Filed under: Beasley's Christmas Party, Black Pearl Sings!, Four Places, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead | Tags: Carole Monferdini, cherene snow, Four Places, IRNE Awards, Joey Collins, karen macdonald, robin vest, The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead, Will Pickens
MERRIMACK REP RECEIVES 9 IRNE AWARD NOMINATIONS
Kate Udall, Carole Monferdini & John Wojda in FOUR PLACES
The Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) have nominated Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s artists and productions for a total of 9 awards in the Large Theater category. Four Places by Joel Drake Johnson made its East Coast Premiere at Merrimack Rep and took the lead with four nominations, including Best Production of a Play; Best Actress (Carole Monferdini), and Best Supporting Actress (Kate Udall). Charles Towers, Merrimack Rep’s own Artistic Director was nominated for Best Director for the third consecutive year, an award he won in 2008 for directing Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance.
Karen MacDonald in THE BLONDE, THE BRUNETTE AND THE VENGEFUL REDHEAD. Photo by Meghan Moore.
The IRNE awards will be held in the spring in Boston. For more information and the full list of IRNE nominees, visit www.stagesource.org.
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Filed under: A Moon for the Misbegotten, Bad Dates, Black Pearl Sings!, Fabuloso, Flings & Eros, Heroes, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, reviews, The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead, The Last Days of Mickey & Jean, The seafarer | Tags: 2009-2010 season, Charles Towers, Merrimack Rep, reviews, Tom Parrish
MERRIMACK REP CONCLUDES SUCCESSFUL 2009-2010 SEASON
Merrimack Repertory Theatre has completed its 31st season as the only professional theatre serving the Merrimack Valley and Southern New Hampshire, and it is proud to report that 2009-2010 was both an artistic and financial success. With the books now closed on fiscal year 2010, which ended June 30, the company reports that it has finished in the black for the fifth consecutive year and recorded a moderate operating surplus. This surplus has helped the theatre further reduce its mortgage on its Bagshaw Mills office/rehearsal/artist housing facility, and build an operating cash reserve. The challenging economy has impacted MRT, as unrestricted contributed income declined about 24% for the year. The number of theatergoers increased approximately 10% during the same period, however, and the number of season ticket holders increased slightly.
ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS
The Cast of The Seafarer. Photo by Meghan Moore.
Ron Holgate, Kenneth Tigar & Jonathan Hogan in Heroes. Photo by Meghan Moore.
KEEP LIVE THEATRE ALIVE FINAL REPORT
June 2010 marked the conclusion of Merrimack Rep’s five-year Keep Live Theatre Alive Campaign (KLTA). Beginning in the 2005-2006 season, KLTA asked businesses, foundations, government agencies and individuals to pledge annual sustaining gifts to cover the systemic gap between contributed and earned income. Because of the support garnered by KLTA, Merrimack Repertory Theatre was able to hire Executive Director Tom Parrish in 2006, eliminate the theatre’s accumulated deficit, generate positive working capital and operate in the black for the past five seasons.
Karen MacDonald in THE BLONDE, THE BRUNETTE AND THE VENGEFUL REDHEAD. Photo by Meghan Moore.
LEADERSHIP
At Merrimack Rep’s Annual Meeting on June 22 at Liberty Hall, the Board of Trustees elected seven new members, including Roy Anderson (Dracut), Rich Bolton (Stow), Michael Conway (Lowell), John Byrne Carroll (Andover), Linda Lieberman-Monticciolo (Andover), Will Soucy (Dracut) and Sandra Wilson (Chelmsford). Trustees serve a three-year term. The following Trustees were re-elected to a new three-year term: Debra Grossman (Lowell), Alison Kalman (Nashua), Ann Kazer (Andover), Susan Mitchell (Dracut) and Lincoln Pinsky (Carlisle). Retiring Board Members Susan Cooney, Carol Duncan, Frank Marchilena, Jack O’Connor and Jim O’Donnell were also recognized for their combined 96 years of service to Merrimack Repertory Theatre.
