At New York Theatre Workshop, we believe in the transformative power of theatre. We raise our voice today in solidarity with our colleagues in the field against the revoking of funding by the NEA. NEA support has enabled countless projects on our stage including Saturday Church, The Half-God of Rainfall, Sanctuary City, Mary Jane, Love & Information, Food & Fadwa, The Little Foxes, The Seven, Light Raise the Roof—the list goes on! The loss of NEA support will have long term damage to our field. We hope you will raise your voice as well and contact your representatives. As stated by the Professional Non-Profit Theatre Coalition: “The withdrawal and cancellation of hundreds of grants from the NEA is appalling, and will cause serious damage to many arts organizations across the United States. The NEA was established by large bi-partisan majorities in Congress, and gives grants to hundreds of counties in every state of the Union, in every congressional district. Those grants fuel an arts & culture industry that employs upwards of 5.4 million people, and contributes $1.2 trillion to our nation’s GDP. This is an attempt to cripple the Endowment and its vital work, and laying the ground for the President’s declared aim of abolishing the NEA altogether, and with it the idea that the arts are a common good to be shared by all in our democracy. We must object to and resist these cuts by all means at our disposal. We must protect the Endowment, whose existence is a vital marker for our country’s belief that the arts are a vital part of the nation.” For resources to contact your representatives, follow the #linkinbio. (fb)

On St. Patrick’s Day, 1919, the world met the voice that built Capitol Records, Nat “King” Cole. *** “Just look around and see all of the artists who are out there. Whether you’re talking John Legend, Anthony Hamilton, Beyonce — go on the top 100 of the R&B list and they are all directly connected to Nat “King” Cole. And, as an actor on television, I would not be here if not for him. Sammy Davis Jr. used to say, and I’m paraphrasing here, that he would never walk through a door unless he was absolutely certain that door would stay open for those who came after him. I believe that’s what Mr. Cole has done. He endured during that time. He broke down barriers just by being in people’s living room, by being in their ear as they listened to his music. It has allowed us to all be here now doing what we do. There’s a line in the play that says “Kill me now, there will be ten more.” We are the ten more. I know, for myself, that I am one of those ten.” —Dulé Hill on the legacy of Nat “King” Cole See @dulehill take the stage as Nat “King” Cole in @kingofbingo & @patriciamcgregor ’s LIGHTS OUT: NAT “KING” COLE. Dulé is joined onstage by @dwattswords as Sammy Davis Jr. in a production that features Nat’s hit songs, like “Nature Boy,” “It’s a Good Day,” “Smile” and “Unforgettable” with music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by @johnmcd123. More details in the #linkinbio. (fb)