Tag: Black Excellence

Vocalist/Multi-instrumentalist Kevin Sharpe began his musical career at the age of seven singing gospel in his church choir. By age eleven he was playing drums for that same choir and eventually became one of the primary drummers for the Church of God in Christ in the region. Later in college he studied classical percussion, arranging and choral conducting. The Springfield, Massachusetts native also studied voice with Dr. Horace Clarence Boyer and improvisation with Yusef Lateef. Since graduating with degrees in Music Education and Jazz Performance he has worked across many genres with diverse artists such as Jazz musicians Archie Shepp, Charles Greenlee and John Blake, R&B and Soul artists Meli’sa Morgan and Betty Harris, Gospel artists The Soul Stirrers, Fred Hammond, The Harlem Gospel Choir among others.

Naire Poole is fresh off of her performances as Hermia in Shakespeare & Company’s mainstage production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare & Company’s Northeast Regional Tour. Select credits include: Theater: The Performer ‘hollow roots’ with WAM Theatre, ‘Margaret/the Sexton Much Ado About Nothing, Elizabeth Darcy The Wickams: Christmas at Pemberley, Hamlet Hamlet, three hang, Macy The Cake, Antigone Antigone, Dave Moss Glengarry Glenross, Francine/Lena Clybourne Park. Bella For the People’s Good. Film: Andrea (Lead) Wet Things, Hermia (Lead) A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Veterinarian (supporting) George. She has a hunger for exploring work of challenging societal structures. When she isn’t tackling work that explores the complexity of interpersonal expansion through her performances, she is directing and teaching, ablaze to adjust theatrical structures into inclusive, healing, and transcendent spaces.

Nicole M. Young-Martin President (she/her) is a writer, performer, producer, and educator with over 25 years of experience as a practicing artist and over 15 years of working in higher education and the nonprofit sector. Nicole joined our board in January of 2022. Having attended WAM productions in the past, Nicole is very excited to take on this new role with WAM Theatre. Nicole serves as the producer and host of the podcast and virtual platform, Black Writers Read and teaches literature, developmental writing, arts management, and theatre for Bard Microcollege Holyoke, Springfield Technical Community College, and UMass Amherst

Today, it’s my extreme pleasure to introduce you to celebrity stylist LaToya Murray-Berry. The stylish star stylist who has been working her craft for the past six years, took some time to chat with Gigi+Nini Style  and counts Amber Rose, Dirty Money, Puff Daddy, Jim Jones, Fabolous, Juelz Santana, Beenie Man, Beverly Johnson, Kim Alexis, Jeremiah, Diggy Simmons (and new Atlantic artist) Hamilton Park  as some of her clients.

The Dorchester, Massachusetts native shared, “Growing up, I went to private school, outer city high schools and graduated from Virginia State University with a B.S. in Psychology. My art teacher in sixth grade gave me my intro to designing. He would get me the Boston Herald and save the Filine’s ad and would have me trace the body figure and I began from there. Not to mention, growing up with an English mother, I understood quality and learnt how to handle my clothes with care.”

https://www.mikekingpiano.com

Virtuosic pianist Michael King, a Chicagoan native

began playing drums in his local church band at the early age of 4. This fortuitously melodic schooling nurtured an undeniable affinity to the piano and organ, the very seat that he began to occupy, by ear, at age 14. Mr. King is an alumni of Lincoln Park High School and the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory. He was selected to attend the Thelonious Monk Institute and The Ravinia Jazz Scholars program on merit scholarships. Michael has performed with Bobby Watson, Kevin Eubanks, Dave Liebeman, Gary Bartz, Billy Hart, Joel Frahm, Rufus Reid, & Antonio Hart, among others. Currently you can catch Mr. King touring internationally with: The Mike King Trio, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Robin Eubanks, Marquis Hill, Theo Croker, Soul Understated, Melissa Aldana, & Marcus Printup.

