Duke Ellington Takes Center Stage in Urban Arts Center's 'Love You Madly’

Harlem’s Cotton Club Swings at the AT&T Performing Arts Center
 
Dallas, Texas -- Dallas’ premiere urban theater, Urban Arts Center (UAC) closes its 2nd season with the big band  tribute to the Harlem Cotton Club of the 1920s with “Love You Madly: Celebrating the Music of Duke Ellington.” UAC Producing Executive Director, Jiles R. King II, helms the Dallas based jazz band, dancers, singers and narrators. The swanky concert “Love You Madly” spins a sumptuous glamourous look of the original Jazz Age.
“Having lived in Harlem during graduate school, I fell in love with everything the Uptown sector of Manhattan had to offer.” recalls Jiles. “History was everywhere you looked. Duke Ellington’s music is part of that history. The Cotton Club is part of that history. To pair the Cotton Club with Dallas’ immense artistic talent is a match made in musical heaven.”

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Dallas’ multi-faceted singer, Gaye Arbuckle, leads the dynamic group through the history of music with songs made famous by singers like Mahalia Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, Ivie Anderson and Bing Crosby. Rounding out the cadre of singers are Babs Ipaye, Ricky Jones, Shennaya King and Drea Randle.

The show highlights 15 of the Dukes most iconic songs under the band direction of Dean Hill, musical direction of Andrea Wallace and Choreography by JuNene K. Rounding out the creative team included technical direction and lighting by Milton Tatum, costume design by Beehive Design Studios and Stage Management by
 
Love You Madly runs June 2-4, 2022 at 8:00 pm at Annette Strauss Square at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Arts District. Tickets are $29.50 for general admission and can be purchased at tickets.attpac.org.
 
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ABOUT URBAN ARTS COLLECTIVE
Urban Arts Collective (UAC) is a Dallas based organization that uses art to engage the voice of black and brown communities. For 13 years, Urban Arts Collective has used theater, music, dance, visual and literary arts to engage local, national and international communities. UAC is committed to cultivating the talent of emerging artists, providing platforms for career artists and celebrating the work of established artists from the African American perspective. Under the Collectives’ umbrella include Urban Arts Center, Urban Arts Magazine, Urban Arts Institute, Urban Films and DFW Black Arts.
For more information or to schedule interviews, contact Stephanie Warfield at [email protected] or 214-702-3371.
 
ABOUT ELEVATOR PROJECT
The Elevator Project is a series of performances by Dallas-based arts groups, presented on the AT&T Performing Arts Center campus. The series provides performance space in the Dallas Arts District to local talent, while giving audiences exposure to the vibrant arts scene around them. Drawing from all genres of performing arts, the projects are chosen through an annual submission process and curated by an independent panel of arts professionals. The Elevator Project was created in 2014 by the AT&T Performing Arts Center and is presented with generous support from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture.