HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME
A new musical inspired by the work of Tupac Shakur
Written by Todd Kreidler
Directed by Kenny Leon
Opens June 19, 2014
Palace Theatre on Broadway
Award-winning slam poet, actor, singer, musician Saul Williams (Slam), Christopher Jackson (After Midnight), Saycon Sengbloh (Motown The Musical, Fela!), Ben Thompson (Matilda), John Earl Jelks (Radio Golf – Tony nomination), Joshua Boone (Brownsville Song [b side for Tray] at Actors Theatre of Louisville), Dyllon Burnside (“Prison Break”) and Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins (Jelly’s Last Jam, Caroline or Change, Play On!) will star in HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME, the new Broadway musical inspired by the lyrics of Tupac Shakur. Written by Todd Kreidler and directed by Kenny Leon,HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME will begin performances on May 29, 2014 and open June 19, 2014 at the Palace Theatre (1564 Broadway at 47th Street).
HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME, the world inside Tupac Shakur’s music and lyrics, blazes to life in a non-biographical story about friendship, family, revenge, change and hope. Inner city lives struggle for peace against the daily challenges they face in this entertaining and original musical. Through the poetry of one of the 20th century’s most influential and culturally prominent voices, we are given a window into realities of the streets still relevant today.
Saul Williams will play John, Christopher Jackson is Vertus, Saycon Sengbloh is Corinne, Ben Thompson will play Griffy, John Earl Jelks will play Street Preacher, Joshua Boone is Darius, Dyllon Burnside is Anthony and Tonya Pinkinswill play Mrs. Weston.
The ensemble features Afi Bijou (Fela!), Mel Charlot (Three-time World Hip Hop Champion),
Carrie Compere (Shrek National Tour), Otis Cotton, Ariana Groover (Bare Off-Broadway), Jared Joseph (Book of MormonNational Tour), Jahi Kearse (Baby It’s You), Muata Langley (freestyle Krump performer), Valentine Norton (“American Idol”), Christina Sajous (Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark), Charlene “Chi Chi” Smith, Jaime Lincoln Smith (Ruined Off-Broadway), Donald Webber, Jr. (Motown The Musical) and Joaquina Kalukango (Antony and Cleopatra).
Joining director Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun [2004 and 2014], Fences [2010], The Mountaintop) and authorTodd Kreidler (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and direction of How I Learned What I Learned) on the creative team, are Tony Award winning choreographer Wayne Cilento (Wicked, The Who’s Tommy, How to Succeed…[1995], AIDA, Sweet Charity [2004]), and musical supervisor Daryl Waters (Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk, The Color Purple, Memphis).
The creative team also includes scenic design by Edward Pierce (The Other Place, Shatner’s World) based on original concepts by David Gallo, projections by Zachary G. Borovay (No Man’s Land, Waiting for Godot), costumes by Reggie Ray (Stick Fly), lighting by Mike Baldassari (Cabaret [1998/2014], First Date) and sound byJohn Shivers (Kinky Boots) and David Patridge (Soul Doctor).
HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME is produced on Broadway by Afeni Shakur, Eric L. Gold, Chunsoo Shin, Jessica Green and Marcy Kaplan-Gold. General Manager is Richard Martini for KL Management.
Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster at www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling 877-250-2929. Tickets available in person at the Palace Theatre box office, 1564 Broadway at 47th Street beginning May 8 at 10AM. Ticket prices range from $59 to $139 (all prices include a$2.00 facility fee). A limited number of student tickets at $35 are available through TIX4STUDENTS at www.tix4students.com. TIX4STUDENTS is an annual membership program for students 18+ only that provides access to purchase student tickets online in advance (validation of student status required). HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME is participating in this program as part of their commitment to being accessible to college students.
