Celebrate Black History Month with the Academy this February!
Music of Sam Cooke
February 4 | 7:30 PM
Historic Academy Theatre
Sam Cooke, AKA Mr. Soul, was a pioneer of what we have now come to know as SOUL MUSIC. Bradd Marquis performs his songs in a show that entertains and narrates a historical time loaded with lessons about life, self-empowerment, and social change that are still relevant and necessary.
Bradd Marquis transports you back in time through the life of Sam Cooke. He explores his journey from the son of a preacher in Clarksdale, Mississippi, to his recruitment into the number one Gospel group in Chicago, The Soul Stirrers. We journey with him as he crosses over into secular music, his rise to a pop icon, and his tragic death as he begins his transformation into a social activist.
One can hide Sam Cookes’ influence behind the veil of his musical accomplishments. But, when you genuinely unpack his life, you’ll find his influence lies more in his business acumen and willingness to blaze a trail for himself and others.
DRUMline Live
February 14 | 7:30 PM
Historic Academy Theatre
DRUMLine Live is an international tour based on the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching band tradition. With riveting rhythms, bold beats and ear-grabbing energy, the stage show is a synchronized musical showcase of the HBCU experience.
Incorporating original compositions and soul-infused interpretations of top 40 hits, group performances range from colorful, choreographed routines to heavy doses of drum riffs and cadences.
Represented by Christine Barkley, CEO of Creative Booking Agency in New York City, “DRUMLine Live” will allow children and adults to experience the intense musical rollercoaster of a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) halftime show.
“I guarantee people have never seen a show like this before,” said Don P. Roberts, CEO of “DRUMLineLive” and Executive Band Consultant of “Drumline” and “Drumline: A New Beat.”
YWCA: Raising the Voices & Vibrations
February 16 | 7:30 PM
Historic Academy Theatre
FREE EVENT
Join YWCA Central Virginia, in performance partnership with the Academy Center of the Arts, presents Raise the Vibrations & Voices.
This production will feature a powerful collection of performances in varying styles of expression from seventeen performers, plus Kuumba Dance Ensemble. It will incorporate The Vagina Monologues, a play that explores consensual and nonconsensual sexual experiences, body image, genital mutilation, direct and indirect encounters with reproduction, vaginal care, menstrual periods, prostitution, and several other topics through the eyes of women with various ages, races, sexualities, and other differences.
Unmarked
February 18 | 4:30 PM
Historic Academy Theatre
FREE EVENT
Join the Academy Center of the Arts in viewing Unmarked, a film about the thousands of African-American grave sites and burial grounds for enslaved persons that have been disappearing over the years. Here in Virginia alone, stories of thousands at rest could vanish from history altogether if these locations are not restored and those with personal connections to these burial sites have recently begun to uncover and maintain locations across the state.
This viewing will include live performances and a panel discussion directly following the film.
Know Before You Go:
