The Strand in the News
Bay State Banner -'09 Peace Boston Hip-Hop Festival rocks the Strand
Frederick Ellis Dashiell Jr. (Bay State Banner)
Dorchester’s Strand Theatre played host to the 2009 Peace Boston Hip-Hop Festival last Saturday, showcasing Boston’s wealth of musical and performing talent.
“It’s important for the young people to enjoy their music and culture as well as express themselves,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
In years past, the free event has been held on City Hall Plaza. This year’s change of venue came because the corporate sponsors who fund the event were unable to commit as much money as they had in previous years.
Despite initial sponsorship setbacks, two companies, John Hancock and Gillette, stepped up to make sure the festival would not suffer.
Emceed by TOUCH 106.1 FM afternoon DJ Courtney B, the festival kicked off with a performance by Royal Fam, a krumping dance group that opened the show with high-energy moves that got the crowd involved immediately. Comprised of four members, Gino Pabon, Daniel Grant, Paul Miranda and Jordan Taylor, Royal Fam started two years ago at Jubilee Christian Church.
“It is the manifestation of our praise,” said Miranda.
Performing to bass-heavy music, the Royal Fam dancers spun and shook, expressing themselves to the admiration of the crowd. When asked why the group chose krumping over other forms, Grant explained that it is “more self-expressive and more raw” than other types of dance.
Other performers included M-Dot, a rapper originally from East Boston. He said he was on tour in Milwaukee when he received the call to perform at the festival.
“It was a no-brainer to come back and do this show in Boston,” he said.
M-Dot credits his mother for beginning his influence in hip-hop and rap.
“My mother played funk and R&B when I was younger,” he explained. “From there, it was a progression to groups like Whodini.”
During his set, M-Dot focused on his local heritage, performing an extended version of his song “Hush, Hush,” which lists Boston’s neighborhoods.
Roxbury rapper Moe Pope also performed. A veteran of the festival who cites musical influences running the gamut from Kurt Cobain and Bob Dylan to Eric B. and Rakim, Pope performed previously with the groups Electric Company and Project Move.
“It’s hard to grow up in the projects and not be influenced by hip-hop,” said Pope, whose sound is reminiscent of the mid-’90s era of hip-hop. His story-driven lyrics and focus on rhyme scheme recalls classic groups like A Tribe Called Quest and the Pharcyde.
The new school was also well represented, with Brejé, a 12-year-old entertainer from Fitchburg, earning time on the Strand’s stage. Brejé has been receiving radio play on TOUCH 106.1 for the past few months, and said he had been looking forward to performing since he first received a call about the festival.
“I was super excited,” Brejé said. “I love the Strand.”
During his set, Brejé performed his recent hit, “Twist Wit It,” while he danced around the stage.
“I just let it flow, ” he said.
One of the more interesting performances came from the Boston Tap Company. Led by program director Sean Fielder, the company showcased their skills by tapping out staccato beats and rhythms with their feet.
Vanessa Merta, 16, a member of the group’s teen company, explained that it is important for the Boston Tap Company to be at events like the festival to showcase versatility in dance styles.
“Not many people can say they are tap dancers,” she said.
April Nieves, a member of the adult company, agreed.
“[The festival] is another space to show our talents,” she said.
The local performers set the stage for headlining act Whodini, a hip-hop group from New York formed in 1981 that served as a bridge between parents and children at the all-ages show.
Consisting of three core members — Jalil (Jalil Hutchins), Ecstasy (John Fletcher) and Grandmaster Dee (Drew Carter) — Whodini came together to do a track for Mr. Magic, a legendary New York radio DJ who was among the first to play hip-hop for the masses.
They called themselves “Whodini,” short for “Who done it.” However, at the time, each member of Whodini was in a different group. When their original groups heard about the first Whodini track, they were not happy and decided to disband — leaving Jalil, Ecstasy and Grandmaster Dee free to become Whodini full-time.
Whodini opened their set with Grandmaster Dee playing a tribute to Michael Jackson, followed by some old-school R&B and funk that moved the adults in the audience to their feet. After that, Grandmaster Dee queued up newer hits that got the youth in the audience involved, at which point the rest of the members of Whodini made their way onto the stage.
Performing all their hits, including “Friends” and “The Freaks Come Out at Night,” Whodini brought out Jalil’s younger brother, Doctor Ice (Fred Reeves), to perform “Roxanne, Roxanne,” the 1980s hit by Brooklyn old-schoolers UTFO.
