 Bishop Arts Theatre Center (BATC) is thrilled to announce the regional premiere production of Idris Goodwin’s poignant play, Bars & Measures. The production will be directed by Jiles King II and opens April 14, 2022 through May 1, 2022. Bars & Measures tell the story of two brothers, both musicians.
The classical pianist is Christian. The jazz bassist is Muslim. When Bilal is accused of being a terrorist and jailed awaiting trial, Eric tries to stay connected by pushing aside his own classical aspirations in order to learn big brother's jazz style. Separated by prison bars and religious convictions, the brothers scat and be-bop through their shared language of music. As his brother's trial progresses, Eric becomes disillusioned and struggles to decide if he believes the charges levied against his beloved older brother, or if false accusations make him a beleaguered martyr to a prejudiced, paranoid nation.
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 A unique partnership is coming to the Metroplex in April as Questlove, musician and member of The Roots will partner with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to narrate the history of hip hop and the impact it has had on American culture, the orchestra announced via news release. The 5-time Grammy Award-winning, and currently Oscar-nominated musician will take patrons on “A Visual Journey through Hip Hop” through various harmonies and melodies alongside the orchestra.
Two of Dallas’ most prolific creators, Jeremy Biggers and JM Rizzi will also join Questlove in providing an experience where people will vividly experience artistic expression visually through stories and imagery of music. Local artists will also have the opportunity to express their skills; artists Eric Trich and Alda Boyd will collaborate with Biggers and Rizzi to bring their art to life in a projection-mapped 3D environment, while composer Sylvester “Sly” Onyejiaka will curate and create a masterful score alongside Questlove.  The Academy Awards air this month, and four Black actors are going into the ceremony with nominations: Will Smith for “King Richard” and Denzel Washington “The Tragedy of Macbeth” for best actor. And Ariana DeBose got nominated for best supporting actress for “West Side Story,” as did Aunjanue Ellis for “King Richard.” But I won’t be watching the broadcast.
Some of you may remember the historic Oscar Academy Awards night in 2002 where Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, and the late great Sidney Poitier all received Oscars for their work and legacy. I actually wrote something at the time called “The Night the Oscars Went Black” as a knee jerk response to an event I had predicted months earlier. If you recall, there was more going on this night than just the entertainment industry nominations honoring films made in 2001 and sobbing Halle Berry speeches. Let me set the stage… At the ceremony in 2001 year prior, Denzel had lost a Best Actor win to Russell Crowe for his performance in 2000’s “Gladiator,”; however, Denzel had been nominated for the lead role in “The Hurricane”, and was pretty much expected to win the Oscar for his biopic portrayal of Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter, a former middleweight boxer who was wrongly convicted for a triple murder in a bar in Paterson, New Jersey. It was an adaptation — , Oscar bait — , about a real person — , Oscar bait — , starring an Oscar winner — , Oscar bait. , AND it had some white savior flavor in there – , OSCAR BAAAAIT! Not to mention, Denzel Washington had already won the 2000 Golden Globe for Best Actor, which is a good indicator of how the Oscars will go.  DaQwaylan Dunbar was a regular around Deep Ellum and Lower Greenville. After nailing it on national television, he’s looking ahead to what’s next.
When last we saw DaQwaylan Dunbar, he’d given a knockout vocal performance on the Fox network’s I Can See Your Voice. His powerful voice played a part in contestant Frank Adams winning $100,000 for charity. “It means a lot seeing you win like that,” Dunbar told Adams as the judges and Adams cried and celebrated. That scene was taped a year ago. Since then, Dunbar, a Lancaster resident who grew up in Oak Cliff has done the unexpected: He’s gone quiet. To protect the show’s audience from clues about his singing prowess, Dunbar said producers required him to temporarily take down his performances from social media. A voice that had range had to go silent on Instagram and other platforms until after the show aired in February. It’s a tough ask for a 24-year-old performer whose passion is singing. Before his game-show appearance, Dunbar was a regular at places like On Premises, BuzzBrews and The Free Man Cajun Cafe & Lounge in Deep Ellum or on Lower Greenville. With just a “little old amp speaker and microphone” and help from his brother, Jaquail Malloy, and cousin, R.J., Lockett, Dunbar busked away. |
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January 2023
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