The Town Hall Presents | PRINCE: The Beautiful Ones
THE TOWN HALL P rese N ts | MON. NOV. 18, 2019
since, at the time of the artist’s death, there was not enough material for a conventional memoir, Piepenbring went back to Paisley Park, Prince’s compound in Chanhassen, Minn., to search the vaults and the musician’s personal archives.
the resulting The Beautiful Ones includes Prince’s writings, a scrapbook of his personal photos, and memorabilia, including contact sheets, rare promotional photos, and the lyrics to his 1983 hit “Little red Corvette,” handwritten in red ink. the book tracks Prince’s evolution through deeply revealing, never-before-shared images and memories and culminates with his original handwritten treatment for his masterwork, Purple Rain.
editor Chris Jackson noted that Prince’s death “was an unfathomable loss, but this book— full of writing from his own hand and images that he carefully preserved at Paisley Park—is a beautiful tribute to his life. it’s also much more than that: it’s a genuinely moving and energizing literary work, full of Prince’s ideas and vision, his voice and image. it’s a treasure not just for Prince fans but for anyone who wants to see one of our greatest creative artists and original minds at work on his greatest creation: himself.”
in his essay, co-author Piepenbring writes of Prince: “being an artist was a constant evolution. early on, he’d recognized the inherent mystery of this process. ‘Mystery’ is a word for a reason, he’d said. ‘it has a purpose.’ the right book would add new layers to his mystery, even as it stripped others away.”
but Prince also wanted a book that would be “a handbook for the brilliant community— wrapped in autobiography, wrapped in biography,” as well as a primer on african american entrepreneurship. it was clear, says Piepenbring, that “it was incumbent on us to help people, especially young black artists, realize the power and agency they had.”
as Prince sang in “Gold”: “everybody wants to sell what’s already been sold / everybody wants to tell what’s already been told / What’s the use of money if you ain’t gonna break the mold?”
PRINCE ROGERS NELSON (co-author) remains one of the most popular and influential musical acts of all time. Known for his style and range, Prince’s prolific music career included an ever-evolving sound that blended pop, r&b, hip-hop, jazz, and soul. Prince sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, making him one of the bestselling artists of all time. he won seven GraMMY® awards, a Golden Globe award, and an academy award® for the film Purple Rain he was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in 2004, the first year of his eligibility. Prince tragically passed away at his Paisley Park home on april 21, 2016. his legacy lives on through the timeless messages of love in his music and the countless ways his work has touched lives.
THE NEW POWER GENERATION:
Morris Hayes (Musical director, keyboards), MacKenzie (lead vocalist), Tony Mosley (rapper/guitar), Sonny “Sonny T” Thompson (bass), Levi Seacer (guitar), Les Cleveland (drums), and Kenni Holmen (sax/flute).
Keyboardist Morris hayes, who was in the New Power Generation for more than 20 years and also served as Prince’s Musical director for much of that time, put the band back together for the official Prince tribute concert in october 2016. after that historic night, they reunited to bring a smaller version of that concert honoring their former mentor on the road. ever since, the band continues to receive acclaim for their tight arrangements, stellar sound and the electrifying pace of their shows. the NPG’s Celebrating Prince includes a number of original and/or former members of the NPG (tony Mosley, sonny thompson, Levi seacer, Kenni holmen) and has been described as a “non-stop musical kaleidoscope of the most iconic chart-topping hits from all eras of Prince’s illustrious fourdecade career.” Years of touring, recording, rehearsing, playing and performing with Prince helped to shape the New Power Generation, and few other artists are known to have the same work ethic. the band are currently touring, penning new material together, and have exciting plans to release new music in 2020.
SPIKE LEE (speaker) has created an iconic body of storytelling that has left an indelible mark on filmmaking and television. his career spans 30 years and includes She’s Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Better, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Girl 6, Get on the Bus, Summer of Sam, and Chi-Raq. Lee won his first oscar in 2019 for the adapted screenplay for BlacKkKlansman he is also known for his documentaries, including the emmy-winning If God is Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, and the Peabody award-winning A Huey P. Newton Story in addition to influential tV work and commercials, Lee has directed music videos and shorts for artists including Prince, Public enemy, branford Marsalis, and Miles davis. in 2015, Lee was awarded an honorary oscar for his lifetime achievement and contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences. his production company, 40 acres and a Mule filmworks, is based in brooklyn.
