By Rachel McAdams
College of Fine Arts and Communication Media Office
CONWAY — UCA Public Appearances’ Broadway Series will continue with “An Evening with Martin & Langston,” featuring Felix Justice and Danny Glover, on Thursday, Feb. 9.
The show will appear at the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall at 7:30 p.m. on the University of Central Arkansas campus.
“An Evening with Martin & Langston” draws audiences inside the worlds of two of the greatest orators of the 20th century: Martin Luther King, Jr., and Langston Hughes.
“Having their words brought to life by Danny Glover and Felix Justice will make it a very special evening,” Jerry Biebesheimer, director of UCA Public Appearances, said.
A native of San Francisco, Glover attended San Francisco State College and trained at the Black Actors` Workshop of the American Conservatory Theatre. He first merited national attention in the New York production of Athol Fugard`s “Master Harold and the Boys.” He has garnered rave reviews for his roles in “The Color Purple,” “Dreamgirls,” “Grand Canyon,” “To Sleep With Anger” and the “Lethal Weapon” series. In recognition of his lifetime dedication to public service, Glover was honored with the 2003 NAACP Chairman`s Award. In 2006, he captured Director`s Guild of America honors for his contributions to film and television.
Justice grew up in Florence, S.C., and studied theater in both San Francisco and New York. His one-man Martin Luther King, Jr., show, “Prophecy in America,” premiered in 1981 at San Francisco`s Lorraine Hansberry Theatre and subsequently toured throughout the United States and Africa.
Friends since first meeting as struggling Bay area actors years ago, Glover and Justice have honed a stellar performance that stems from a long history of friendship and mutual respect, both on- and off-stage.
The evening begins with Justice`s critically acclaimed portrayal of Dr. King; through the words of his most memorable speeches, Justice transforms into the legendary civil-rights leader, recreating the power of the man and his message. Justice then introduces “an old friend of mine I think you may have heard of,” and Glover enters the stage to bring to life the words and poetry of Langston Hughes. Accompanied by readings of his work, Glover portrays one of the great American writers in modern history.
Following their respective performances, Justice joins Glover on stage for a question-and-answer session to complete an evening that is memorable, heart-felt and not to be missed. To quote the Los Angeles Times: “The entire program turned out to be all about dreams…”
“It will be a chance to experience Glover and Justice doing more than just performing a role,” Biebesheimer said. “We will also get a chance to experience them as people. This is a rare event in theatre.”
Tickets, available at the UCA Ticket Central Box Office, are $30-$40 for adults, $27-$37 for senior citizens, $25-35 for UCA alumni, $28-$33 for UCA faculty and staff, $10 for students and free for UCA students with current I.D. For tickets, call (501) 450-3265 or toll free from anywhere in Arkansas at 1-866-810-0012, Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. or visit www.uca.edu/tickets.
For more information, contact Biebesheimer at (501) 450-3682 or jerryb@uca.edu.
