Harlem Serenade—A Moment in Time

"A" Train to the Harlem Renaissance

1:00–2:45
KAUFMANN THEATER
first floor

Performance

Silver Belles–2^nd Generation

Photo: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Artistic Director and host James Stovall narrates an afternoon of musical performances by the All-Star Orchestra of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. These dynamic musicians are led by the Jazz Museum’s executive director, Loren Schoenberg, who is dedicated to sharing the unique history of jazz and fostering it as a living, breathing art form. The Jazz Orchestra will be joined by members of the Silver Belles–2^nd Generation, a group of exceptional senior female dancers inspired by the original Silver Belles, who appeared in the choruses of the prestigious Cotton Club and Apollo Theater during Harlem's heyday. Also joining them will be the Jitterbug Kids, a group of young dancers who recapture Harlem’s Swing era. The performances will be woven together with classic film clips from Harlem's Golden Era.

Telling the Story on Film

2:55
KAUFMANN THEATER
first floor

Introduction

Voza Rivers, Executive Producer, New Heritage Theatre Group, introduces the film section.

Lullaby of Harlem

3:00–4:00
KAUFMANN THEATER
first floor

Film

Lullaby of Harlem, a compilation film produced by Passport Entertainment, captures original footage of black music legends performing at the Cotton Club and Apollo Theater during Harlem's Golden Age. The stellar cast includes Billie Holiday, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and many others. Travel back to the early days of Swing Jazz and Rhythm & Blues, and you will understand why the music of African-American artists garnered international appeal and reverence.

Harlem's Golden Age of Jazz

4:05–4:35
KAUFMANN THEATER
first floor

Discussion

This talk will be led by jazz historian, saxophonist, writer of liner notes for many famous recordings, and executive director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Loren Schoenberg.

Hughes Dream Harlem

3:00–4:00
LINDER THEATER
first floor

Film

Poet laureate and writer Langston Hughes (1902–1967) used his craft to share eyewitness accounts of his glorious experiences as a resident of Harlem. The film Hughes Dream Harlem, directed by Jamal Joseph and produced by New Heritage Films, casts contemporary poets like Sonia Sanchez and Amiri Baraka, as well as young, developing artists, to explore Hughes's life in Harlem. The film is narrated by Ossie Davis and features Ruby Dee, Gertrude Jeanette, IMPACT Repertory Theatre, and others.

Langston Hughes and Harlem’s Cultural Heyday

4:05–4:35
LINDER THEATER
first floor

Discussion

This discussion will be led by the lauded 94-year-old actor/ director/producer Gertrude Jeanette, founder of the Hadley Players. Ms. Jeanette was an original member of the American Negro Theatre, which received great theatrical acclaim during the 1940s, and was also a friend to Langston Hughes.

The Final Stomp

4:40–5:00
KAUFMANN THEATER
first floor

Performance

Mabel Lee

Courtesy tapheritage.org

Michela Marino Lerman is a renowned tap dancer and the only honorary female member of the legendary Copasetics. Joining Michela on stage are Mabel Lee, "Queen of the Talkies" and Broadway actress in Shuffle Along and Bubbling Brown Sugar; Harold Cromer, member of the dance comedy team Stump & Stumpy who appeared on Broadway with Bert Lahr, Ethel Merman and Betty Grable; and Jason Samuels Smith, an Emmy-winning actor who appeared on Broadway in Bring in Da’ Noise, Bring in Da’ Funk, and on film in Idlewild and Tap Heat.