By Lynn Venhaus
Guaranteed to put a spring in your step and a song in your heart, “Eubie!” is a sparkling and joyous tribute to one of the groundbreaking talents of the 20th century.

The Black Rep’s third time presenting a musical revue of American musician and composer Eubie Blake’s greatest hits is musical theater of the finest caliber.

The convivial cast, high-spirited choreography, cheerful musical numbers, elegant costumes, and silky-smooth orchestra combine for an uplifting production.

The musical extolling the talents of James Hubert “Eubie” Blake over his long, lauded career, especially his achievements in the early 1900s that helped spark the fabled Harlem Renaissance in the ‘20s and ‘30s, was the of the toast of the 1978-1979 Broadway season, nominated for three Tony Awards, including Eubie’s score and Gregory Hines’ performance. Blake died in 1983 at 96 years old.

With his 1921 musical, “Shuffle Along,” he and lyricist Noble Sissle helped break down racial barriers because it was the first Broadway musical written, directed by and starring black Americans. It also helped shape American musical theater as we know it today.

In 2006, his album “The Eighty-Six Years of Eubie Blake” from 1969 was included in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry by the National Recording Preservation Board. They annually select music that is “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Coda Boyce. Photo by Phillip Hamer

This effervescent cast has individual standouts but really comes together as an ensemble to celebrate Eubie’s contributions in ragtime, jazz, and popular music. Director Ron Himes’s thorough knowledge of the piece and the song styles helps expertly extract the very best from the cast, which has five performers making their Black Rep debut (DeAnte Bryant, Serdalyer Darden, Carvas Pickens, Tamara PiLar, and J’Kobe Wallace).

Himes deftly stages the group numbers – ‘Shuffle Along,” “I’m Just Simply Full of Jazz,” “High Steppin’ Days,” and “Roll Jordan” with polished and buoyant dance designed by master choreographers Heather Beal and Vivian Watt. Such verve!

Noteworthy in the Black Rep’s last musical, “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope” in 2019, the multi-faceted Robert Crenshaw stars and designed the tap choreography, He dances with such joy, that when he’s performing a solo number, it’s extraordinary, especially in “Low Down Blues” and “Hot Feet.”

In perhaps Blake’s most well-known song, “I’m Just Wild About Harry,” Crenshaw joined Evann De-Bose, Coda Boyce, Samantha Madison and PiLar for a rousing rendition.

Crenshaw opened the show with Boyce and Venezia Manuel, performing the jolly “Charleston Rag” and “Good Night Angeline” in the prologue.

J’Kobe Wallace. Photo by Phillip Hamer

Boyce, so good in “The African Company Presents Richard III” at the Black Rep last year, shows off her vocal chops in “Craving for That Kind of Love” and her playful moves in “Baltimore Buzz” with Manuel and lithe Bryant and Wallace.

The acrobatic moves of Bryant and Wallace are eye-popping and crowd-pleasing, and add pizzazz to the music numbers, Wallace is especially impressive in “Dixie Moon” and “Got to Get the Getting While the Gittin’s Good.”

Newcomer Darden has a good time with “I’m a Great Big Baby” and other solos of note include PiLar in “Daddy,” and De-Bose in “Memories of You.”

PiLar has a terrific duet with powerful-voiced Pickens in “My Handyman Isn’t Handy Anymore.”

They both have a good time with the cast in a fun, very theatrical number “If You Never Been Vamped by a Brownskin, You’ve Never Been Vamped At All,” where they take on roles of The Vamp, wife, husband, judge, bailiff and jury.

Taijah Silas is part of the 11-person ensemble, and they all move with vigor and enthusiasm.

Phillip Hamer Photo

Music Director Joe Dreyer, who also plays piano, is a virtuoso musician, and seamlessly leads a superb orchestra of Chris Tomlin on tuba, Bernard Long on drums, Anthony Wiggins on trumpet and Harvey Lockhart on saxophone. They are behind a scrim, but they breeze through the music catalogue with aplomb.

