HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY

in celebration of

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

presents

BLACK SPIRIT AND THE
STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM

Sunday, February 17, 2013, at 3 p.m.

John Cranford Adams Playhouse, South Campus

A concert of music and dance that re-creates seminal performances and events by black artists and historical figures in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Hofstra student actors will guide the audience through a semi-historical narrative highlighting important milestones in African-American culture and the struggle for freedom in the United States and the world. The audience will hear re-enactments of Marian Anderson’s famous 1939 concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, tenor Roland Hayes’ controversial recital debut in Germany, Billie Holiday’s courageous performance of “Strange Fruit,” and Nelson Mandela’s address to a crowd of thousands in Cape Town, South Africa, following his release from prison in February 1990. Dances from ragtime to swing to a South African boot dance will tie the concert together. 

This collaboration between the Department of Music and the Department of Drama and Dance will feature performances by the Hofstra Chamber Choir, Hofstra Jazz Ensemble, Hofstra Symphony Orchestra, and Hofstra student dancers and actors. Choral ensembles from Hempstead High School and Uniondale High School will also perform.

Esteemed guest artists include soprano, composer  and writer Diana Solomon-Glover, who is also the curator of this event; choreographer Mickey Davidson; and internationally acclaimed tenor Robert Mack. 

Tickets: $15 general admission, $12 senior citizen (over 65) or matriculated non-Hofstra student with ID. One free ticket with current faculty/staff/student HofstraCard.

NO REFUNDS. Late arrivals will be seated at the discretion of management.

This performance is made possible by a generous grant from the D'Addario Music Foundation (D'Addario Music Appreciation Initiative) as well as support from the Hofstra University Department of Music, Department of Drama and Dance, and Hofstra Cultural Center.