Whodini ended their set by bringing Brejé on stage to dance with them as they thanked the audience for the opportunity to celebrate the original meaning of hip-hop.
“We old-school guys need to be ambassadors and help educate the youth about the history of hip-hop,” said Ecstasy.
Jalil took time to express his gratitude to Boston for continuing to produce the Peace festival.
“I pray this doesn’t ever stop in Boston,” he said.
Ruben Studdard and pals had the joint jumpin' in 'Ain't Misbehavin'
BOSTON HERALD -
April 11, 2009
Talk about a tough act to follow.
The Strand Theatre kicked off its spring season with the Tony Award-winning musical “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” last night, the first of a three-night engagement, and good luck to anyone hoping to live up to that standard.
Working at 'Misbehavin'
THE BOSTON GLOBE -
April 10, 2009
Winning "American Idol" was hard. (Those Clay Aiken fans were persistent on the call-in lines.) But for 2003 winner Ruben Studdard, nothing's been tougher than starring in the Fats Waller musical "Ain't Misbehavin' " on its 30th anniversary national tour.
At the Strand Theatre tonight through Sunday. Tickets are $28-$58 at 866-348-9738.
"It's work - really hard work," says Studdard, smiling with a sweet Southern accent while sitting on the stage at Dorchester's Strand Theatre, where the tour arrives tonight.
Soon after his victory, Debra Byrd, the show's musical director, called Studdard about the part, asking that he have his managers contact her immediately.
"I sort of said, 'Yeah, yeah' but I blew it off a little bit," he says. "She called me back a week or two later and said, 'Boy, didn't I tell you to have your managers call me? I'm serious.' And I was like 'Oh man. I better do this.' "
He signed the contract two years in advance, saying that if the producer could come up with commitments for up to six months' of touring, he'd do it. Never did he expect such a positive response. Studdard has been doing eight shows a week for the past five months.
Dubbed the "Velvet Teddy Bear" by the legendary soul singer Gladys Knight, Studdard, now 30, says the discipline it takes to perform every night will help him back in the recording studio. There, he admits, he lets things get a little loose.
The R&B/gospel singer's latest album, "Love Is" is due out May 19, just two days after the tour ends in New York.
"People tend to point the blame when something goes wrong," he says, referring to the cool reception his album "The Return" received from audiences and critics in 2006. "And really it's up to me. So, I am looking forward to the album and being there for it and promoting it. That's what I want to do."
Studdard has had his share of disappointments. In 2008 BlackVoices.com reported that he owed $200,000 in state and federal back taxes. This came after he was dropped from Clive Davis's J Records. And on top of the financial woes, Studdard has faced some health issues, which he seemed to resolve with a new low-calorie vegetarian diet. ("So, where are the good vegetarian restaurants in Boston?" he asks after the interview.)
With the help of hitmakers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Studdard plans to reconnect with R&B audiences on "Love Is."
"You know, this is what I wanted to do since I was 15," he says. "Never in the world did I dream that I'd be working with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. God really has blessed me with so much."
On top of that he and his wife, Surata Zuri Studdard, are planning on opening a salon and spa in Birmingham Ala., where the couple live.
"She's been busy in school for that right now," he says, with a deep sigh. "It's been a long ride."
Strand Theatre Breathes New Life To Dorchester
WBZ -
April 10, 2009
A historic Boston theatre is back in business and is breathing new life into Dorchester.
Dorchester's Strand Theatre is hosting its biggest show in decades – "Ain't Misbehaving."
Residents say the 1,400-seat theatre right in the heart of upland's Corner is a gem.
The $6 million renovation includes a new marquis, dressing rooms and lighting. The renovations also include a new stage, box office, orchestra pit and seating.
"This is a perfect show for this theatre," said Citi Performing Arts Center President Josiah Spaulding. "It looks like the set has been built to be in this theatre. We're really thrilled to have Ruben here as the star."
"This is the last neighborhood theatre in the City of Boston," said Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. "In the past, every neighborhood had a theatre. It's very important."
"Ain't Misbehaving" is part of a national tour. It is playing at the Strand Theatre through Sunday.
New look, new life at Strand Theatre
THE BOSTON GLOBE
April 9, 2009
Ruben Studdard, the 2003 ''American Idol'' winner, is the star of ''Ain't Misbehavin' '' at the Strand. (Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff)
After a city takeover and a $6 million renovation, the Strand Theatre is preparing to host its biggest show in years: the 30th-anniversary national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical "Ain't Misbehavin'," starring 2003 "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard.