The musicians are part of this dream team that delighted in delivering a beautiful lesson in music appreciation of an earlier era.

The sound design by Justin Schmitz is splendid, and so is the look of the production, with impressive lighting design by Jasmine Williams and scenic design by Tim Jones setting the atmosphere through the decades.

Costume Designer Marc W. Vital II’s exceptional craftsmanship captured the period’s glamour perfectly.

It’s rare when you get to experience not only the cast having the best time on stage, but the audience thoroughly engaged and enchanted with the vitality of those involved.

“Eubie!” closes the Black Rep’s 46th season on a high note.

Photo by Phillip Hamer

The Black Rep presents the musical revue “Eubie!” from May 3 to May 21 at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus. Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. For more information, visit www.theblackrep.org

Photo by Phillip Hamer.
Photo by Phillip Hamer

Performance Series Featuring Two Weeks of Movement in Conversation with Landscape
Presented by the Whitaker Foundation June 15-25 at the Pulitzer

Two of St. Louis’ top cultural institutions, The Black Rep and The Pulitzer Arts Foundation are collaborating this summer to bring audiences Movement in Conversation with Landscape, as part of the The Black Rep’s Phoenix Rising Performance Series, presented by the Whitaker Foundation, June 16-25, 2023 at the Pulitzer. The Series includes unique dance performances, dance film screenings, and master classes. Full schedule and details below, with FREE admission to all.


June 16-18: Fri., 6-7 p.m.; Sat., 5-6 p.m.; Sun., 5-6 p.m.

12.15.2017– MFA dance student Heather Himes. James Byard/Washington University

Performances including:

The Seventh Floor Dance Collective – Founded by Heather Beal, this St. Louis based dance company is dedicated to the preservation and legacy of Dunham Technique. Performing inside in the Galleries. 

Brother(hood) Dance – An interdisciplinary duo that seeks to inform its audiences on the socio-political and environmental injustices from a global perspective, bringing clarity to the same-gender-loving African-American experience in the 21st century. Performing outside throughout Park Like.

Nana – A performance ritualist, youth educator, and loquacious lover, their artistry is the lens through which they conjure Black Queer Feminist research. Nana is the Artistic Director of Healing the Black Body. Performing outside at Spring Church. 

Thurs., June 22: 8-9:30 p.m. 

Screening of dance films:

With introductions and post-show conversation led by Kirven Douthit-Boyd, Artistic Director of Big Muddy Dance Co. Held outside in the courtyard between the Contemporary Art Museum and The Pulitzer. Space limited, FREE with registration required. Register at pultzerarts.org. Films include: 

The Weight of Sugar

Director: Jingqiu Guan; Choreographer: Bernard Brown 

Filmed on location at a renovated historic mill, the short film uses the lens of sugar to illuminate some of the lasting effects of colonialism on women of color. With support from a strong community, a young black woman guides us toward ascension, releasing the vestiges of oppression scattered. 

“a clearing” a part of the FLY | DROWN series

Co-Directors: Jennifer Harge and Devin Drake

This short chronicles a dance folktale honoring Black women’s movement towards flight. Set in a post-Great Migration home in Detroit, MI, it is an interwoven story of two characters, elder and nyeusi, and moves between the mundane, the majestic, fact, and fable. 

June 23-25: Fri., 6-7 p.m.; Sat., 5-6 p.m.; Sun., 5-6 p.m.

Performances including:

 Swamp Body Dance – Brittany Williams is an international dancer, choreographer, and organizer; a principal dancer with Olujimi Dance; the founder of Dancing for Justice and Obika Dance Projects. A womanist, a ride or die freedom fighter, and art-maker, Brittany creates work that is part reality, part fugitive. Performing outside in the Tree Grove.

Harge Dance Stories – Jennifer Harge is an interdisciplinary choreographer, performance artist, and educator based in Detroit whose work centers on Black and queer vernacular movement practices, codes, and rituals that manifest at the intersections of performance, installation, and community gathering. Performing outside at Spring Church. 

