Experience ‘Black and Blue’ at Progressive gala

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — On Friday, Nov. 22, Progressive Theater in Maplewood will host its Black & Blue Fundraising Gala at The Woodland, 60 Woodland Road in Maplewood, from 6 to 11 p.m. Master of Ceremonies and founder of Progressive Theater, Gregory Omar Osborne, will curate a nostalgic evening paying homage to the 1989 Broadway musical revue: “Black and Blue.” The color-coded event will include live music, the short film “Sentimental,” and a special performance by the original members of the cast and band. 

Honorees for the evening include Broadway’s “Black and Blue” produce Mel Howard, assistant choreographer Dianne Walker and woodwinds musician Bill Easley.

“Theater is a labor of love; most of the hard work goes unseen and hidden by dazzling lights, glitzy costumes and the blare of trumpets, but on Nov. 22 we take time to honor the cast, musicians and creatives of ‘Black and Blue,’ a musical that is mistakenly Broadway’s forgotten treasure,” Osborne said.

Proceeds from the gala will enable Progressive Theater to provide affordable learning opportunities in the arts, proliferate exposure to theatrical arts for communities with limited access, and continue to promote diversity and inclusion. Progressive Theater aims to tell culturally enriched stories that empower the misrepresented and people of color, while captivating audiences with the focus being the change we want to see in the arts. 

To purchase tickets, visit www.progressivetheater.com/events/black-blue-gala. For more information, contact Osborne at [email protected] or 862-340-5367.