Soul of Broad way Songbook Series kicks off with production of music from 'The Wiz:' TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY

Jazzanooga performances will highlight musicals starring black performers

Everything Jazzanooga does in 2018 will address a lack of diversity in local arts programming, says Shane Morrow, founder and director of Jazzanooga.

Morrow says most shows do not feature African-Americans or other people of color.

“Normally throughout theater, a lot of productions showcase non-African-Americans for the bulk of the time,” Morrow says.

So he’s starting a new series, The Soul of Broadway Songbook Series, in recognition of Black History Month. It’s a fourpart series highlighting musicals and Broadway productions that feature African-Americans.

The first production in the series, “The Wiz,” will be performed at the Camp House tonight through Saturday, Feb. 1-3. Morrow is considering focusing on Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith for the next two shows. He said he definitely wants to end the year with “Black Nativity.”

Morrow directed a sold-out stage production of “The Wiz” in 2017 for the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.

“Though I was extremely pleased by the overwhelming community response to t he CTC production, I wanted to present just the music of the production this time around, in a more direct and intimate way so that the audience can just feel the spirit and power of the songs,” says Morrow.

The Soul of Broadway Songbook Series is designed to offer education and live entertainment in a cabaret-style setting. A goal of each performance is to showcase talented people of color in the Chattanooga area, he states.

The series will show- case a host of community performers including Maya Jaffar, Neshawn Calloway, Darryl Wheeler Jr., Donel Solomon, Tiffany Williams, Karen McReynolds, Donyea Mitchell, Brandalyn Shropshire and Felicion McMillon.

Local fashion designer Terrance Wright will provide costumes.

“The focus of our 2018 programming is to address the lack of diverse arts and cultural programming in our city,” says Morrow. “As Chattanooga continues to grow into an inclusive city, we still have pockets of our local communities of color that aren’t being fully embraced or recognized for their cultural significance and contributions to the creative landscape. It is my personal goal to ensure that we not only showcase these artistic local contributions and talents, but that we work to empower our whole community through the power of the arts.”

Perfo r mances are scheduled at 7 p.m. tonight through Saturday at The Camp House, 149 E. M.L. King Blvd. Tickets are $ 15 and available online at www. jazzanooga2018. eventbrite.com.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Principal cast members from the Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s fall production of “The Wiz” will reprise their roles to kick off Jazzanooga’s The Soul of Broadway Songbook Series, which begins tonight at The Camp House.