WBTT Voices: The Duke

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is celebrating the return of its WBTT Voices Community Forum, a free program launched in 2014 that examines issues impacting society, explored through an African American lens. On Thursday, November 5 at 3 p.m., “WBTT Voices: The Duke” will take a look at the rich legacy of jazz legend Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington. This event takes place in the Donelly Theatre at WBTT (1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota). From Washington, D.C. to New York and around the world, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra didn't simply play jazz – they expanded the possibilities of what jazz could be. For his many contributions to music and culture, Ellington was recognized with numerous prestigious awards: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960; a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1966; the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969; the Legion of Honour by France in 1973; and, in 1999, he was awarded a posthumous Pulitzer Prize Special Award for music. The panel will include WBTT Assistant Artistic Director/Director of Education Jim Weaver – who is also directing and has a featured role in WBTT’s current production that pays tribute to Ellington, “Sophisticated Ladies”; Ed Linehan, the President of the Jazz Club of Sarasota; Jim Heskett, jazz musician and educator; and Pablo Gil, a musician performing in WBTT’s live band for “Sophisticated Ladies.” The panel will be moderated by WBTT’s Education & Outreach Associate Peterly Jean Baptiste. This event is free but advance registration is necessary; visit westcoastblacktheatre.org.