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Def Poetry Jams Dallas!

Direct From Broadway, The Tony-Winning Sensation
Plays The Majestic Theatre February 10-15, 2004

RUSSELL SIMMONS DEF POETRY JAM, winner of the 2003 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event, brings its ferocious energy and wit to The Majestic Theatre for one week only, Feb. 10-15, 2004.  Featuring the “best of the best” from the smash Broadway production, the cast includes many of the performers who electrified New York and became the surprise sensation of the season.   RUSSELL SIMMONS DEF POETRY JAM is conceived and presented by Russell Simmons and Stan Lathan, and directed by Mr. Lathan.

The show is presented by Dallas Summer Musicals Broadway Contemporary Series.  Single tickets ($10-$53) are on sale now at The Box Office, 542 Preston Royal Shopping Center, or any Ticketmaster outlet.  Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or call 214-631-ARTS.  For groups of 20 or more, call 214-426-GROUP.

“A theatrical thunderbolt!  Get ready for the surprise of your life,” raved NBC TV about the Broadway production of Def Poetry Jam, voicing the consensus of critics disarmed by the show’s freshness and energy.  The New York Times praised the “incandescent exuberance” of a cast “radioactive with stage presence.”  Newsday, noting “there have never been this many good-looking young people in a Broadway audience,” called the show’s poets, “virtuoso wordsmiths, artists with wit and startling ways of combining rage and delight.”  The New York Times, in choosing it one of the year’s “10 Best,” summarized simply, “This cast gives us romance, realism, comedy and politics.  That’s entertainment.”

Where the smash hit HBO series “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry” leaves off, this production takes over.  This uplifting evening of contemporary entertainment brings eight performance poets with a new American voice together on stage.  The result is an exuberant, insightful and comedic look at who we are and where we are today.  The cast includes Beau Sia, Black Ice, Mayda Del Valle, Georgia Me, Suheir Hammad, Lemon, Poetri (all of whom starred in the Broadway production) and Bassey Ikpi.  DJ Jedi provides music. 

RUSSELL SIMMONS DEF POETRY JAM features set design by Bruce Ryan, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Yael Lubetzky, and sound design by Elton P. Halley.  The production stage manager is Alice Elliot Smith.

RUSSELL SIMMONS has brought hip-hop to every facet of media and pop culture; in music with the immensely successful music label, Def Jam Recordings; in film with Def Pictures; on television with HBO’s “The Def Comedy Jam”; in the fashion industry with Phat Farm clothing for kids and adults and in publishing with One World Magazine.  Coming of age in the late 70’s, just as hip-hop was being born in the African-American neighborhoods of New York City, Simmons immediately understood its great creative significance, on par with earlier African-American art form such as jazz, swing, gospel, blues, rhythm and blues, rock ‘n’ roll, soul and funk.  From the start of his career, he believed that hip-hop’s appeal could cut across geographic, racial and social boundaries and evolve from a musical style into an expression of lifestyle – a culture unto itself.  Hip – hop has become the most influential cultural phenomenon in America today.  Mr. Simmons personifies this culture.

STAN LATHAN is an accomplished producer and one of Hollywood’s most prolific directors of television and film.  Lathan is currently executive producer and director of the HBO series “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry.”  His numerous directing credits include ”Hill Street Blues,” “Sesame Street,” “Frank’s Place,” “Miami Vice,” “Roc,” and “Sanford & Son,” the pilots for “Amen,” “Martin,” “Moesha,” “The Parkers,” “All of Us” and “Eve!”  and one of the first hip-hop feature films, Beat Street.   Lathan co-created and executive produced “Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam” for HBO and on tour in theatres across the country.  He was recently honored by the Directors Guild of America for his distinguished directing career and for his contributions to his field.

About the Poets

Raised in Oklahoma City, Chinese-American poet Beau Sia has won numerous poetry slams and was a member of the Nuyorican Poet’s Café NPS (National Poetry Slam) team.  His work has been featured in books, on CD and on TV, including “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry” on HBO.

Black Ice, born Lamar Manson, began perfecting his craft on the streets of North Philadelphia.  He was discovered by Russell Simmons at New York’s Soul Café and became the first spoken word artist signed to Def Jam Records.  Black Ice has received standing ovations from audiences as diverse as those at the Hip-Hop Summit, the Black Congressional Caucus, the Source Youth Foundation and Shine, and performed for such notables as the Reverend Jessie Jackson, Muhammad Ali, and Minister Louis Farrakhan.

Mayda Del Valle is a native of Chicago’s South Side where she began writing and performing her poetry while in high school.  After graduating from Williams College, she relocated to New York City in October 2000.  She is a past winner of the Nuyorican’s Grand Slam and the National Poetry Slam, where she became the youngest poet and first Latina to win the individual title.

Georgia Me is the first and only person to win at Club 112 Apollo night (voted toughest audience in America) an undisputed six times and won the finals twice.  She hails from Atlanta, where she is featured regularly on radio.  Georgia Me was captain of the fabulous Moore Epics Slam Competition.   She was featured on the first season of HBO’s “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry.”

A Palestinian-American from Brooklyn, Suheir Hammad was featured on HBO’s “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry,” hosted by Mos Def.   Her performance merited praise from The New York Times’ Caryn James and Entertainment Weekly’s Ken Tucker.  Her poems have been featured in numerous publications and on the BBC World Service and National Public Radio.

Bassey Ikpi was born in Nigeria and raised in Oklahoma. While in college, She began performing her poetry on the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. open mic circuit. After what was supposed to just be a weekend trip to New York, Bassey currently calls Brooklyn home. She has performed at colleges and universities all across the country. She has opened up for popular recording artists at both the Essence and Soul Beach Music Festivals. She has been seen gracing the pages of Glamour, Marie Claire, and Nylon magazines. She has appeared on the second and third seasons of HBO's “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry” and was fortunate enough to join the theatrical cast in Edinburgh, Scotland. Bassey is grateful for this opportunity and is honored to be sharing stages with poets she has long admired.  basseyworld.com.

Lemon has traveled the spoken work and poetry scene for the last four years, appearing at universities across the country as well as the Andy Warhol Museum, New York Theatre Workshop, Joe’s Pub, P.S. 122, Symphony Space, St. John the Divine and Sing Sing Prison.  Lemon was featured on “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry” on HBO.

Poetri has performed his work in theatres, on disc and on radio and television.  He was featured on “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry” on HBO and has written, produced and arranged over 150 commercials for such organizations as Nike, NFL Films and BET.  Poetri has also collaborated with Bootsy Collins, Nona Hendryx, LL Cool J and The Roots producer Ahmir Thompson.

The performance schedule for RUSSELL SIMMONS DEF POETRY JAM at The Majestic Theatre is as follows: Tuesday, February 10, through Sun., Feb. 15 at 8 p.m.; with matinee performances Sat., Feb. 14 and Sun., Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. 

For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals, visit the web site at www.dallassummermusicals.org.  For more information about the show, visit their web site at www.defpoetryjamontour.org.

Edited by Madelyn Miller

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