The Black Russian: A New Musical, Live at Moscow 57!

The Black Russian: A New Musical, Live at Moscow 57!

Moscow 57
168 1/2 Delancey Street, New York, NY 10002
212-260-5775
bookings@moscow57.com
www.moscow57.com

Apr. 26 at 7pm

Suggested $10 donation

The Black Russian
Sunday, April 26th at 7:00 PM
Talkback with cast and crew at 8:30 PM

THE BLACK RUSSIAN
A New Musical
Starring Ty Roberson
Directed by Mercedes Ellington
Written by Ethan Fein and Vladimir Alexandrov
Based on the biography by Vladimir Alexandrov

The Black Russian tells the story of Frederick Bruce Thomas, whose journey spanned from a slave in Mississippi to Russia, where he became one of Moscow’s richest and most famous owners of variety theatres and restaurants. He fled to Turkey after the Bolshevik Revolution ruined him and was able to make a second fortune in Constantinople and introduced jazz music to Turkey. However, because of the long arm of American racism, the xenophobia of the new Turkish Republic, and his own extravagance, he fell on hard times, was thrown into debtor's prison, and died in Constantinople.

Come experience this unique retelling of the extraordinary story of a man overcoming the constraints of his humble origin!. Be swept away in this musical rags-to-riches commentary of the revolutionary transformations of two political hotspots and an exploration of the contrasting roles that race played in America, Russia, and Turkey in the early Twentieth Century!

ABOUT TY ROBERSON
Tyrone Roberson is excited to be a part of this presentation of The Black Russian. Ty's credits include: Marty in Dreamgirls (Portland Center Stage) Tom Collins in Rent (Bristol Riverside Theater), Cord Elam in Oklahoma (Portland Center Stage), and Urban NYC Guy in Grim, Grimmer & Grimmest (Theater Emory, Atlanta)i. Tyrone's extended credits include Opera, Film, Television, Voice Overs and Recordings.  

ABOUT MERCEDES ELLINGTON
Mercedes Ellingtion is the president of the Duke Ellington Center for the Arts. She has appeared on Broadway in Pal Joey, The Night That Made America Famous, and Sophisticated Ladies, and in films & television in Driving Me Crazy (1988), Jackie Gleason: American Scene Magazine (1962) and Once the Music Played (2015). She is currently competing in ballroom dance competitions.

ABOUT VLADIMIR  AND SYBIL ALEXANDROV
Vladimir Alexandrov (http://www.valexandrov.com) grew up in New York City in a Russian émigré family and wanted to be a scientist from an early age. However, after getting Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Geology from Queens College and The City College of New York, he decided that he'd learned enough about the natural world but didn't understand himself or other people. His solution was to switch to studying literature and the humanities, which resulted in getting a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Princeton. After teaching in the Slavic Department at Harvard, he moved to Yale University in 1986, where, as B. E. Bensinger Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures, he continues to teach courses on Russian literature and culture. He lives in Hamden, Connecticut, with his wife, Sybil, who teaches Spanish at Yale.  They have a son and daughter who are both studying for advanced degrees.  
 
ABOUT ETHAN FEIN
Ethan Fein is Moscow 57's music maven. He has worked as a guitarist/accompanist in concerts, starting in 1969 with recording artist Oliver ("Good Morning Starshine" and "Jean"), and with Eartha Kitt, Bernadette Peters, Joel Grey, Carole King, Kristin Chenoweth, Gregory Hines, Ben Vereen, Ann Hampton Callaway,  Regis Philbin, Nell Carter, Maureen McGovern, Cy Coleman, Ann Reinking, Tony Randall, and the Queens Symphony Orchestra, among others.
On Broadway, Ethan was the guitarist in Cats for 18 years, and orchestra house contractor for the last 10 years of the run. He also was the substitute guitarist on West Side Story (1980), 42nd Street, (both productions 1980 and 2001) and The Full Monty.
Ethan produced Ellen Kaye's recordings Ice Wine: songs for Christmas and dark winter nights and When I Was a Boy. He has been working as Ellen's musical director for five years.