Moore has survived and lived to sing about it |
BY COURTNEY GAILl.ARD
THE CHRONICLE
You may think you know Melba
Moore but she's almost certain that
you don't. The Tony Award winner
has shined on stage, film and radio
over the last 30 years. Even at this
point in her career, Moore believes
people are still trying to define
exactly who she is.
"As an artist I've never really
been seen. People think they know
what it is that I am but they don't
because my abilities are very var
ied," said Moore, who co-chaired
the 2003 National Black Theatre
Festival. She returned this year to
perform her autobiographical one
woman show, "Melba Moore: Sweet
Songs of the Soul," which she is
producing with the New Federal
Theatre. Audiences will embark on a
journey through Moore's life and
career to the tune of songs, some of
which will be familiar to fans.
Southerners, she says, and those
familiar with Southern culture will
find her story especially endearing.
Moore, who was raised by a South
erner, includes anecdotes from her
rearing in the play.
The creative process for Moore
was challenging, she admits, and it
was one where she called on any
industry pro she knew in order to
help her bring the production to
fruition.
"Anyway you look at it, it was
1 tough because I'm not a play
| wright," said Moore, who lives in
; New York.
Rather than take on a role that
Could've been played by anyone,
Moore opted to portray her own
story. For years, Moore says, people
have been urging her to return to the
; stage.
"It's autobiographical because at
? least I know my life," she said. "I
really never told people that my
mother was a singer. I talk about her
(in the play) in that way and why
I; I'm in the industry."
;? Moore ran into financial troubles
during the 1990s after her divorce
Photo by Charlie Pfaff
Melba Moore is escorted into Monday's gala by Jeffrey Anderson
Gunter. Moore's show will be staged Friday and Saturday .
from her husband of 15 years. She
was forced to apply for food stamps
among other public assistance in
order to survive when she was for
saken by many people who she
thought were friends. Moore says
her industry credentials were cut off
during her absence despite the
career she had carved out for herself.
"I was blackballed. .. 1 had peo
pie telling me. ?l wasn't around
when you came. I don't know you so
that doesn't count,'" she said. "I had
good management . I had great man
agement for a little while, but there
was nobody around to give me the
wisdom to lay out a plan."
Moore's big break came in the
1970s, by accident as she tells it,
when she was cast in the hit musical
"Hair." Producers replaced lead
white actress Diane Keaton with
Moore, much to the shock of the
Broadway community, after the
show's composers heard Moore's
album recordings of the musical .
She went on to land the role of
Lutiebelle Gussiemae Jenkins in
"Purlie," which earned her a Tony
Award for Best Supporting Actress
in a Musical. Moore's singing Career
took off over the next decade where
she saw such hits as "Love's Comin'
at Ya," "This Is It," "Lean on Me,"
and a duet with Freddie Jackson
called "A Little Bit More."
"A series of wonderful things
have happened, but you need some
continuity," she said.
She re-emerged around 10 years
ago when she returned to Broadway
with a starring role in "Les Miser
ables." Moore, who also starred in
"The Fighting Temptations,"
released a gospel CD last year titled
"Nobody But Jesus."
More than anything, she hopes
"Sweet Songs of the Soul" will give
the audience an opportunity to con
nect with her experience.
"There isn't anything left out.
It's all the things I could do. The
whole essence is there and the story
is the star," said Moore. "I'm telling
a story that's right for me to tell."
"Melba Moore: Sweet Songs of
the Soul " will be staged along with
T'Keyah Live! ...Mostly: A True Vari
ety Show " on Friday and Saturday at
both 3 pm. and 8 pm. at Winston
Salem State University's K.R.
Williams Auditorium, rickets are $40
and can be purchased at the show or
the ticket center in Benton Conven
tion Center.
NBTF
from page A1
ger that theater actors have because we know
that not everybody can do theater," said Mal
colm-Jamal Warner, who gained fame on "The
Cosby Show" and other television series but
has found a voice and a following with his one
man spoken-word show, "Love & Other Social
Issues."
In all, more than 100 performances of near
ly two dozen productions will be staged this
week. But over the years, the shows have
become only one part of the festival's magic.
The event gives downtown a much needed
adrenaline rush. Streets that are usually dead
by 9 p.m. are doused with the beat of drums,
the smell of good food, and the sounds and
laughter of people. This city, if only for a
week, becomes the city that does not sleep.
"We are going to do it up this week," Ham
lin predicted on Monday.
Thousands of people are expected in the
city this week to take it all in. These visitors
will spend loads of money, which hotels and
downtown shops are not complaining about,
and get the chance to experience Winston
Salem at its best.
Count eight-year-old Ta-Naya Dunlap
among the visitors. She traveled with her
grandmother, Dorothy Gamble, from
Pottstown, Pa. Gamble, who has a daughter
(Valencia Dunlap) who lives in Winston
Salem, had heard amazing things about the
NBTF. She wanted to experience it for herself,
but she especially wanted Ta-Naya to come
and enjoy herself.
"She has never been on a vacation before,"
Gamble said about her granddaughter. "We
worked all the year so that we could come
here."
The notepad Ta-Naya brought with her to
collect autographs was already well-used by
Monday afternoon. Even celebrities in a rush
found it hard to say no to a cute little girl with
big smile. She added Sherman Hemsley's and
Larry Leon Hamlin's signatures to her book
just seconds before they were to take part in a
news conference.
