American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, will present two new online events in June. Denzel Tsopnang will perform An Evening of Legends on June 18 at 7pm Central as part of “The Garage” music series. Playwright and solo artist Ada Cheng will read her new play Loving Across Borders on June 25 at 7pm Central as part of “The Room” reading series.
About An Evening of Legends
- Performed by Ensemble Member Denzel Tsopnang
- Music Director: Artistic Affiliate Zachary Stevenson
- June 18, 2021 at 7:00pm Central
Join award winning Artistic Affiliate Denzel Tsopnang for an unforgettable 60-minute tribute concert to America’s 1950s/60s legends of Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, and Rock & Roll. Featuring incredible music from icon Sammy Davis Jr, “the most popular black female recording artist of the 50s” Dinah Washington, “The High Priestess of Soul” Nina Simone, and much more.
Don’t miss this special concert from the comforts of your own home. “The Garage” music series features the musical talent of American Blues Ensemble Members and Artistic Affiliates and will run monthly for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following every concert, stay in the virtual space to meet the artists.
Reserve tickets HERE or call (773) 654-3103 until Friday, June 18 at 3:00 PM Central. Suggested donation is $25 or pay-what-you-can.
About the Artists: An Evening of Legends
Denzel Tsopnang he/him (Performer) is an Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater where he was last seen in Five Presidents as Agent Kirby. Raised in Batavia, IL and brought up in Cameroon, Denzel found himself in Decatur, IL with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Millikin University. He made his Chicago debut with Griffin Theatre’s acclaimed production of Balm in Gilead and since then, has had the pleasure of working with theatres such as Peninsula Players, Light Opera (Music) Theatre Works, Chicago Dramatists, BoHo Theatre, Court Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook and The Marriott Lincolnshire. Some of his favorite credits include: Mr. Bones in the Chicago premiere and Jeff Award winning production of The Scottsboro Boys (Porchlight Music Theatre), and Mr. Tambo in MTI’s first National Pilot of The Scottsboro Boys, Coalhouse Walker Jr in Ragtime (Griffin Theatre), for which he was nominated for Best Principal Actor in a Musical; Apollo Singer in American Blues Theater’s hit The Buddy Holly Story, and Bernard in Windy City Playhouse’s award winning production of Boys in the Band. He was a featured soloist in Porchlight Music Theatre’s 2017 Icons Gala in honor of Lonny Price and the late Rachel Rockwell. Denzel is based in Chicago and is a teaching artist with The Joyful Actor Studio.
Zachary Stevenson he/him (Music Director) is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater. He is an award winning actor, musician and writer. Originally from Vancouver Island, Canada, Zachary has been coined a “dead ringer for dead singers” by the Victoria Times Colonist for his portrayals of Buddy Holly, Hank Williams, Phil Ochs and roles based on Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 2018, Zachary won the Jeff Award in Chicago for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Musical) for The Buddy Holly Story, a role he’s honed in more than a dozen productions across Canada and the United States. Other acting highlights include Million Dollar Quartet, Hair, Urinetown, Assassins, and Company. Zachary has produced and recorded five independent albums and tours frequently as a musician. He is also active as a music director on productions such as Ring of Fire and Million Dollar Quartet, American Idiot (upcoming). He is currently writing an American Blues commissioned solo show based on the life of folksinger, Phil Ochs.
Shandee Vaughan she/her (stage manager) is an Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater. Blues credits: Roan @ the Gates, Five Presidents, The Spitfire Grill,The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, On Clover Road, It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago (2016 & 2018-2020), Flyin’ West, The Buddy Holly Story, The Columnist, and Little Shop of Horrors. Other recent Chicago credits include: Time Is On Our Side (About Face Theatre), Deathscribe X (WildClaw Theatre), Night in Alachua County (WildClaw Theatre), and The Woman in Black (WildClaw Theatre). Shandee is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
About Loving Across Borders
- Written and performed by Ada Cheng
- June 25, 2021 at 7:00pm Central
Solo performer Ada Cheng explores how one learns womanhood, love, and abuse in different sociopolitical and cultural contexts through personal stories. An intense personal journey and autobiographical, this solo show weaves tales of breaking rules and broken hearts across borders. This performance is relevant to current debates about gender equality and women’s status in American society and across the globe.
About the Artists: Loving Across Borders
Ada Cheng she/her (Writer / Performer) is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater. She is a professor-turned-storyteller, solo performer, and storytelling show producer. She debuted her first solo show, Not Quite: Asian American by Law, Asian Woman by Desire, in 2017 and has since performed it at National Storytelling Conference (Kansas City, MO), Capital Fringe Festival (Washington D.C.), Minnesota Fringe Festival (Minneapolis, MN), Bolder Fringe Festival (Bolder, CO), and Kum & Go Theater (Des Moines, IA). This solo performance was also the keynote for 2019 Women and Girls in Georgia Conference. She debuted her second solo show, Breaking Rules, Broken Hearts: Loving Across Borders in January 2018 and has since performed it at The Exit Theatre in San Francisco, Theatre Row with the United Solo Theatre Festival in New York, and Theatre 68 with Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival in LA. She has been featured at storytelling shows and has brought her solo performances to universities across the nation.
Cara Parrish she/her (Stage Manager) is a proud Ensemble Member of American Blues Theater where she is also the Office & HR Manager. Chicago credits: Gem of the Ocean, Electra, Hard Problem, Photograph 51, Five Guys Named Moe, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Lady From the Sea (Court Theatre); WITCH, Port Authority, Yellow Moon, The Letters, The Caretaker, Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf, & The Blond, The Brunette, and the Vengeful Redhead (Writers Theatre); Too Heavy for Your Pocket & The Vibrator Play (TimeLine Theatre Company); James and the Giant Peach (Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook); Jabari Dreams of Freedom (Chicago Children’sTheatre); Romeo and Juliet & Emma (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Beauty’s Daughter & Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (American Blues Theater). Cara is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
About American Blues Theater
Winner of the American Theatre Wing’s prestigious National Theatre Company Award, American Blues Theater is a premier arts organization with an intimate environment that patrons, artists, and all Chicagoans call home. American Blues Theater explores the American identity through the plays it produces and communities it serves.
The diverse and multi-generational artists have established the second-oldest professional Equity Ensemble theater in Chicago. As of 2020, the theater and artists received 221 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and 40 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades.