Twice a month on the Token Theatre Friends video series and podcast, theatre critics (and theatre besties) Jose Solís and Diep Tran bring a POC perspective to the performing arts.
This week the Friends interview the original Peggy, aka Jasmine Cephas Jones (Hamilton, Blindspotting) to discuss her return to musical theatre in Cyrano, a new musical from the Nationals. She stars as Roxanne, opposite “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage. Jasmine discusses seeing Prince when she was 14, how she chooses her projects, and why Macbeth should be a musical (and why she would love to play Lady Macbeth). Cyrano is produced by the New Group and running until Dec. 22 at the Daryl Roth Theatre.
The audio of the interview is also available below, as well as reviews of three provocative shows:
Tina, with book by Katori Hall, Frank Ketellar and Kees Prins, currently running on Broadway ($79 -$179). In this jukebox musical about Tina Turner, we follow her through girlhood, to the Ike Turner years, to her comeback. It’s the most but Adrienne Warren makes it look easy.
Evita by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice at New York City Center. The production is closed but the interpretation was so interesting that the Friends just had to talk about it. Two actors play Eva Perón and the result is an revelatory look at the icon we all thought we knew.
Brando Capote by Sara and Reid Farrington, which played at The Tank. Using projections, movement, and on point sound design, the play takes place in Purgatory as Marlon Brando relives his 1957 interview with Truman Capote. It’s closed but the Farringtons are artists more people should be following.
At the end of the show, the Friends also have a special (and kind of sad) announcement. Listen to the podcast to find out what it is!
Download the episode here.
You can subscribe to Token Theatre Friends as a podcast via RSS feed, iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or TuneIn. Or subscribe to the videos on YouTube.
Do you have a comment, suggestions for segments, or a show to plug? Contact the Token Theatre Friends via email or Twitter.
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