History Lessons

It's called A Brief History of White Music, and yet nowhere in the list of songs do I find any trace of tribute to the works of Michael Bolton or Wilson Phillips. If you're going to do a history of white music, you should really include the cornerstones and at...

By Jennifer Elaine-Davis

August 2, 2007

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It's called A Brief History of White Music, and yet nowhere in the list of songs do I find any trace of tribute to the works of Michael Bolton or Wilson Phillips. If you're going to do a history of white music, you should really include the cornerstones and at least throw in a little Genesis. Or that Don Johnson song...that was painfully white, right? Instead, the WaterTower Theatre is choosing the less tongue-in-cheek route as a trio of incredibly talented singers, who happen to be, well, not white, reinterpret a number of tunes made famous by decidedly Caucasian performers. Denise Lee, Cedric Neal and Chimberly Carter (with Buddy Shanahan on piano) lend their perspective to favorites from the Beatles to the Mamas and the Papas. It's an interesting approach, to be sure, particularly since much of the music to be performed, like favorites from Elvis Presley and the Andrews Sisters, borrowed heavily from African-American traditions anyway. In other words, not only will the performances be innovative and beautiful, they will also be thought-provoking and provide a touch of social commentary. And so, despite the absence of any Eagles masterpieces, A Brief History of White Music promises to have everyone singing along. Performances will be 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through August 26 at the WaterTower Theatre, 15650 Addison Road in Addison. Tickets are $20 and are available at watertowertheatre.org.
Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. Starts: Aug. 2. Continues through Aug. 26

Jennifer Elaine-Davis

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