VIDEO: Bubbling Brown Sugar

Danae had a blast jumpin' and jivin' as JUDY CANTRELL in Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe's production 
of BUBBLING BROWN SUGAR. It played April 9 through May 11, 2014 in their intimate Downtown Sarasota theater.

“This is an iconic work of African-American theater; one of the first successful musicals on Broadway with a primarily African-American cast,” shared Director Harry Bryce. “It was also one of the first times that Broadway paid homage to the Harlem Renaissance. Surprisingly, Bubbling Brown Sugar is not done very often so this is a wonderful, rare occasion. It’s an important selection for WBTT and reinforces the Troupe’s effort to keep African-American literature alive and present.”

The concept of the play is for two couples, one white and one black, to travel back in time and visit various Harlem nightclubs, focusing on the amazing artists of that time. It was conceived by Rosetta LeNoire, founder of Amas, a nonprofit theater group partly created to promote interracial casting. The company produced many hits, one of which was Bubbling Brown Sugar. Music in the show includes that of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller and Eubie Blake, who earlier in her life was LeNoire’s music teacher.

As nightclub singer Judy Cantrell, Danae sang Sophie Tucker's hit song "Some of Those Days." Watch video of her performance here!