DAN PIEPENBRING
(co-author) is an advisory editor at The Paris Review and the co-author, with tom o’Neill, of Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties
CHRIS JACKSON (editor) is an editor at spiegel and Grau, a division of Penguin random house. he acquired world rights from esther Newberg and dan Kirschen at iCM Partners. the memoir is being published in an exclusive partnership and in collaboration with the Prince estate.
GBENGA AKINNAGBE (director) recently finished his year-long broadway debut in aaron sorkin’s hit adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird opposite Jeff daniels. Gbenga received rave reviews for his performance as tom robinson and was honored with a theatre World award. he also recently starred as Larry brown on the david simon/hbo series The Deuce opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal and James franco. Gbenga’s career-defining turn as Chris Partlow in The Wire led to memorable roles on hit shows including 24: Live Another Day, Barbershop, The Following, Nurse Jackie, and The Good Wife. his extensive film credits include The Sun Is Also A Star, Starbright, All The Devil’s Men, and DC Noir (which he also codirected), Detroit, Egg, Crown Heights, Detour, Independence Day 2, Fort Bliss, Mall, Big Words, Overnight, Lottery Ticket, Edge Of Darkness, The Taking Of Pelham 123, and The Savages. additional theater credits include Fulfillment and Lower Ninth at the flea, The Thin Place at the intiman, and A View from 151st Street at the Public. Gbenga was born in Washington, d.C. to Nigerian parents and grew up in silver spring, Maryland. he is the founder and managing director of Liberated People, a social justice lifestyle brand.
“Lisa fischer in concert is addictive. every performance is so enriching, so exciting, so transcendent that you want more. With remarkable vocal range and vocabulary, fischer can sing soul, jazz, rock, gospel, pop, folk and classical with equal facility and authority.”” (Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 2016) Ms. Lisa fischer and her band Grand baton first set out on tour in 2014, with no product to sell, no recordings or video to help book or promote shows, no t-shirts. despite all that, based on Lisa’s reputation alone, they were invited to play in clubs, at the Newport and Monterey Jazz festivals, and at concert halls all over the globe, winning accolades from critics, devotion from fans, and — always – invitations to return, soon.
GREG TATE
Writer, musician, cultural provocateur, Greg tate lives in harlem. his most recent book is Flyboy 2: The Greg Tate Reader. since 1999, he has also led the conducted improv ensemble, burnt sugar the arkestra Chamber.
HARLEM
CHILDREN’S ZONE is a non-profit organization that walks hand in hand with 14,000 young people and their families in Central harlem on their journeys from cradle to college to career. hCZ’s comprehensive network serves nearly 100 blocks of Central harlem, going beyond education to provide academic, personal and career support. harlem Children’s Zone is a model not just for harlem, but for communities around the world that are fighting poverty. More than 500 u s. groups and 186 international delegations have visited the harlem Children’s Zone since 2003. in 2010, President barack obama’s administration announced the Promise Neighborhoods initiative, which is replicating the harlem Children’s Zone model in neighborhoods across america. hcz.org
the town hall’s mission is to provide affordable world-class entertainment by new and established artists to a diverse audience; to inspire the youth of our community to appreciate and participate in the arts at the town hall and in schools through our educational outreach Program; and to preserve and enhance the town hall as a historic landmark venue for the enjoyment and cultural enrichment of generations to come.