The Seventh Floor Dance Collective with Siobhan Monique  – Singer, songwriter, and educator based in Florida, Siobhan is also the founding artist of Ancestral Funk TM, Inc.  Held outside in the courtyard between the Contemporary Art Museum and The Pulitzer.

Sat., June 17 & Sat., June 24: MASTER CLASSES 

A full schedule of Master Classes will be offered. Space limited, FREE with registration; full class listing at www.theblackrep.org.

About The Black Rep

The Black Rep, a 46-year-old legacy Black arts organization, is committed to producing, re-imagining, and commissioning work written by Black playwrights and creating opportunities for new voices and youth. Founded by Producing Director Ron Himes, the vision for The Black Rep continues: a more equitable distribution of opportunities and resources for Black professionals and students in the theatre; improved representation on and back-stage in the theatre industry; and a fostered community culture of support and mentorship for those who will follow. For more information: www.theblackrep.org

The PHOENIX RISING SERIES honors The Black Rep’s original name on its founding in 1976 and is designed to create a platform for creative expression from an African American perspective in alternative spaces for new audiences, with support from the Whitaker Foundation. For a complete schedule of this summer’s SERIES visit www.theblackrep.org.

About The Pulitzer 

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation is an art museum dedicated to fostering meaningful experiences with art and architecture. Since its founding in 2001, the museum has presented art from around the world in its celebrated building by Tadao Ando and its surrounding neighborhood. Offering personal encounters with art, the Pulitzer brings art and people together to explore ideas and inspire new perspectives.

The Pulitzer campus is located in the Grand Center Arts District of St. Louis, Missouri, and includes the museum, the Spring Church, the Park-Like garden, and a tree grove. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday, 10am–5pm, with evening hours until 8pm on Friday. Admission is free. For more information, visit pulitzerarts.org.

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company continues its 46th Anniversary Season with the musical revue EUBIE!, featuring music from the groundbreaking musician and composer Eubie Blake. The production opens May 3 through Sunday May 21, 2023 at The Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

On Broadway in the 1970s, Eubie! re-introduced audiences to Blake’s iconic career and highlighted his role in breaking down racial barriers with the 1921 musical, Shuffle Along –  the first Broadway musical written, directed by and starring Black Americans. 

At The Black Rep, the ensemble cast for EUBIE! includes Coda Boyce (The African Company Presents Richard III; The Light), DeAnté Bryant (TBR debut), Robert Crenshaw (Spell #7; Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope), Serdalyer Darden (TBR debut), Evann De-Bose (Lines in the Dust; Black Nativity), Samantha Madison (Do I Move You? Black Nativity), Venezia Manuel (Crossin’ Over), Carvas Pickens (TBR debut), Tamara PiLar (TBR debut), J’Kobe Wallace (TBR debut), and Taijha Necole Silas (Behind The Sheet; Death Of A Salesman).

Audiences will be treated to well-known tunes such as: “In Honeysuckle Time,” and “I’m Just Wild About Harry,” with live music featuring: Joseph Dreyer – Piano, Chris Tomlin – tuba, Bernard Long Jr. – drums, Anthony Wiggins – trumpet, and Harvey Lockhart – saxophone.

“EUBIE! showcases many of Blake’s best songs, many from Shuffle Along, which was a smashing success when it ran on Broadway in 1921,” explains Ron Himes, Founder and Producing Director of The Black Rep. “Eubie Blake not only helped shape American musical theatre as we know it today, but that show is credited with kicking off the Harlem Renaissance that swept New York City culture in the late 1920s and 1930s.”

Directed by Ron Himes with Musical Director Joe Dreyer and written by Eubie Blake, Andy Razaf, Noble Sissle and Julianne Boyd, the production showcases Choreography by Vivian Watt, Heather Beal, and Robert Crenshaw; Scenic Design by Tim Jones, Costume Design by Marc W. Vital II, Sound Design by Justin Schmitz, Lighting Design by Jasmine Williams. Tracy Holliway D. Wiggins is the Stage Manager and Zahria Moore is the Assistant Stage Manager.

