Compilation Script by Charlotte Nordyke & Herman Jackson

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Come inside the world of jazz as theatre, dance, Jazz Band and Select Choir students along with professional jazz musicians bring to the stage a montage of jazz music, dance and literature. The production was conceived and compiled by Charlotte Nordyke with Herman Jackson contributing to selecting the music. Ms. Nordyke, Chairman of Episcopal’s Performing & Visual Arts Dept., serves as the production’s director.

The show is choreographed by dance instructor Renee Chatelain. Highschool dance classes and Dance Ensemble will perform. The Jazz Band conducted by Paul Taranto and Select Choir led by choral director Jason Hubbard will perform popular jazz and swing tunes.The Jazz Band will play jazz favorites, Take Five and The Girl From Ipanema. Select Choir and dance classes will join the Jazz Band for Kansas City and Jump, Jive and Wail.

Guest artists will join Episcopal students in presenting this production. A jazz combo, The Herman Jackson Quartet will be led by professional jazz musician Herman Jackson on percussion. He also serves as the show’s musical director. The combo includes Arnett Hayes, piano; Chris Severin, bass; and Donald Evans, saxophone. New Orleans jazz vocalist, Phillip Manuel, will also sing with the quartet.

Leonard Augustus, a dancer and actor, will also be a guest artist performing in some of the dance pieces. He has most recently appeared in Jamie Wax’s and Paul Taranto’s production, Passages. Mr. Augustus has also performed with Mid-City Dance Project, Swine Palace Productions, Baton Rouge Little Theatre, and Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre.

Besides music and dance students, a company of 20 students will bring to the stage jazz poetry and stories by Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison and other writers. Accompanied by the Jazz Combo they will perform such jazz standards as Fever, Moondance, Straighten Up & Fly Right among many other musical pieces.

A jazz theme art exhibit by Episcopal’s K-12 visual art students will be displayed in the VPAC Lobby. Professional Baton Rouge visual artist Mark Nikoff has designed the art work for the poster, t-shirt, and program. Nikoff’s works have appeared in numerous art galleries in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Donaldsonville, and New Iberia.

This exhilarating production captures the rhythms and moods of jazz and will enthrall jazz fans and rock n’roll hipsters alike. Get ready to boogie-woogie to that jazz beat.