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Every Saturday at 4:00pmAbout the Show
Urban Connections
Urban Connections conducts guest interviews covering issues effecting our local, national, international and global communities from a Black perspective. Subjects include current events, trends, history, education, economics, science, political science, health, race, law and more.
Damron Russel Armstrong is the founder, CEO and Executive Artistic Director of The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City (BRTKC). The mission of BRTKC is to educate and inspire our community by presenting and promoting appreciation for African-American culture through our stories. BRTKC envisions a united community embracing stories of the African-American experience.
The Black Repertory Theater of Kansas City is presenting Mahalia: A Gospel Musical at the Black Box Theater, 1060 Union Avenue in Kansas City, MO, March 20 – April 6, 2025 . The musical celebrates the life and musical legacy of American gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson, born October 26, 1911 in New Orleans, Louisiana and died January 27, 1972 in Chicago, Illinois. She was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century.
Mahalia features music by various gospel composers, hymns, and spirituals made famous by Mahalia Jackson. Mahalia: A Gospel Musical is a joyous celebration of the life and music of the world’s greatest gospel singer: a humble, deeply religious woman whose expressive, full-throated voice carried her from a three-room shanty in New Orleans to appearances before presidents and royalty. The joy and inspiration of Mahalia’s heartfelt songs counter the urgent messages her friend, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered. Standing at his side, Mahalia Jackson became the musical voice of the civil rights movement. Mahalia: A Gospel Musical, with local artist Mia Ramsey as Mahalia, uses simple staging, only three actors, and piano and organ accompaniments to showcase 20 great gospel numbers in a moving, often humorous musical tribute.
host/producer/engineer: Donna Morrow Wolfe