Biographies for Principal Casting:
SAUL WILLIAMS (John) came to public attention after the release of the internationally acclaimed film, Slam (dir. Marc Levin), which he co-wrote and starred in, introducing the world to the Slam poetry movement, and winning Sundance's Grand Jury Prize and the Cannes Camera D'Or, in1998. He has performed in over 30 countries and read his poetry in over 300 universities, with invitations that have spanned from the White House, the Sydney Opera House, Lincoln Center, The Louvre, The Getty Center, Queen Elizabeth Hall, to countless, villages, townships, community centers, and prisons across the world. Saul has published five books of poetry through MTV/Simon & Schuster, translated into several languages, and ranks 3rd as the highest-selling living poet after Maya Angelou and Billy Collins. As a musician, Saul signed to Rick Rubin's American recordings in 1998, creating the critically acclaimed Amethyst Rock Star (2001). His self-titled second album (2004), was nominated for an MTV Woodie Award and features the song, “List Of Demands (Reparations),” which was covered by Nine Inch Nails, The Hives and Robyn, and was selected for the Nike “My Better” campaign. For his 3rd album, Saul teamed with Nine Inch Nails front-man, Trent Reznor, for The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust (2007). His 4thalbum, Volcanic Sunlight (2011), was recorded in Paris with French producer Renaud Letang. As an actor, Saul was a series regular as ‘Sivad’ on the CW's “Girlfriend” and has appeared in films including K-Pax, Lackawanna Blues,New York, I Love You, and most recently the French-Senegalese “Aujourd'hui- TEY” (dir. Alain Gomis) which won 2013's L'Etalon D'Or at FESPACO, where Saul was the first African-American to win Best Actor in what is the world’s largest and oldest African film festival. TEY was also awarded The Prize of the City at The Venice Film Festival, along with countless other festival awards and prizes. Saul has B.A.'s in Philosophy and Drama from Morehouse College and an M.F.A. in acting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Saul is currently living in NYC where he is developing the multi-media project MARTYR LOSER KING. www.SaulWilliams.com
CHRISTOPHER JACKSON (Vertus) Broadway: After Midnight, The Bronx Bombers, In the Heights, Memphis, The Lion King. Off-Bway: Bronx Bombers, The Jammer, Lonely, I’m Not, In the Heights, Cotton Club Parade. Film/TV: “Freestyle Love Supreme” (Pivot Network), “Person of Interest,” “A Gifted Man,” “Fringe,” “Gossip Girl,” Tracers, Afterlife. Co-Music Supervisor and Writer for “The Electric Company.” Composer/songwriter: “Sesame Street” (5 Emmy noms). Emmy Award for his song with Will.I.Am, “What I Am.” Solo album titled In the Name of Love (Yellow Sound Lab Records). Currently working on 2nd album and has several musical projects in development for the musical stage.
SAYCON SENGBLOH (Corinne) is thrilled to bring Tupac's words to Broadway! Broadway: Motown the Musical, Fela!, Hair, Wicked, The Color Purple, Aida. National tour: Rent. Off-Broadway: Katori Hall’s Hurt Village (Signature), Once On This Island(Paper Mill), Hair (Public Theatre/Delacorte), numerous workshops/readings. An Atlanta native, favorite regional work includes: Alliance Theatre, 7-Stages Theatre, Tyler Perry, & Freddie Hendricks (YEA). Film/TV: Songbyrd, American Gangster, Funny Valentines, "Law & Order," "Prince of Motorcity." Music: "Be Here", "Everything," Southern Pin-Up, Grammy nominated Motown, Hair, Fela!. Winner of “Young & Powerful for Obama Award.” http://SayconSengbloh.com@sayconsengbloh
BEN THOMPSON (Griffy) comes directly from starring as Broadway’s Hammer-throwing Headmistress Miss Trunchbull in Matilda The Musical. Broadway: Matilda, American Idiot. Off-Broadway/NY: Rent (New World Stages), Carrie (MCC), Parable of the Sower (New York City Opera). Nat’l tours: Disney’s High School Musical, Big River (Deaf West), Joseph… Film: Carry Me Home with Cuba Gooding, Jr. TV: Appeared with the band Green Day on “The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards,” “Monday Night Football,” and NBC's “America's Got Talent.” BFA: TCU. @itsBenThompson.
JOHN EARL JELKS (Street Preacher) was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as Sterling Johnson in August Wilson's Radio Golf. Jelks made his Broadway debut as Citizen Barlow in August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean. Jelks has garnered a LA Ovation Award, NAACP Theatre Award, and a Audelco Award. Jelks also appeared Off-Broadway in The Break of Noon, Magnolia, Two Trains Running, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Shawshank Redemption in Dublin Ireland, Fetch Clay, Make Man, and SunSet Baby. Film and TV credits include Snap, The Miraculous, Miracle at St. Anna, “Law & Order SVU”, “Blue Bloods.”
JOSHUA BOONE (Darius) Broadway debut. Native of Portsmouth, Virginia. Theatre performance B.F.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University. Last seen in the 2014 Humana Festival production of Brownsville Song (b-side for Tray) (Actors Theatre of Louisville).
DYLLON BURNSIDE (Anthony) got his start in entertainment at the age of 12 where he gained acclaim as the front man of a popular hip hop/R&B boy band based in Atlanta. He studied Musical Theatre performance at CAP21. Holler If Ya Hear Memarks his Broadway debut. Off-Off Broadway: B-Boy Blues (Here Arts Center) TV: “Prison Break.”
TONYA PINKINS (Mrs. Weston) is a 3-time Tony Award nominee for her performances in Caroline or Change (Winner: Obie, Audelco, Lortel, Garland, NAACP Theater and LA Drama Critics’ Awards; Nominee: Olivier, Drama League, Drama Desk, Outer Critics’ Circle Award), Play On! and a Tony Award winner for Jelly’s Last Jam (also Drama Desk, Outer Critics’ Circle, Monarch, Clarence Derwent). Other Broadway: A Time To Kill, The Wild Party, Radio Golf, Chronicle of A Death Foretold, Merrily We Roll Along. Off-Broadway: Milk Like Sugar (2012 Lucille Lortel Award; Playwrights Horizons). Film/TV: “All My Children, “As The World Turns,” “Army Wives,” “24,” “Criminal Minds,” Enchanted, Fading Gigolo, Newlyweeds, “Home,” “Hostages.” Visit her @TonyaPinkins Twitter and www.TonyaPinkins.com
www.HollerIfYaHearMe.com
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