Jazz at Lincoln Center presents the world premiere of Kurt Elling’s The Big Blind, March 1-2 at 8 pm in Rose Theater. The Grammy-winning vocalist delves into the world of musical theater with this original noir radio drama, co-written with Grammy-nominated songwriter Phil Galdston and inspired by true historic events. The all-star cast includes NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater, Broadway’s Ben Vereen and Allison Semmes, and Foley artist Jeff Ward, with a 23-piece orchestra conducted by Guy Barker.
A unique blend of radio drama, complete with an on-stage sound effects and concert performance, The Big Blind takes audiences back to the heyday of what Elling calls “the theater of the imagination.” Set in the seedy underbelly of the 1950s Chicago nightclub scene, Elling stars as Jack Lewis, an up-and-coming jazz singer who faces the loss of his voice, both literally and figuratively, when his personal and professional choices upend his life. The show is directed by Terry Kinney, a founding member of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater Company and a star of the HBO prison drama “Oz.” The score features eight new songs co-written by Elling and Galdston, plus new lyrics they’ve created for classics by jazz giants Duke Ellington, Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter and Charles Mingus.
Rose Theater ticket prices are $40 and up, dependent upon seating section.
All single tickets for The Appel Room and Rose Theater can be purchased through jazz.org 24 hours a day or through CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, open daily from 10am to 9pm. Tickets can also be purchased at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, located on Broadway at 60th Street, ground floor. Note: Hot Seats—$10 seats for each Rose Theater performance (excluding Jazz for Young People® concerts and other performances as specified) and select performances in The Appel Room (excluding Jazz & Popular Song concerts)—are available for purchase by the general public on the Wednesday prior to each performance. Tickets are subject to availability; please call 212-258-9800 for available Hot Seats performance dates.
Rose Theater is located in Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, at 60th Street and Broadway in New York City. For additional information, visit jazz.org.
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