Sitting on the newly renovated stage during a recent visit to the 1,400-seat theater, Studdard gazed around. "I never thought at this point in my career I'd be doing a Broadway musical," he says.
Julie Burns, director of the Mayor's Office of Arts, Tourism & Special Events, which manages the Strand, might not have predicted the theater would be hosting one either. The show, which runs tomorrow through Sunday, is a major coup for the Dorchester landmark, which has been in disrepair over the last few years.
"Two years ago there was no way we could produce a show like this because the facilities weren't up to standard," Burns says, pointing out what once were shoddy and dark dressing rooms, grimy backstage bathrooms, and weak wood flooring on the stage. Now all that has been transformed. "No show would even look at us, so we are so excited about having this show here," Burns says.
The four-year, city-funded renovation has included a new stage floor and orchestra pit, new heating and ventilation systems, new orchestra chairs, improved sound and lighting systems, and the replacement of a crumbling stone marquee with a new one featuring LED lights. In the revamped backstage areas, paint has been removed, revealing beautiful exposed brick walls, and the spacious rooms are brightly lit.
Now that the physical infrastructure is in place, Burns says, the mayor's office hopes it will have a hit with "Ain't Misbehavin'," which is being presented by the Citi Performing Arts Center and the city of Boston. If it is, more top-notch programming will be invited to the theater.
Once a majestic vaudeville and movie palace, the Strand opened its doors on Columbia Road in the heart of Uphams Corner on Nov. 11, 1918. Over the years, stars such as Fannie Brice, Milton Berle, and Fred Allen often took center stage. The theater roared on through the '20s and survived the Great Depression, but fell into such a downward spiral of mismanagement and decay that it had to shut its doors for more than a decade in the 1960s and '70s. The city took over the building by eminent domain in the early '70s and began making some renovations to get it reopened in 1979.
The M. Harriet McCormack Center for the Arts handled the Strand's operations for years, but as time went on, the famous landmark not only fell into further disrepair, it suffered major financial problems.
"After several complaints about the mismanagement, the mayor took it back in 2004," says Burns. With that, he assigned a task force to determine the Strand's future. It invited Derek Johnson, then executive producer for programming at New York's Time Warner Center and former president of the Apollo Theater in Harlem, to weigh in on the planned rejuvenation.
'Idol's' Studdard begins Broadway gig in Boston
BAY STATE BANNER - Video on NECN.com here.
April 8, 2009
(NECN: Boston, Mass.) - "American Idol" Ruben Studdard is back in the spotlight and on a Boston stage. The Grammy-nominated singer is headlining a national tour of the Broadway musical revue, "Ain't Misbehavin'," which debuts at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester on Friday.
They 'Ain't being Idol
BOSTON HERALD
March 25, 2009
Dozens of Idol wannabes took to the stage at Dorchester’s Strand Theatre yesterday in hopes of landing a coveted spot performing at intermission during the Hub premier of “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”
The musical, which stars 2003 “American Idol” champ Ruben Studdard, will be the first major production at the Strand since its $6.5 million facelift.
CNN "Boston Area Students Mix Poetry & Politics"
The Strand Theatre was the location for America Scores New England's 10th Annual Poetry Slam.
Strand Theatre: 'I feel like a different person than I used to be'
BOSTON GLOBE
January 20, 2009
At the Strand Theatre in Dorchester, where Mayor Thomas M. Menino and other elected officials viewed the ceremony, hundreds screamed in delight when Obama's visage filled the movie screen.
Mary Henshaw, a 92-year-old African-American from Roxbury, was dressed for an inaugural ball, wearing her finest blouse and a long dark skirt. As Obama took the presidential oath, rows of people held hands in solidarity, and Henshaw smiled. She would never be the same, she said.
"I feel like a different person than I used to be," she said.
Then, red, white, and blue balloons came flying from the rafters, and the crowd hugged, waved flags, cried, and praised the Lord.
"Beautiful, beautiful," Henshaw said. "I won't hardly sleep tonight."
Joan Austin, a 65-year-old black woman from Jamaica Plain, struggled to put her feelings into words.
"Now my grandchildren have a better chance at ..." Here she paused, adding, "Life."