For the 2010-2011 season, the Board will be led by Chair Nancy L. Donahue (Lowell); President Norman Sieman (Newton); Vice President Debra Grossman (Lowell); Treasurer Stephen Irish (Scituate); and Secretary Patricia McCafferty (Tyngsborough). Artistic Director Charles Towers returns for his tenth season, and Tom Parrish enters his fifth season as Merrimack Rep’s Executive Director.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR 2009-2010 SEASON
“A highly entertaining show that shouldn’t be missed.”
– The Lawrence Eagle Tribune (Review of Flings & Eros)
“Merrimack remains Boston’s greatest theatre.”
– The Hub Review (Review of The Seafarer)
“One of the most compelling performances I’ve seen in a long time…
the audience was on the edge of our seats.”– PMP Network (Review of The Seafarer)
“Merrimack Rep’s production of The Seafarer is spellbinding! An extraordinary ensemble of actors guides us through the dark waters of sin and redemption.”– Joyce Kulhawik (Review of The Seafarer)
“Dreams and laughs. What else do we need? Heroes has both in abundance.”– The Boston Globe (Review of Heroes)
“Brings glad tidings, comfort and joy for the holiday season.”– BroadwayWorld.com (Review of Heroes)
“Hilarious enough to draw tears”– Wicked Local Acton (Review of Fabuloso)
“Black Pearl not only sings, but soars.” – Broadway World (Review of Black Pearl Sings!)
“Polished and well-crafted… for local flavor, Dresser is hard to top”– The Boston Herald (Review of The Last Days of Mickey & Jean)
“A must-see show, you’ll wonder how she does it. The Blonde, etc. energizes and entertains.”– The Lowell Sun (Review of The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead)
“A triumphant ending to the MRT’s season.
The Blonde, the Brunette, and the Vengeful Redhead are not to be missed.”–Zingology (Review of The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead)
Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s 2010-2011 season is sponsored by Lowell Cooperative Bank. Merrimack Repertory Theatre is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. All titles, dates and prices subject to change.
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Filed under: Black Pearl Sings!, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, The Last Days of Mickey & Jean | Tags: Black Pearl Sings!, Friends of MRT, jack wetherall, The Last Days of Mickey & Jean, Wine Tasting
MRT NEWS Valerie Leonard & Cherene Snow in Black Pearl Sings!. Photo by Meghan Moore.
We are currently in rehearsals for the world premiere of The Last Days of Mickey & Jean by Richard Dresser. The cast will be shooting their video interviews later today, so expect to see some behind the scenes footage early next week. Jack Wetherall, who plays Mikey, will be making an appearance on WCAP 980 on Wednesday at 9:30AM, so be sure to tune in or listen online.
Last but least, The Friends of MRT are having a charity wine tasting this coming Tuesday, March 9 at Stonehedge Inn in Tewksbury. Stonehedge Inn’s food and beverage management team along with the general manager and proprietor will select their “Top 25” wines from the largest wine cellar in New England. Light hors d’oeuvres from their culinary team will be served. The fundraiser will be hosted in the Left Bank dining room in a casual, social environment allowing you the ability to increase your knowledge about wines. Tickets are $45 per person.
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Filed under: Black Pearl Sings!, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, reviews, video | Tags: Black Pearl Sings!, cherene snow, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, reviews, valerie leonard
BLACK PEARL SINGS! VIDEO TRAILER & REVIEWS
There are only two weeks left to see Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s production of Black Pearl Sings!, so don’t miss your chance to see this wonderful production before it ends on March 7. The show has been receiving great reviews, which you can read below, and you can also check out our video trailer featuring Cherene Snow and Valerie Leonard. If you’ve seen the play, feel to leave a comment with your thoughts on the show.
“Black Pearl Sings soars with passion and melody” – Lowell Sun
“Black Pearl Sings! Tells Soulful Story” – Broadway World
“Black Pearl shines at Merrimack Rep” – Metrowest Daily News
“Black Pearl Sings; I Mean Really Sings!” – Zingology
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Filed under: Black Pearl Sings!, Merrimack Repertory Theatre | Tags: Black Pearl Sings!, joseph opala, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, the language you cry in
THE AFRICAN SONG
The following article appears in the Black Pearl Sings! study guide, and is intended to help audiences learn more about the production. If you have not seen the play, this article does contain spoilers that give away the ending.
