery to the present. The music is beautiful and the dancing exuberant, but Funk is serious business, with vicious, funny send-ups of Uncle Tomism in Hollywood." [9]
The New York Times wrote: "as dance, as musical, as theater, as art, as history and entertainment, there's nothing Noise/Funk cannot and should not do." (Margo Jefferson) [6]
The musical made an "extraordinary political statement ... as well as the equally significant growth in dance this show launched." [4]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | Tony Award | Best Musical | Nominated | |
Best Book of a Musical | Reg E. Gaines | Nominated | ||
Best Original Score | Daryl Waters, Zane Mark, Ann Duquesnay, George C. Wolfe and Reg E. Gaines | Nominated | ||
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Savion Glover | Nominated | ||
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Ann Duquesnay | Won | ||
Best Direction of a Musical | George C. Wolfe | Won | ||
Best Choreography | Savion Glover | Won | ||
Best Costume Design | Paul Tazewell | Nominated | ||
Best Lighting Design | Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer | Won | ||
Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Musical | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Savion Glover | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Director of a Musical | George C. Wolfe | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Choreography | Savion Glover | Won | ||
Outstanding Lighting Design | Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer | Won |
Savion Glover is an American tap dancer, actor and choreographer.
Ann Reinking was an American dancer, actress, choreographer, and singer. She worked predominantly in musical theater, starring in Broadway productions such as Coco (1969), Over Here! (1974), Goodtime Charley (1975), Chicago (1977), Dancin' (1978), and Sweet Charity (1986).
Dames at Sea is a 1966 musical with book and lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller and music by Jim Wise.
Contact is a musical "dance play" that was developed by Susan Stroman and John Weidman, with its "book" by Weidman and both choreography and direction by Stroman. It ran both off-Broadway and on Broadway in 1999–2002. It consists of three separate one-act dance plays.
George Costello Wolfe is an American playwright and director of theater and film. He won a Tony Award in 1993 for directing Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and another Tony Award in 1996 for his direction of the musical Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk. He served as Artistic Director of The Public Theater from 1993 until 2004.
Imagine Tap! is a musical revue developed by Derick K. Grant (director/choreographer), Zane Mark, Aaron Tolson, and Channing Cook Holmes. It opened at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago, IL on July 11, 2006, and closed on August 6, 2006.
Derick K. Grant is an African-American tap dancer and choreographer. He came to prominence in 1996, as an original company member and Dance Captain in the George C. Wolfe-produced musical Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk at both The Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival and on Broadway. Derick recreated Savion Glover's choreography and starred in the role of 'da beat for the first National Tour. He works all around the world for different tap shows and events such as "Tap To You". In 2009, he appeared on the sixth season of the hit show So You Think You Can Dance where he choreographed a tap routine performed by the three tap dancers in that season’s Top 20: Peter Sabasino, Bianca Revels, and Phillip Attmore. He lives in New York City with his son, daughter and wife.
Jelly's Last Jam is a musical with a book by George C. Wolfe, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, and music by Jelly Roll Morton and Luther Henderson. Based on the life and career of Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, known as Jelly Roll Morton and generally regarded as one of the primary driving forces behind the introduction of jazz to the American public in the early 20th century, it also serves as a social commentary on the African-American experience during the era. LaMothe was born into a Louisiana Creole family that was established and free before the Civil War.
Black and Blue is a musical revue celebrating the black culture of dance and music in Paris between World War I and World War II.
Ann Duquesnay is an American musical theatre singer/actress, composer and lyricist. She is best known for Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk, which earned her a Tony Award and Grammy Award nomination.
Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope is a musical revue first staged in 1971 with music, lyrics and book by Micki Grant. It was originally produced by Edward Padula.
Jason Samuels Smith is an American tap dancer, choreographer, and director.
The 50th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS from the Majestic Theatre on June 2, 1996. Nathan Lane was the host.
The 51st Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS from Radio City Music Hall on June 1, 1997. "Launching the Tonys" was telecast on PBS television. The event was hosted by Rosie O'Donnell. The awards ceremony moved away from Broadway for the first time in 30 years. As Radio City Music Hall is much larger than any Broadway theater, this allowed members of the general public to attend the ceremony.
Andy Blankenbuehler is an American dancer, choreographer and director primarily for stage and concerts. He has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Choreography five times, and has won three times: for In the Heights (2008), Hamilton (2016), and Bandstand (2017). Blankenbuehler's other Broadway choreography work includes 9 to 5, Bring it On: The Musical, and the 2016 Cats revival. Blankenbuehler was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 2018 for his work on Hamilton. He also choreographed the movie adaptation of Cats. Most recently he choreographed, directed and co-wrote Only Gold - a new musical with Music by Kate Nash at MCC Theater.
Randy Skinner is an American dancer, director and choreographer, primarily for the stage. He has been nominated four times for Tony Awards, three times for Drama Desk Awards, and four times for Outer Critics Circle Awards for choreography.
Hip-hop theater is a form of theater that presents contemporary stories through the use of one or more of the four elements of hip-hop culture—b-boying, graffiti writing, MCing (rapping), and DJing. Other cultural markers of hip-hop such as spoken word, beatboxing, and hip-hop dance can be included as well although they are not always present. What is most important is the language of the theatrical piece and the plot's relevance to the world. Danny Hoch, the founder of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, further defines it as such: "Hip-hop theatre must fit into the realm of theatrical performance, and it must be by, about and for the hip-hop generation, participants in hip-hop culture, or both."
Kenneth L. Roberson is an American choreographer and dancer best known for his work on Avenue Q.
Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed is a musical with a score by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle and a libretto by George C. Wolfe, based on the original book of the 1921 musical revue Shuffle Along, by Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles. The story focuses on the challenges of mounting the original production of Shuffle Along and its effect on Broadway and race relations.
Ted Louis Levy is an American tap dancer, singer, choreographer, and director. He is widely celebrated as one of America’s premier tap dance artists.