BOArD OF TruSTEES
P RESIDENT
tom Wirtshafter
P RESIDENT E MERITUS
Marvin Leffler
E XECUTIVE V ICE P RESIDENT
susan Zohn
T RUSTEES
Jacobo almuiña
Phyllis Putter barasch
robert e evanson
anne frank-shapiro
alfred h horowitz
henry Johansson
ted Lambert
bruce s. Leffler
Marvin Leffler
david f. McCarthy
andrew t. Miltenberg
rita robbins
Madhu southworth
Nevin steinberg
tom Wirtshafter
susan Zohn
LIFE TRUSTEES
Leona Chanin
Mary dettling-Wright
THE TOWN HALL STAFF
E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR
Lawrence C. Zucker
A RTISTIC D IRECTOR
M.a. Papper
D IRECTOR OF A DMINISTRATION ,
S UBSCRIPTIONS & M EMBERSHIP
helen Morris
D IRECTOR OF D EVELOPMENT
Jacqueline Maddox
D IRECTOR OF E DUCATION
Lauren Noble
D IRECTOR O F M ARKETING
Jeff Mann
D IGITAL M EDIA M ANAGER
alex Koveos
P RINCIPAL D ESIGNER
Leia-lee doran
P UBLICITY
Cindy byram Pr
V ICE P RESIDENT alfred h horowitz
V ICE P RESIDENT bruce s. Leffler
T REASURER
andrew t. Miltenberg
S ECRETARY
Phyllis Putter barasch
A DVISORY COUNCIL
Kathleen rosenberg, Chair
Nancy berman
shauna denkensohn
sandy horowitz
elizabeth iannizzi
Zita rosenthal
rhoda rothkopf
A RTS IN E DUCATION
A DVISORY COUNCIL
dr. Charlotte K. frank, Chair
Michael fram dr. sharon dunn
Gary hecht
ernest Logan
dr. Lisa Mars
dr. eloise Messineo
dr. Pola rosen
Leona shapiro
George Young
B OX O FFICE M ANAGER
angel rodriguez
T ECHNICAL D IRECTOR
bill dehling
C HIEF E NGINEER
steve franqui
H OUSE M ANAGER richard Looney
I NSTITUTIONAL G IVING
A SSOCIATE
b arbara Matovu
A SSOCIATE A RTISTIC
D IRECTOR & A RCHIVIST
Melay araya
A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT
britni Montalbano
E DUCATION A DMINISTRATION
A SSISTANT
Kylee brinkman
WArNINg
the photographing or sound recording of any performance or the possession of any device for such photographing or sound recording inside the theatre without the written permission of the management is prohibited by law. Violators may be punished by ejection and violations may render the offender liable for monetary damages.
FIrE NOTICE
the exit indicated by a red light and sign nearest to the seat you occupy is the shortest route to the street. in the event of fire or other emergency please do not run, WaLK to that eXit thoughtless persons annoy patrons and endanger the safety of others by lighting matches or smoking in prohibited areas during the performances and intermissions. this violates a city ordinance and is punishable by law.
-FIRE COMMISSIONER
DIrECTOrY OF THEATrE SErVICES
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: 212.997.1003
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CELL PHONE POLICY
Cell phones should be silenced prior to the performance as a courtesy to the performers and audience.
LOBBY R EFRESHMENT BY theatre refreshment Company of NY
M a J or gi F ts , Cor P orate , F oundation & govern M ent su PP ort
town hall Presents is supported, in part, by public funds from the new york City department of Cultural affairs in partnership with the City Council. town hall’s education outreach Programs is made possible by the new york state Council on the arts with the support of governor andrew M. Cuomo and the new york state Legislature. We would like to thank the following foundations, corporations, and government institutions for their support:
acción Cultural española
the achelis and bodman foundation
the actors fund
affiliated advisors apple inc.
bank of america
bruce Weber and Nan bush foundation
Consolidated edison Company of New York
Cravath, swaine & Moore
daryl and steven roth foundation
robert evanson ford foundation
dr. Charlotte K. frank
Garber atlas fries & associates
John Gore/Key brand entertainment the hearst foundations, inc.
Jewish Communal fund
JP Morgan Chase
Jujamcyn theaters
edythe Kenner foundation the Kinder Morgan foundation the Jacob & Valeria Langeloth foundation
Lewis QVC trust
Local one the Mansfield family foundation
Morgan stanley
Nederlander organization
Nesenoff & Miltenberg, LLP
New York City department of Cultural affairs in Partnership with the City Council
New York state Council on the arts
New York university
stavros Niarchos foundation
henry Nias foundation
office of the President, borough of Manhattan, Gale a brewer the Pinkerton foundation
Pamela and richard rubinstein foundation
Pricewaterhouse Cooper the reed foundation
s&P Global the shubert foundation the shubert organization, inc.
theatre refreshments
ticketmaster
Wenner foundation
Zegar family foundation
THE TOWN HALL’S YOUNG PATRONS CIRCLE
Join the next generation of Town Hall supporters! town hall’s Young Patrons Circle is a special membership group, ages 21-40, that engages in social and educational activities through exciting events, performances, and programming. We are brought together by a shared love of the arts, a deep interest in social change, civic engagement, and a desire to become part of a growing group of like-minded individuals that support town hall.
