The Hazel Scott Show
Feb 07, 2025
Starting: 7:30 PM
A tribute to groundbreaking musician Hazel Scott takes center stage once again in honor of Black History Month. The Hazel Scott Show, an encore performance by the New World Symphony, comes to the Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater in Overtown on Thursday, February 6.
In the summer of 1950, Trinidad-born pianist Hazel Scott captivated America as the first Black woman to host her own TV show, bringing her unique style of "jazzing the classics" into homes nationwide. Her career included Hollywood films alongside Lena Horne and Mae West, while her principled refusal to perform in segregated venues helped advance civil rights through music.
Acclaimed pianist Michelle Cann leads this tribute performance alongside fellow pianists Wesley Ducote, Noah Sonderling and Shih-Man Weng. The evening includes a conversation with Adam Clayton Powell III, Scott's son with Reverend Adam Clayton Powell Jr., offering personal insights into his mother's legacy.
The evening's program features Scott's innovative arrangements of classical works by Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Grainger, Bach and Chopin.
Program:
- Rachmaninoff/Scott: Prelude in C-sharp minor
- Liszt/Scott: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
- Grainger/Scott: Country Gardens
- J.S. Bach/Scott: Invention in A minor
- Chopin/Scott: Waltz in D-flat major, "Minute Waltz"
- Chopin/Scott: Waltz in C-sharp minor
Part of the 2025 I Dream a World: Transitions and Trailblazers festival, this family-friendly performance offers pay-what-you-wish tickets starting at $10, with a VIP Experience available for groups of four at $500.