Tickets are available at theblackrep.org or through the Box Office at 314-534-3807. Reduced pricing is available for seniors, educators, museum staff, students, and groups of 12 or more. The Black Rep is highly recommending face masks inside the theatre. Please visit theblackrep.org for up-to-date health protocols.

Support for The Black Rep’s 46th Main Stage Season comes from the Arts and Education Council, The Berges Family Foundation, The Black Seed Initiative, Caleres, Missouri Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Regional Arts Commission, Rogers-Townsend, The Shubert Foundation, the Steward Family Foundation, and Washington University in St. Louis, with matinee support from the Union Pacific Foundation.

About The Black Rep

The Black Rep, a 46-year-old legacy Black arts organization, is committed to producing, re-imagining, and commissioning work written by Black playwrights and creating opportunities for new voices and youth. Founded by Producing Director Ron Himes, the vision for The Black Rep continues: a more equitable distribution of opportunities and resources for Black professionals and students in the theatre; improved representation on and back-stage in the theatre industry; and a fostered community culture of support and mentorship for those who will follow. For more information: www.theblackrep.org 

The St. Louis Black Rep rounds up its season of virtual programming with a final mainstage production of an original work.  Do I Move You? –  based on a collection of poetry by Dr. Jonathan Smith, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Saint Louis University and President of The Black Rep Board of Directors – will stream on Vimeo June 15-30.

Smith’s collection of poetry, music, and dance pulls inspiration from Jazz, religion, love, family, and some of the greatest musicians of our time –  Donny Hathaway, Louis Jordan, and Marvin Gaye. Conceived by Producing Director Ron Himes, using devised theatre, Black Rep Director and Choreographer Heather Beal weaves a web of music, dance, and poetry. Themes of betrayal, identity, discovery, and love flow throughout the performance, culminating to answer one very important question, “Do I Move You?”

Produced at the Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, the production features the Black Rep’s Acting Intern Company Kentrell Jamison, Christian Kitchens, Theorri London, Brian McKinley, Tyler White, Jesmelia Williams, and Christina Yancy. Also featured are local Vocalist and Musical Director, Amber Rose, Dancer Samantha Madison, Percussionist Bernard Long Jr, Bass Player Jeffrey Anderson, and Lead Guitarist Dennis Brock. With scenic and projection design by Peter and Margery Spack, lighting design by Sean Savoie, costume design by Ellen Minch, sound engineering by Kareem Deanes, editing by Avatar Studios, and Kasey Dunaski as Stage Manager.

Tickets for Do I Move You? are available at theblackrep.org or by calling our Box Office at 314-534-3807. Streaming free on demand, a suggested donation of $25 will directly help support the theatre company and its artists.

“Spell # 7” will be The Black Rep debut of rap artist Tef Poe. Tef Poe has received numerous Hip-Hop awards for his work, and was recently featured as a Harvard Fellow at the W.E.B. DuBois Research institute.

Tef says “This is an opportunity for me to sharpen my skills and work with some of the best talent in this region.  The Black Rep is known for reimagining what’s possible in Black entertainment.  I knew this would be a challenge for me. My background obviously isn’t rooted in theatre. But the hip hop world has a few commonalities so I’m able to play into my strengths with this character. I’m honored to be a part of this production.  My respect for my cast mates and our director is insurmountable.”

“Spell # 7” will also feature Drummond Crenshaw, Robert Crenshaw, and Jacqueline Thompson as well as four of our Professional Acting Interns: Brian McKinley, Tyler White, Christina Yancy, and Camille Sharp.

“Spell # 7” is a striking choreopeom by the author of “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf”, Ntozake Shange.  Set in a bar in St Louis frequented by Black artists and musicians, actors, and performers. In a series of dreamlike vignettes and poetic monologues, they commiserate about the difficulties they face as Black artists.  The piece is framed by the narrator, Lou (played by Brian McKinley), a magician who wants to use his magic to help the artists come to terms with their Blackness and rejoice in their identities.