South Carolina Sea Islands
The African song sung by Pearl at the end of Black Pearl Sings! was not invented for the play. In fact, it is a traditional African song that has quite a story of its own. The song is the focal point of a documentary called The Language You Cry In. The documentary explains that in the 1930s, there was an African American linguist named Lorenzo Turner who catalogued over 3,000 names and words of African origin in coastal Georgia and South Carolina. He found that in these states, some of the Gullah living there could recite texts in African languages. One of the longest texts he came across was a five-line song sung by Amelia Dawley, who lived in a Georgia fishing village. She did not know the meaning of the song, but a Sierra Leonean graduate student in the US recognized the language as Mende, the major language of Sierra Leone.
Bunce Island, Sierra Leone
It took 50 years for someone to finally follow up on these clues. In the 1980s, Joseph Opala, an American anthropologist teaching in Sierra Leone, picked up where Lorenzo Turner left off. He discovered that Bunce Island, a British slave castle in Sierra Leone, sent many of its captives to Georgia and South Carolina. This is because these slaves already had experience growing rice in Africa, so they were of great value to the slave owners. This resulted in a relatively coherent community of slaves in the area, and why the Gullah have been able to preserve many of their roots.
After learning of the song, Opala and his colleagues set out to see if it was still sung in Sierra Leone. They learned one of the words in the song was unique to a dialect in southern Sierra Leone, and discovered a woman named Baindu Jabati, who knew a song very similar to Amelia’s. The song was traditionally performed at graveside ceremonies called Tenjami (crossing the river), and she knew it because in her culture, woman were responsible for birth and death rites.
Joseph Opala (right) interviewing an African elder living near Bunce Island in 1988.
Opala and Cynthia Schmidt, who discovered Baindu, then traveled to Georgia, and were able to get in touch with Amelia’s daughter, Mary Moran, now 69 years old. She knew the song as well, and it was discovered that women on both sides of the Atlantic were responsible for passing down this song. In 1997, Mary and her family were able to travel to Sierra Leone, visit Baindu’s village and meet her, and take part in a Teijami ceremony. Opala asked the tribe’s 90 year old chief why this song would be preserved by woman ripped from their homeland 200 years ago; he said, “That song would be the most valuable thing she could take. It could connect her to all her ancestors and to their continued blessings.” Then he quoted a Mende proverb, “You know who a person really is by the language they cry in.” Today, Opala is credited with identifying the “Gullah Connection” between Sierra Leone and the Gullah people in Georgia and South Carolina.
The African song Pearl sings at the end of Black Pearl Sings! is in fact a real, traditional folk song, just like all the others in the show. As Pearl’s daughter has just died, and the song is traditionally associated with funeral rites in African, it is a fitting way for Pearl to honor her daughter and reclaim her roots.
AMELIA’S SONG
Ah wakuh muh monuh kambay
yah lee luh lay tambay
Ah wakuh muh monuh kambay
yah lee luh lay kah.
Ha suh wileego seehai yuh gbangah lilly
Ha suh wileego dwelin duh kwen
Ha suh wileego seehi uh kwendaiyah.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Everyone come together, let us work hard; the grave is not yet finished; let his heart be perfectly at peace.
Everyone come together, let us work hard: the grave is not yet finished; let his heart be at peace at once.
Sudden death commands everyone’s attention, like a firing gun.
Sudden death commands everyone’s attention, oh elders, oh heads of family
Sudden death commands everyone’s attention, like a distant drum beat.
(translated by Tazieff Koroma, Edward Benya and Joseph Opala)
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Filed under: Black Pearl Sings!, Merrimack Repertory Theatre | Tags: Black Pearl Sings!, gullah culture, hilton head island, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre
GULLAH CULTURE AND THE HISTORY OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND
The following article appears in the Black Pearl Sings! study guide, and is intended to help the audience learn more about the production.