, ) Bob and Jean Andrews also came to Win
ston-Salem from their home in Vancouver,
Wash., after hearing incredible things about the
festival from their friends Samuel and Mable
Stevenson. As the couple walked into the Ben
Photo by Kevin Walker
Sherman Hemsley signs an autograph for Ta-Naya Dunlap. ,
ton Convention Center for Monday's Opening
Night Gala, they were already impressed.
"This is just great," said Jean Andrews.
"We are definitely going to tell our friends
about this. A lot of people in Washington do
not know about this event."
A lot more than theater fans and stargazers
have come to the festival. Ayeje Feamster
came with other actors from the Triangle area
to take part in a reading of the play "Same
Train." Feamster and Mark Bruckner, the
show's composer/lyricist, performed a 1?luesy
number inspired by the play in the lobby of the
Marriott on Tuesday as a way to promote the
reading, which took place on Wednesday at the
Sawtooth Center.
Feamster, who recently graduated from the
performing arts program at N.C. Central Uni
versity. said the festival has given her inspira
tion to continue to pursue her artistic aspira
tions.
"Here, I see the beauty of what this busi
ness can be," she said. "I am just overwhelmed
by the love and support I feel here."
This marks the 1 6th anniversary of the very
first festival in 1989. Hamlin had long
_l
Photo by Kevin Walker
Ayeje Feamster and Mark Brucknor perform in tho lobby of tho Marriott.
dreamed of creating an event where black the
ater companies could come to show their work
and gain inspiration from others. But even
Hamlin admits that the event has grown into
something even grander - something that even
he never imagined.
Actor Antonio Fargas. who worked with
Hamlin's N.C. Black Repertory Company
years before there was such a thing as the
National Black Theatre Festival, has also mar
veled at the festival's evolution.
"It has been an incredible ride," he said.
"Who knew that Larry Leon Hamlin's vision
would turn into the mecca of black theater."
It.-""
Photo hy I arum Pitt
Actress Irma P. Hall poses with her Living
Legend Award. Also pictured is co-chair
Janet Hubert.
Notes
Ms.NBTF
Ella Joyce doesn't wear a crown or sash but
everyone knows that she is the queen of the Nation
al Black Theatre Festival. Few celebrities have
come to the biennial event as frequently as she has.
This one makes her seventh straight festival. She
has performed in plays at six of those festivals,
including this one.
Joyce, who is best known for her role as Eleanor
Emerson on the sitcom "Roc," is starring in "Willie
& Esther." which has its final shows today (Aug. 4)
at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Winston-Salem State Uni
versity's K.R. Williams Auditorium.
Monday, Joyce was honored for her dedication
to the NBTF with an award during tfte Opening
Night Gala. The award was a surprise for Joyce; she
was left speechless.
"I have never seen this woman at a loss for
words," Janet Hubert joked as a stunned Joyce
accepted the honor. Joyce was not completely at a
loss for words. She thanked Larry Leon Hamlin and
vowed that she would continue to come to each fes
tival.
"I am not going nowhere." she said.
Expressing themselves
It seems that spoken- word poetry is everywhere
these days - on television on shows like "Def Poet
ry," in coffee shops and nightclubs and, yes, at the
National Black Theatre Festival. The festival has
hosted the popular Midnight Poetry Jarffc since
21KJ I I he jams
allow professionals
and novices to share
the same stage as
they read their work
to a crowd of hun
dreds. Crowds will
be even larger at this
year's festival. The
jams have been
moved from
Embassy Suites
Hotel to the neigh
boring Benton Con
vention Center in
order to provide
"Hopefully we
will not have to turn anyone away this year like we
had to in 2003," said Helena Lewis, who is co-host
ing the jams this year along with actor/poet Mal
colm-Jamal Warner.
Le\\is, a New Jersey-based spoken-word artist,
first came to the NBTF in 2003 . She said she was
impressed by the diversity of the poets who per
form at the jams.
"There were people who were 80-year-olds i
there. You usually don't get that diversity in on ej
spot," she said.
Lewis, who credits people like Amiri Baraka
and Sonja Sanchez (who is attending this year's fes
tival) for paving the way. know s that the art of spo
ken word is nothing new. but she says with events
like the jams and television programs like HBO's
"Def Poetry." spoken word has reached a totally
new plateau.
"It has never been at this level before," she said.
The last two Midnight Poetry Jams will he held
tonight (Aug. 4) and Friday. To sign up to read your
work, see the information desk at the Marriott.
Fast service
Actress/singer Dawnn Lewis did not even have
a chance to check into her hotel room Tuesday
before she was summoned to take part in a noontime
news confcrence . Lewis, best known for her roles on
"A Different World" and "Hangin' With Mr Coop
er." made an unusual request while at the pixlium.
"Anybody got any chicken, because I am hun
gry?" she said. She had a more serious message after
that. Lewis told the droves of people who gather in
the lobby of the Marriott for the daily press briefin
gs that they should not spend the whole festival min
gling and gawking at famous faces. She reminded
them of the daily workshops, seminars and activi
ties.
"If you want it. it is here for you." she said. She
also reminded them about the great plays and musi
cals that will be staged throughout the week. Ixwis
has been to past festivals as a performer. She is not
in any production this year.
"I am totally here to en joy and support black the
ater." she said. By the time Lewis had finished her
remarks, someone had placed a biscuit near her seat.
"Ask and you shall receive." she said, hoisting
the biscuit into the air with her hand