Lonesome Blues

Theatre
Name: York Theatre at St. Peter's
Address: 619 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022
Production Information
First performance date: June 12, 2018
Opening date: June 19, 2018
Closing date: July 1, 2018
External Links: Official Website


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Production Description
The world premiere musical Lonesome Blues is the true story of the legendary bluesman Blind Lemon Jefferson: born blind, but ultimately able to express his deepest emotions through music. Discovered on a street corner in the Deep Ellum section of Dallas, Texas in 1925, Jefferson made more than 80 records over the next four years, becoming one the most prolific and influential performers of his generation and propelling the growth of rhythm and blues, soul, doo-wop, rap, and hip-hop. Building on the success of their earlier musical Blind Lemon Blues, presented by the York in 2007 and 2009, Alan Govenar and Akiń Babatundé have used new research to probe deeper into the life and psyche of Blind Lemon Jefferson. In Lonesome Blues, Babatundé plays more than ten different roles, channeling the spirits of men and women alike, in a journey that is at once evocative, troubling, and transformative. Songs and monologues bring to life the voice of Blind Lemon Jefferson, his community, and his musical contemporaries, including Blind Willie Johnson, Lillian Glinn, Hattie Hudson, Bobbie Cadillac, and Lead Belly—all coming together in Jefferson's mind on the day of his death, December 19, 1929, in Chicago.
Opening Night Credits

Production Credits
Person/Company Credit
The York Theatre Company Producer
Evans Haile Executive Director
Documentary Arts Produced in Association
James Morgan1 Producing Artistic Director
  
Akiń Babatundé Creator
Alan Govenar Creator
  
Katherine Owens Director
  
Daniel Georgiou Movement Specialist
  
James Morgan Set Designer
Gelacio Eric Gibson Costume Designer
Steve Woods Lighting Designer
Jason Johnson-Spinos Sound Designer
Michael Harbeck Associate Scenic Designer
Yamila Chiappe Assistant Set Designer
Yamila Chiappe Original Artwork
  
Tim Hurley General Manager
Richard Hillman PR: Phillip Carrubba Press Representative
  
Chris Steckel Production Stage Manager
P. Tyler Britt Assistant Stage Manager
  
Kevin Maloof Production Manager
P. Tyler Britt Wardrobe
  
David Weiss Guitar
1Credited as Jim Morgan.

Cast
Actor Role
Akiń Babatundé Blind Lemon Jefferson
Awards
Award Person / Company Function
1 NOMINATED 2018 AUDELCO Award, Solo Performance Akiń Babatundé Actor