In Black Pearl Sings!, Alberta ‘Pearl’ Johnson is a native of Hilton Head, South Carolina prior to her move to Texas and eventual incarceration. Hilton Head is a very important location in African American history; it was a key launching point for Union military operations during the civil war, as well as a place where African-Americans were recruited to join the Union forces. Hilton Head also is home to members of the Gullah, a group of African Americans who live in South Carolina and Georgia. The Gullah Culture arose on seacoast islands such as Hilton Head, as a result of the slave trade which took West Africans from their homeland (what is now the countries of Angola, Sierra Leone and Liberia). The stories and songs of this culture have been well preserved, even in recent times. For instance, the folk song “Michael Row Your Boat Ashore” comes from Gullah culture, and Gullah music employs the “call and response” aspect of African music.
The Gullah have been particularly successful in preserving their African heritage in the forms of language, music and folk beliefs, much in the same way Pearl was handed down songs from her ancestors, and intended to pass them on to her granddaughter. Author Frank Higgins was aware of Gullah traditions when he worked on the script. Even though Pearl has been away from the Hilton Head for years, she still retains some Gullah speech patterns. Higgins noted that if Pearl had been written to speak with a heavier Gullah influence, audiences would have had trouble understanding her without sub-titles.
Hilton Head Island - From NASA World Wind Project
The island of Hilton Head was discovered by Spanish explorers in 1526. At the time, the island was home to a population of Native Americans, but they were wiped out by disease and the Spanish settlement that began in the 1560’s. In the 1580’s, the English, led by Sir Francis Drake forced the Spanish out of the area. However, English settlement did not begin until almost 80 years later, when Captain William Hilton “discovered” the island for the English and named it after himself.
Hilton Head played a pivotal role in the Civil War. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the union, and was the site of early naval battles. In November of 1861, a Union fleet captured the island. 1000 slaves were freed as a result, and the Union held the island until the end of the war, making it a major base of operations. From Hilton Head, the Union forces were successfully able to blockade Charlestown, preventing the Confederacy from exporting goods to Europe. Many of the freed slaves on the island joined the Union forces, and became the first Black troops for the Union army. After the war, the Union left the island, leaving the Gullah culture to grow on its own for at least the next 30 years.
As Pearl notes in the play, which is set in the 1930’s, people in Hilton Head “don’t got telephones.” Indeed, the island didn’t have electricity until 1951, and the first telephone wasn’t installed until 1960. And the island did eventually get its golf course; it currently hosts a PGA event every year. Today, Hilton Head is a major tourist destination, and home to the Gullah Celebration, which takes place each February and celebrates the culture brought over from West Africa during the slave trade.
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Filed under: Black Pearl Sings!, interview, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, video | Tags: Black Pearl Sings!, cherene snow, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, reap what you sow
BLACK PEARL SINGS! VIDEO BLOG #2
Our next video for Black Pearl Sings! takes you into the rehearsal hall for a sneak peak at Cherene Snow performing “Reap What You Sow,” one of her favorite songs from the production. Keep checking the blog, as more videos and song clips will be posted in the next few weeks. Black Pearl Sings! begins previews at Merrimack Repertory Theatre on February 11, and runs through March 7.
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Filed under: Black Pearl Sings!, Merrimack Repertory Theatre | Tags: Black Pearl Sings!, Lowell Night, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Pay What You Will
SPECIAL DISCOUNTS TO BLACK PEARL SINGS!
Looking for the best ticket deals to Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s upcoming production of Black Pearl Sings!? Check out all the special discount and event nights we have planned for the run. To you order tickets now, call 978-654-4678 or visit the online box office.
Low Priced Previews:
February 11-14
Save money and help shape the show before Opening Night!
Pay What You Will Night:
February 11, 7:30pm
Available 3 hours before curtain, in person, cash only at the Box Office. Restricted seating. Sponsored by Lowell Five.
Director’s Dialogue:
February 11, 7:30pm
After the performance, enjoy the give and take as the director and designers field your questions, request input and describe the process of staging the play.
Lowell Night:
February 13, 8:00pm
$10 tickets for Lowell residents available 3 hours before curtain, in person, cash only at the Box Office. Restricted seating. Sponsored by Lowell Five.