For more information about the Young Patrons Circle, please contact Jacquie Maddox, director of development - development@thetownhall.org
YOUNG PATRONS CIRCLE MEMBERS
Jesse Axelrod*
Kevin Costello
Jenna Clark Embrey
Kate Estes*
James Geoghegan
Ilia Gorodnichev
Anne Heestand
Christina Hoffman
Vincent Iannuzzi
Brice Jones
David P. Leffler
Marley Lewis, Yevgeny Vilensky
Gregory Minogue*
Sheila O’Donoghue
Anna Pappa Wirtshafter
Joseph Reigadas*
Jonathan Tulman*
Veronica Underhill
Susan Walsh
Jessie Wirtshafter
Benjamin Wirtshafter*
Natalie Wright
*Young Patrons Circle Executive Committee
TOUR THE HISTORIC TOWN HALL
Town Hall has played an integral part in the electrifying cultural fabric of New York City for more than 90 years. a group of suffragists’ fight for the 19th amendment led them to build a meeting space to educate people on the important issues of the day. during its construction, the 19th amendment was passed, and on January 12, 1921 the town hall opened its doors and took on a double meaning: as a symbol of the victory sought by its founders, and as a spark for a new, more optimistic climate. in 1921, German composer richard strauss performed a series of concerts that cemented the hall’s reputation as an ideal venue for musical performances. since, town hall has been home to countless musical milestones: the us debuts of strauss, and isaac stern; Marian anderson’s first New York recital; in 1945, dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker introduced bebop to the world; bob dylan’s first major concert in ‘63; and much much more.
LearN More. VISIT THETOWNHALL ORG/TOURS
sustaining M e M bers
shari acebedo**
emerson allen*
Wanyong & Chris austin*
Justine barrett
Laurie bauman & steve arnold
William beck
Kathleen begala & Yves-andre istel*
howard f berman**
Jane eisner bram*
Katrina browning*
Colin a burns*
ralph buultjens**
Marcy & Leona Chanin
foundation**
dr. stuart Chassen*
James P. Coffey*
Mindy a Cohen*
John & Colleen Cook**
thomas dackow*
Kathleen davis-Groener**
david dean
Gordon Murray & Katherine defoyd
Jamie delio**
shauna & Michael denkensohn**
susan & rick derrickson
Greg diamond
Michael & allison dietz*
robert dwyer, Jr.*
Mike embler & Maria Cilenti**
Charles engros
anna May & tim feige
alfred finger*
edmond fitzGerald
Peter flaherty
Matthew frank*
Michael & anne frank-shapiro*
bobby & Vicki freeman
Carmen Gaito
Lynn & Paul George*
Claudia Glasser
deborah Goldberg**
Marianne Goodman Md
Patricia Green**
agnes Gund**
fran & richard habib**
Kathleen hagen*
Lisa & tom hazen
ryan holmes
bruce horten & aaron Lieber**
Mark houle
fern hurst & Peter rubin**
adam idleberg
todd Jick*
henry Johansson*
Lucas Katler
Michael & Jacqueline Kempner
donna & Jeff Knight*
arthur Koenig**
Jacqueline & bruce Leffler*
Goldfarb & fleece LLP**
robin & Jay Lewis**
adam & Melony Lewis**
ivy Lewis**
tanner Lindsey
Michael Loeber
Genevieve Lynch
James & susan Maddox
Jean & Ken Malecki*
Jack & Carol Margossian
tanya Marks
Jeff Marowits
Karl Marquardt*
ingrid Matheson
robert & Merrideth McCarthy
david & Julie McCarthy**
Gavin Mcfarland
Lori Mcgoran
richard & Merle Milder
dolores Miller
isaac Mizrahi*
sean Mooney
James Naughton & Laura richards*
Chad Newman & Jared stanisci
Carol & davis Noble*
Morris W. offit**
dorinda J. oliver**
Glenn & Linda ostrander*
robert ouimette
shelly Packer**
Judith Parker
tim Peierls**
Jennifer Poling
Patrick Pollari*
robert rene
dasha rettew**
rita robbins**
theresa rose*
a. Jeffrey rosen
rhoda rothkopf**
Michael rotter**
fiona howe rudin*
MikeLynn salthouse**
roberta schleicher*
robert score*
alan shabot*
Patricia & brian shea** elena skolnick
erik sonsteby*
Madhu r Goel southworth**
Jerry speyer**
CeeCee & eve stein**
Lera Jewels*
abbe tiger
tim tompkins*
Lawrence unger**
Patricia Wallace
Weston Wellington*
richard Winn
Matt howard & Melissa
Wohlgemuth*
dr. helaine Worrell
Peter M. Ziemba & terry siegel*
susan Zohn**
sloan Zuckerman
Gary Zych
Bank of America applauds The Town Hall for its success in bringing the arts to audiences throughout the community. We commend you on creating an opportunity for all to enjoy and share a cultural experience. Here's to another season of Broadway by the Year! Visit us at bankofamerica.com/arts.
