Clearly no one can ignore the significance of Barack Obama's election to the presidency. Other than breaking free from a Republican regime, the country can now officially say it's a bit more color-blind. That's a good thing. With impeccable timing, The Black Academy of Arts and Letters will host their 26th Annual Black Music and Civil Rights Movement Concert two days before Obama's inauguration. This year the show will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by saluting the president-elect and with a not-so-shabby American Idol winner on the roster. Fantasia headlines the concert conducted by the team of John Mark Tatum, Pat Kessee and Clark Joseph. But this isn't your celebrity-seeing type of show. TBAAL genuinely revels in the spirit not only with music but also highlights the show with film footage, interpretive dance pieces and narration throughout the event. But, yeah, we must admit it will be kind of cool to see Fantasia, aka Miss Color Purple herself, hot off her Broadway run. The show will be held at the Meyerson Symphony Center, 2501 Flora St., at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $15 to $35 and can be purchased by calling TBAAL's box office at 214-743-2400. For more information, visit tbaal.org.
Sun., Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m., 2009