Tracy Inman, Julie James, Dave Marsh to Moderate Talkbacks for Broadway’s Memphis
in Memphis
(© Joan Marcus)
The producers of Broadway’s Memphis have announced that the Inspire Change Talkback Series celebrating Black History Month, minorities, and their impact on the entertainment industry, will begin on Thursday, February 9 at the Shubert Theatre.
Immediately following 7pm performances on Thursdays in February, patrons will be invited to participate in a talkback about the role of minorities in various aspects of the performing arts including dance, music and theater. Each talkback will feature a guest moderator along with cast members from the show.
The first of these talkback will focus on dance, and be moderated by Tracy Inman, Director of The Ailey School. It will also feature several current Ailey students.
On Thursday, February 16, Dave Marsh will moderate a discussion of music and the influence minorities have had on popular music through the years. Marsh is an American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host who hosts three shows on Sirius/XM Radio.
The Thursday, February 23 talkback will feature Julie James, the host of “Broadway Names with Julie James” on Sirius/XM, discussing theater and the role minorities have played in the advancement of all facets of the industry, from casting, to writing, to both past and present Broadway shows.
Set in the segregated South of the 1950s, Memphis follows the fictionalized life story of white radio disc jockey Huey Calhoon, who falls in love with both rock & roll and an electrifying black singer, Felicia Farrell. The musical currently stars Adam Pascal as Huey and Montego Glover as Felicia.
The musical is directed by Christopher Ashley, and features choreography by Sergio Trujillo and orchestrations by Daryl Waters. With music by David Bryan and lyrics by Bryan and bookwriter Joe DiPietro, it won four 2010 Tony Awards, for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Orchestrations.