“Spell # 7” is the second production supported by the Sophisticated Ladies Giving Initiative.  This initiative supported last year’s production of Nina Simone: Four Women by Christina Ham.

This production is also funded with support from the Regional Arts Commission, World Wide Technology, Washington University in St. Louis, Steward Family Foundation, and Centene Corporation. “Spell # 7” is also underwritten in part through a grant from the Creative Impact Fund for Diversifying the Arts – a partnership between the Arts and Education Council and local community leaders.

“Spell # 7” is directed by Ron Himes, with choreography by Heather Beal, scenic design by Dunsi Dai, lighting design by Joe Clapper, costume design by Brandin Vaughn, and sound design by James Biko.  Jim Anthony is the stage manager and D’Angelo Himes is the assistant stage manager.

The production will run Feb. 19 – March 8 at the AE Hotchner Studio Theatre on the campus of Washington University. Tickets are available at www.theblackrep.org/, or by calling the box office at 314-534-3807.

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About The St Louis Black Repertory CompanyThe St Louis Black Repertory Company was founded in 1976 by Producing Director Ron Himes. The Black Rep is one of the largest, professional African-American theatre companies in the nation and the largest African-American performing arts organization in Missouri. Quality professional dramas, comedies and musicals by primarily African-American and international playwrights are produced. Mainstage productions and education programs combine to reach more than 80,000 people annually.

The Black Rep will present a concert version of the
Broadway hit musical “Ain’t Misbehavin’” at the 560 Music Center on Saturday,
Oct, 12, for One Night Only.

“Ain’t Misbehavin’” is a musical revue with a book by
Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr., and music by various composers and
lyricists as arranged and orchestrated by Luther Henderson. It is named after
the song by Fats Waller (with Harry Brooks and Andy Razaf), “Ain’t Misbehavin’”.

The musical is a tribute to the black musicians of the
1920s and 1930s who were part of the Harlem Renaissance, an era of growing
creativity, cultural awareness, and ethnic pride. It was a time when Manhattan
nightclubs like the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom were the playgrounds of
high society and Lenox Avenue dives were filled with piano players banging out
the new beat known as swing.
An ensemble of performers present an evening of rowdy, raunchy, and humorous
songs that encapsulate the various moods of the era and reflect Waller’s view
of life as a journey meant for pleasure and play.

The Chicago Sun Times said: “Fun and off-the-charts
galvanic energy are the main orders of the day in this show… Talk about
“Spreadin’ the Rhythm Around.” Pure joy.”

The Huffington Post said: “This is a boozy, after hours
party, and we’re all invited.”

The cast of Ain’t Misbehavin’ in concert features cast
members from the Season 43 opening hit production of “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t
Cope” led by Drummond Crenshaw, Amber Rose, Tyler White, Robert Crenshaw, and
Sieglinda Fox.

It is directed by Producing Director Ron Himes, with
musical direction by Charles Creath, choreography by Kirven Douthit-Boyd and
Heather Beal.

Proceeds from the 2019 Gala go to support The Black Rep’s
Community and Education programs such as: 
Summer Performing Arts (SPA), Teen Tech Program, The Professional Intern
Program and many others.

Other highlights of the evening will also feature a
presentation of the Frankie Muse Freeman Spirit Awards to Anne Marie Clark and
Wesley Bell as well as the Woodie King Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr.
Glory Van Scott and George Faison.

“Ain’t Misbehavin’” is sponsored in part by Centene
Corporation, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Edward Jones, Webster University, McCormack
Baron Salazar Inc., Keith Williamson, Gisele Marcus, Tom and Barbara Feiner,
Loren and Marcia Grossman, Lionel Phillip, Hank Webber and Chris Jacobs.

For tickets or more information, contact the box office at
314-534-3807 or go online to theblackrep.org.