Opening Night:
February 14, 7:00pm
Join Merrimack Rep’s staff and cast in raising a glass of champagne after the show.
Cookie Matinee:
February 17, 2:00pm
Join us for complimentary cookies and coffee in the lobby before the show! Courtesy of Brew’d Awakening Coffeehaus.
Post Show Forums:
February 18, 7:00pm
February 25, 7:00pm
March 4, 7:00pm
Enjoy this unique opportunity to learn the inside scoop and chat with the actors after the performance. Sponsored by Yellow Book.
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Filed under: Black Pearl Sings!, Merrimack Repertory Theatre | Tags: alan lomax, Black Pearl Sings!, leadbelly, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre
LEADBELLY AND ALAN LOMAX
Black Pearl Sings! is a work of fiction, but the characters and story were inspired by two real historical figures: Huddie Ledbetter (better known as Leadbelly) and Alan Lomax. Writer Frank Higgins did not want to be tied down to actual historical figures when writing the play, but there are many interesting parallels between Leadbelly and Lomax and their fictional counterparts.
Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter
Following his release, Leadbelly made many more recordings, including the song “Little Sally Walker,” one of the songs featured in Black Pearl Sings!. Lomax and Leadbelly made many academic appearances during 1934 and 1935, including Yale and Harvard, and gained notoriety for their recordings. Eventually, the elder Lomax severed their relationship with Leadbelly after problems on tour in 1935, but a few years later Alan was able to convince Leadbelly to make more recordings for the Library of Congress. In 1939, Leadbelly was arrested again on a stabbing charge, and had to serve another 8 months in jail. After his release, he continued recording and playing music until his death from ALS in 1949. His work remained popular and influential after his death, with covers by Pete Seeger and Frank Sinatra becoming hits. In 1988, his influence over popular music was honored with his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax died in 2002, and is considered one of the most important figures in the preservation of American folk music. Recording the music of the people was a lifelong passion for him. After working with Leadbelly, he made many other recordings, including blues, jazz, and cowboy songs. He eventually travelled to Great Britain in an effort to preserve their folk music. Rounder Records has released an astounding 100-CD series showcasing his most legendary field recordings. These recordings still influence musicians today. For example, Moby used several samples from Lomax’s “Sounds of the South: A Musical Journey From the Georgia Sea Islands to the Mississippi Delta” on his album “Play.” One of the biggest hits of the album was the song “Natural Blues,” which is essentially Lomax’s original a capella recording of Vera Hall singing “Troubles So Hard” set to dance music. “Troubles So Hard” also appears in Black Pearl Sings!. Today the bulk of Lomax’s collection is housed at the Library of Congress American Folklife Center. It contains more than 5,000 hours of recordings, as well as thousands of video tapes, hundreds of photographs, and his detailed fieldnotes from his decades spent traveling in search on music to record.
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Filed under: Black Pearl Sings!, Merrimack Repertory Theatre | Tags: Black Pearl Sings!, Blue Taleh, Centro, Cobblestones, Lowell, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, moonstones, valentine's day
VALENTINE’S DAY TICKET SPECIAL
Merrimack Repertory Theatre is helping to create the perfect Valentine’s Day date. MRT is offering Buy 1 Get 1 Free tickets for the 7pm Opening Night performance of Black Pearl Sings! on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2010. As part of the Opening Night celebration, the audience will enjoy a free champagne toast and meet-and-greet with the actors and creative team following the performance. This special ticket offer is available online at http://www.MerrimackRep.org or by calling 978.654.4MRT. The promotion will be applied automatically when two tickets are ordered.
In addition, four of MRT’s restaurant partners are offering special Valentine’s Day promotions for ticket holders on February 14. Centro Restaurant and Bar is offering 10% off dinner with a Black Pearl Sings! ticket stub. Blue Taleh, featuring Thai and Japanese cuisine, will have a live jazz trio performing all day. Cobblestones of Lowell and Moonstones of Chelmsford are each offering two seatings during the day and featuring special Valentine’s menus and promotions. Reservations for each restaurant are highly encouraged. Contact information for each restaurant is available on the “Area Dining” page of Merrimack Rep’s website under “Visit Us.”
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