About

Cheryl L. West’s plays include, FANNIE: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou
Hamer, Last Stop on Market Street, Shout Sister Shout, Akeelah and the Bee,
Pullman Porter Blues, and Jar the Floor. Her plays have been produced in
England, off-Broadway, on Broadway (Play On!) and in numerous regional
theaters around the country, including Seattle Rep, Arena Stage, Old Globe, The
Goodman, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Minneapolis Children’s Theatre,
Seattle Children’s Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare
Festival, Indiana Rep, Asolo Rep, Merrimack, Arkansas Rep, St. Louis Black
Rep, Bay Street Theatre Festival, Syracuse Stage, Cleveland Play House, South
Coast Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and Off‐Broadway’s Manhattan
Theatre Club and Second Stage. She has written TV and film projects at Disney,
Paramount, MTV Films, Showtime, TNT, HBO, CBS, BET and is the Webby-
nominated writer for the original web series Diary of a Single Mom. Ms. West is
currently preparing a revival of Broadway-bound Jar the Floor, and working on
commissions for Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Minneapolis Children’s Theater,
the Goodman Theatre and Seattle Rep.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Howard

Timothy Matthew Howard (born March 6, 1979) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. Nicknamed the “Secretary of Defense“, Howard is regarded as one of the greatest American players of all time.^[4][5][6]

Howard began his career with the North Jersey Imperials, before making a move to the MetroStars. He was signed by English club Manchester United in 2003, replacing Fabian Barthez as the team’s first-choice keeper. In his second season at the club, Howard competed for the first-choice spot with Roy Carroll. Howard enjoyed relative success with the club, as they won the 2003 FA Community Shield, the 2003–04 FA Cup and the 2005–06 League Cup. He was listed on the PFA Team of the Year for the 2003–04 season.^[7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deantoni_Parks

Deantoni Parks (born November 2, 1977) is an American musician. He is the co-founder, co-producer and drummer of the New York band Kudu, along with artist Sylvia Black, and a member of the TV/film-scoring duo We Are Dark Angels which also comprises Kudu member Nicci Kasper. Parks was a member of progressive rock band The Mars Volta and (together with Kasper) a member of the alternative rock act Bosnian Rainbows. Parks is a composer and performer on the André 3000 album, New Blue Sun (2023), and contributed to Flea‘s debut solo album, Honora (2026).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alika_Hope

Alika Hope is the founder and primary vocalist for the Ray of Hope Project. She was born in Oregon and received a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Notre Dame. Hope also minored in dance at St. Mary’s College. She went on to receive a Master of Arts in early childhood special education from Teachers College at Columbia University.^[1] She is currently an Arts Administration professor at Wagner College^[2]

Shannon Lamb (she/her) is an accomplished actor and singer who has been blessed to perform on various stages across the country. Current WAM credit: Cabaret Performer. Previous WAM credits: Charlotta Bass in Letters to Kamala. Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: Bertha in  Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, and Rachel Twymon Sr in Common Ground Revisited (Huntington Theatre), Marlena Madison in The Buddy Holly Story (Majestic Theater), It Happened in Little Rock, Because of Winn Dixie (Arkansas Repertory Theatre), Temptation in Pendemoniun (Cherry Lane Theatre, NYC – world premiere); Building The Wall (Academy of Music – rolling world premiere); Jar the Floor, Gee’s Bend, Mary Poppins, and The Full Monty (Arkansas Repertory Theatre); Smokey Joe’s Café, Little Shop of Horrors, and Annie (Murray’s Dinner Playhouse). TV/Film Credits Include: Mighty Real, The Dave Chapelle Show, This Revolution, The Empty Hand, and Fight Knight. Memberships/Affiliations:  a proud member of Actors Equity Association. Career highlights include: singing the national anthem at Madison Square Garden and appearing on the cover of American Theatre Magazine for the world premiere of It Happened in Little Rock. Last word: All my love to Gil and our children!

Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer

Chester Theatre Company in Chester, Mass.
Written by Cheryl L. West
Directed by Gilbert McCauley

“I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

Chester Theatre Company has a hit on its hands, on its stage. “Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer” is the best one-person play I have seen in a very long time. It tells the story, the true-to-life tale, of a Black woman in Mississippi who was not content with just being a traditional woman. She wanted to change things, and after years of trying, she succeeded. Fannie registered to vote, she inspired others to demand their natural rights, and she made an impact on the world she inhabited. She was immortal even before she earned that right. Shannon Lamb, who plays her, is going to join her thanks to a marvelous, emotional performance.