WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — What happens when you mix classic musicals with local flair? You get DC Black Broadway, an organization giving kids a creative outlet while preserving the history of the District.
It takes a lot of work to put on a show. With a lot of talent and a little direction, kids on stage with DC Black Broadway are able to shine. Black Broadway harkens back to D.C.’s historic past which is full of culture and creativity.
It’s why Dr. Lovail Long started DC Black Broadway for today’s audience. “It’s a new generation that’s learning about the culture of Washington, D.C.,” Lovail Long said. He and his wife Angelique Long write shows combining classic theater with local flair. “They meet legends. They learn the lingo. They learn the music. They learn everything about what we used to do,” Angelique Long said.
Most of the productions are at the Lincoln Theater on U Street. “Once again we’re selling out. And what’s most important to me, these kids to get to see our history, they got to be in a building that’s 101 years old,” Lovail Long said.
“Ms. Ali from Ben’s Chili Bowl, the owner, she said that she hadn’t seen this many Black people in the Lincoln in decades and the fact that we’re bringing a whole community back to U Street and into theater,” Angelique Long added.
Director Kelly Chauncey helps unlock potential. “I’ve always known the intrinsical value and the magic and the power of the creative arts for young people in order to give them an outlet and a different mode of expression.”
DC Black Broadway also teaches financial literacy. “We have 60 kids here. They’re getting paid. They are paid professional actors. When they walked in the door they thought they were doing it for free,” Lovail Long said.
They also teach etiquette. “The etiquette that’s taught, and just like having good role models–sometimes it’s not even spoken. It’s just like, you see, and it’s like, because you see it, it’s like dang. Like, that’s how I need to start acting because you see the reaction they get out of it,” said actress Nyah Glover.
Glover loves being a part of the DC Black Broadway community. “I am learning a lot while here. So it’s like I’m learning it and then I get to embody it when I’m on the stage and even when I’m off stage,” Glover said.
“DC Black Broadway’s a great place to learn, a great place to build,” Chauncey said. “But it’s also a great place to catch fire and know that you can go on and have the courage achieve someplace else.”