wakanda forever!

Black Panther leaps into Jones Hall in stirring Houston Symphony performance

Honor Wakanda in this special symphony show.

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

Trailblazing and sorely needed, the 2018 blockbuster action film Black Panther has spoken to and garnered a legion of fans worldwide who have felt marginalized and under-represented for years, especially via dearly departed and generationally gifted lead actor Chadwick Boseman.

“The plight of Africans, African-Americans, and people of color around the world is at the heart of the plot,” CultureMap’s Alex Bentley noted in his 2018 review. “To not only acknowledge racial inequities but to make them the driving force sets Black Panther apart from other superhero films in an astonishing way.”

Now, Houstonians can relieve the epic ascension of Boseman’s led character T’Challa to his rightful throne and battling his nemesis Killmonger in Houston Symphony’s soaring Black Panther in Concert. The event runs April 2 and 3 in Jones Hall and features a screening of the complete film on a 35-foot screen with the musical score performed live to the film. In-person tickets are now available online.

The score is heavily researched and approached. Composer Ludwig Göransson traveled to Africa to research traditional African music, which he combined with the classical orchestra to create the sonic world of Black Panther, a press release notes. Special to this performance, African percussionist Massamba Diop, one of the most revered masters of the tama, will make his Houston Symphony debut. The tama is the Senegalese talking drum renowned for its ability to mimic human speech.

Fittingly, the symphony’s principal POPS conductor Steven Reineke will take the baton as maestro. Fans are encouraged to dress as their favorite Black Panther characters for the special performance.

Black Panther won three Oscars (it was nominated for seven); it won some 90 awards with 226 award nominations.

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Showtimes run at Jones Hall on April 2, 2022 at 7:30 pm and April 3 at 2:30 pm. Tickets and more information can be found online, or at 713-224-7575.

movies symphony

taking center stage

Stage adaptation of iconic Black movie Jason's Lyric to debut in Houston

Courtesy of Jason's Lyric

Most of the movie's cast will appear in the play.

Next year, Houston writer/producer/director/promoter Je’Caryous Johnson will be bringing another beloved Black movie to the live stage.

Jason’s Lyric will join New Jack City and Set It Off in the lineup of ‘90s Black-movie favorites that Johnson has adapted for the stage. The 1994 made-in-Houston drama stars Allen Payne and a pre-Will Smith Jada Pinkett as young lovers trying to maintain a relationship as conflicts and obstacles keep getting in the way.

Jason’s Lyric Live will go on a nationwide, 22-city tour, premiering right here in H-Town on Thursday, February 13 — just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Houston is my home, and bringing Jason’s Lyric Live to life here first is my way of paying homage to the city and its people who inspired this story,” Johnson said in a statement. “This is more than a play; it’s a love letter to the community.”

Payne will reprise his role as Jason, with actress/model Eva Marcille stepping in Pinkett’s role as Lyric. Naughty by Nature rapper Treach, who played Lyric’s criminal big brother Alonzo in the movie, will also return to the role for the stage production. Tyrin Turner (Menace II Society), K. Michelle (Love & Hip Hop), and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Welcome Back, Kotter) will round out the cast.

"Jason’s Lyric is one of the films that defined my career as an actor,” Payne said. “To bring it to life on stage for audiences who loved the movie — and a new generation experiencing it for the first time — is an incredible honor."

Marcille is also psyched for the show, taking on the role that Pinkett memorably brought to life. "Lyric is a character who embodies resilience and hope, and I’m honored to bring her story to life on stage,” Marcille said.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday, December 13, at 10 am. For a full list of dates and ticket information, visit the website.