--Noah Bierman
Roundup: Inauguration Celebrations Around Boston
WBUR
BOSTON - January 21, 2009 -
You didn't have to be in Washington to experience Inauguration Day and night. From early morning yesterday into the wee hours of today -- in homes and schools, at parties and balls across Massachusetts, people gathered for the historic occasion.
We sent our WBUR reporters to a variety of locations in the Boston area. Here's their roundup of the celebrations.
THE STRAND THEATRE, DORCHESTER
I'm Meghna Chakrabarti at the Strand Theater in Boston.
"I Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear..."
Hundreds of people, predominantly African American, made up one of the city's largest public gatherings.
Ninety-two year old Mary Henshaw raised her hands and prayed as President Barack Obama took the oath of office.
"Yes, lord! Oh, yes lord. I'm so happy! And it's a blessing, to be able for you all to see this."
And in the theater's upper rows, students from the Lilla G. Frederick Middle School laid claim to the "we" in "Yes, we can."
"My name is Ariel Soto. He's important to me because he's going to be making changes. And I believe in him, and the whole world believes in him, so, yeah, maybe I'll be president one day!"
As red white and blue ballons dropped in the aisles, Boston Mayor Tom Menino said even he felt a touch of Obama optimism.
"I believe he has the ability to bring all different people together, and make it happen for a better world for all of us."
When asked if that meant real change for the city of Boston, Menino, like almost everyone at the theater, simply said, he's hopeful.
DANIEL BURNS SENIOR HOUSING COMPLEX
This is Sacha Pfeiffer at the Daniel Burns apartment building in North Cambridge, which is a mixed-race, subsidized complex, mostly for the elderly.
One of the residents I spoke with is Cathy Mullane. She's 62 and she says she got a lot of just plain joy out of watching Obama be sworn in.
"I think it's wonderful. I really, really do. Not just because he's black, but -- it's taken us so long to get here, you know?"
I also talked to Helen Spann, who's 70. She says the sight of so many black and white faces on the Washington Mall warmed her heart.
"Darling, that made me feel like the world is coming to a change. This is history."
She also says she knows Obama has a tough task in front of him.
"I know he can handle it but we, as people, have to be patient and give him time to solve the problem. The problem wasn't done overnight, so it can't be solved overnight."
And I spoke with Phyllis Stern, who's 77. She called Obama's election, in her words, "wonderful and historic." But she did mention that she voted for Hillary Clinton in the primary.
"I'm very happy for Obama. I am happy for the black community. However, we women are waiting for a woman president. And I do hope that this will occur in the future."
But, just like everyone else I talked to here, she says she wishes Obama and the country the very best.
CHARLESTOWN HIGH SCHOOL
I'm Sarah Bush at Charlestown High School where students gathered to watch the speech.
Many students felt a sense of hope.
11th grader Yusra Shamsoddine is excited to have a black president:
"He probably thought he wouldn't be president because of his skin color, but look he did, so he let everyone know that you can do what you put your mind to."
But 12th grader Gerald Nwosu says Obama's race is less important than what he accomplishes.
"I expect not only for him to not just bring hope, that's too broad. i also expect him to bring financial reforms and also fix health care."
A moving confluence of music, rap, and dance sends a message
By Thea Singer
Globe Correspondent / November 3, 2008
TiElla Grimes in Anna Myer's ''Street Talk Suite Talk.'' (bill brett for the boston globe)
Anna Myer may be the gutsiest choreographer on either side of the Charles River these days.
Choreographer aims to bring blacks, whites together
Presented by the City of Boston at the Strand Theatre Saturday afternoon
She's got classicism in her bones yet anything but on her mind: Genre mixing, role reversals, a reach-across-the aisle "yes we can" aesthetic - those are the building blocks of "Street Talk Suite Talk," presented by the City of Boston at the Strand Theatre Saturday.
The afternoon-length confluence of rap poetry, original violin/viola compositions, and Myer's iconoclastic movement style - a kind of cracked-apart ballet littered with shards of modernism - extends her artform-bending "All at Once" (2005), in which Myer and the New England String Ensemble sent movement and music spinning into one another's territory.
