Kravis Celebrates Black History Month

Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. (Kravis)

(KRAVIS NEWS)_Celebrating diversity during Black History Month and beyond, the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts presents an array of programs featuring award-winning black artists, musicians and academics. The monthlong line-up of enlightening events includes:

Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.
Up Up & Away! A Musical Fable
February 1, 2023 at 8 p.m.
Join Grammy Award-winning duo Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. for an evening of pop and soul classics. The legendary couple began their career as the original stars and lead singers of the group The 5th Dimension, whose magical harmonies drew equal inspiration from pop, R&B, soul, gospel, jazz and Broadway music. UP UP & AWAY! is a journey and musical celebration of their iconic music. The show also includes tributes to fellow music legends including The Beatles and The 5th Dimension’s original lineup.
 
Boyz II Men
February 4, 2023 at 8 p.m.
One of the most iconic R&B groups in music history, Boyz II Men redefined popular R&B and continue to create timeless hits that appeal to fans across all generations. With 4 Grammys, 9 American Music Awards, 9 Soul Train Awards, and 3 Billboard Awards—among others, Boyz II Men captivates sold-out crowds with their legendary sound.

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​17th Annual African-American Film Festival
(ArtSmart Series)
POETIC JUSTICE (1993), Directed by John Singleton
February 9, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
Janet Jackson makes her film debut in John Singleton’s POETIC JUSTICE. A mismatched pair pushed together on a road trip from South Central L.A. to Oakland, Justice (Jackson) and Lucky (Tupac Shakur) have only one thing in common:
they can’t stand each other.
Moderated by Terri Francis, PhD
Panelists: Eduardo Culmer, Jr., Breion Moses and Dwayne Taylor
 
Gospel Gala, Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Billboard’s Gospel Artist of the Decade
February 15, 2023 at 7 p.m.
Powerhouse gospel singer-songwriter, TASHA COBBS LEONARD rose to fame with her Grammy Award-winning single “Break Every Chain.” Revered as one of the most glorious voices in modern Christian music, her urban contemporary ballads and ability to blend unique sonic flavors also earned her the 2020 Dove Award for Gospel Artist of the Year.
 
Opening Act:
Terrion Nelson is a Gospel recording artist and songwriter. She became the first African American Conductor for Young Singers of the Palm Beaches and has been recognized by the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts for her service as an exceptional educator. She is affectionately known as the “Songbird of Palm Beach County.”
 
The Ebony Chorale of the Palm Beaches, Inc.
Founded and directed by Dr. Orville T. Lawton, the Ebony Chorale made its debut in 1992 when they performed with the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus for the dedication of the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing
Arts. The Chorale has also performed with the Boston Esplanade Orchestra and the Israel Chamber Orchestra and
has given over 400 performances throughout the state of Florida, as well as in California, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina and Michigan.
 
Passageways to Liberation: The Black Experience Through Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
February 16, 2023 at 7 p.m.
Lecturers: Brian Knowles & Bianca Nightengale-Lee, PhD
Knowles and Nightengale-Lee discuss the historical experience of African Americans through the lens of music, dance, and visual art. They will explore how artistic expression has not only been used to encapsulate these experiences, but also create passageways to mainstream American society.
 
Martha Redbone: “Bone Hill: The Concert”
February 25, 2023 at 8 p.m.
February 26, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
Inspired by her life and the women she is descended from, MARTHA REDBONE tells the story of the lives of her family in songs that span a swathe of American music telling a parallel history. From traditional Cherokee chants and lullabies, to bluegrass, rhythm and blues, country, gospel, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, BONE HILL: THE CONCERT takes you on an epic, unexpected American exploration of family, history and cultural identity.
 
WHERE:           Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL., 33401.
 
TICKETS:         Tickets* are available at the Kravis Center Box Office and online at kravis.org. To buy tickets, call the Kravis Center Box Office at (561) 832-7469 during regular box office hours Monday through Saturday from Noon to 5 p.m. Orders for groups of 10 or more may be placed by calling (561) 651-4438