That the meshing doesn't always, well, mesh, is almost beside the point. Myer and her collaborators on "Street Talk Suite Talk" - nine local poet-rappers, six dancers, composer Jakov Jakoulov, and violinist/violist Mark Berger - are out to whack our commonality home. You find yourself looking beyond the frequent lack of integration of the elements - say, the dancers, frozen upstage in flouncy skirt or red ruffled top, arms reaching downward, while the rappers, in jeans and T-shirts, stand separate, talking. "Don't you see?" the eclectic group seem to be saying. Urban nightmares - betrayal, retaliation, estrangement, confinement - such violence steals all of our lives.
The message reverberates.
Indeed, that such disparate sensibilities can share a stage and present a polished, meticulously structured work rather than some "night of stars" smorgasbord is a major feat. Yet it's that success that makes you yearn for more of a real conversation between the parties.
Then again, it may be the artists' very natures that choke that off. Berger's edgy strings match Myer's cool abstractions well. Among the dancers, rattling fists toss imaginary dice, arms swing stiffly or cut into right angles, a bounding woman is caught, straight as a pipe, in a man's arms, fingers pinch then pull - as if tugging a thread taut. Conversely, the rap is hot, passionate - tales of literal blood, sweat, and tears fairly shouted to the rafters. "Hopefully I make it to graduation," intones one. "The strength within me fading," says another.
How difficult to make the twain meet.
Still, there are moments, like flashbulbs popping, when they do: Not just palms but entire forearms, squeezed tight, meet in prayer. A man presses his head into another's chest, commingling embattlement with love. The two foreshadow a rapper's recollection that "caskets keep passing by," as the second lies supine, and the first hooks an elbow around an elbow to drag his friend along.
Surprisingly, the most integrated - and hence powerful - sequence springs not from a movement or music expert but a spoken-word poet, Tu Phan. As the Dorchester native releases his chilling, gleaming words, he uses his body as a kinesthetic instrument. He begins in a spotlight center stage, his wrists crossed, plumbing the metaphor of hands and arms bound by a straitjacket. The cadence, the never-endingness of the piled-up meanings, grab you by the throat. "Give my fear something else to wear," he says. "Disarm people's arms and legs. . . . Let the sun heal my wrists, let my palms kiss my mother's spine. . . . Even though we have no hands to touch it doesn't mean we don't know how to feel
From the mike to the Oval Office Students send wishes to Obama
By Jeannie M. Nuss
Globe Correspondent / November 13, 2008
DINA RUDICK/GLOBE STAFF
Jalen Birkett, 9, was among the pupils who sent messages to President-elect Barack Obama during a poetry slam yesterday. (DINA RUDICK/GLOBE STAFF)
Nicole Peña wants to end gang violence. Pedro Flores wants to abolish smoking. Erik Gomes wants to control gun use.
The two 11-year-olds and one 9-year-old were three of about 360 Boston elementary school pupils who sent messages to President-elect Barack Obama yesterday at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester, part of the America SCORES New England's 10th Annual Poetry Slam.
The students' messages varied: lower gas prices, halt violence among gangs, restrict gun usage, and increase teacher pay.
Adonijah Lawrence, 8, a third-grader from John Marshall Elementary, stepped up to the microphone and said, "My teacher should be getting just as much money as A-Rod," eliciting a lively outburst from the audience at the reference to New York Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez.
Nastasha Concepcion, 9, a fourth-grader from Joseph Lee Elementary School, said she wants Obama to reach out to low-income families.
"My message for Obama is to help my family have gas so we can have heat," she said.
America SCORES New England works with elementary and middle school pupils from around Boston, getting them involved in soccer and creative writing to combat prevalent problems among urban children: low literacy rates and obesity.
"It's a chance to give these kids a voice to express what's concerning them," said Alex Maeder, an event and administration manager for the after-school program.
Emely Cedano, 10, from James W. Hennigan Elementary School, wanted Obama to give money to the less fortunate.
"I want for him to be a good president and to give money to the poor people because they need it more than he does," Cedano said, running her fingers through her pigtails.
Kids send message to Barack Obama
By Katy Jordan
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Photo by Mark Garfinkel
STANDING TALL: Students participated in a Barack Obama-themed poetry slam at The Strand Theatre yesterday.
Hundreds of well-versed Hub students got a chance to address their president-elect yesterday in the 10th annual America Scores Poetry Slam, themed this year as “Message to the President.”
The 360 students, all hailing from Boston public elementary schools, took the stage one by one to offer poetic advice for the incoming president, citing issues like guns and violence, pollution, animal cruelty and global warming as most important for elementary school kids.
Strand Hosts Boo Bash
