Jazz Vocalist/Educator Lenora Helm Spreads Wings Scoring Adaptation of The Pied Piper Entitled “Indigo Blue”
Holiday-Themed Program Runs at the Walltown Children’s Theater In Durham, North Carolina Weekend of Thursday December 12 – Sunday December 15
Young people and adults alike in Durham, North Carolina, will soon be touched by the mastery and magic of Lenora Zenzalai Helm when they tap into the bliss of her musical score for “Indigo Blue: A Reimagining of ‘The Pied Piper’.” Helm, the first African American woman to graduate from the Berklee College of Music with a degree in Film Scoring/Voice, applies that one of several skill sets to a program fine tuned to the key of the holidays.
“Indigo Blue” is produced by Cynthia Penn (Executive Director of Walltown Children’s Theatre) and originates from the book and lyrics of playwright Howard L. Craft as directed by Karen Dacons-Brock, a colleague of Helms who directed the vocalist in the Langston Hughes play “Soul Gone Home.” They promised to work together again and, in “Indigo Blue,” have found the perfect project within their sisterhood to flex their creative muscles in a way that not only entertains but uplifts and educates young people via this contemporized classic.
“Of all my creative endeavors, writing music for children is closest to my heart,” Helm states. “The young people at Walltown Children's Theatre are tremendously talented, and they have a committed and talented leader in Executive Director and Choreographer Cynthia Penn. When I heard the cast singing the music I've written I just teared up - it is an amazing production. Director Karen Dacons-Brock and I worked together on a previous theatre piece. She is a tenacious and compassionate visionary. The playwright, Howard Lemuel Craft has a voice through his pen that brings to mind an August Wilson, who was one of his influences. I do believe ‘Indigo Blue’ will just astound people. I have not been this excited about a creative project in a long time. I hope everyone can have an opportunity to see it. I feel really blessed to work in a community of creative people here in Durham that has the kind of world-class talent you would expect in New York City or any huge creative metropolis."
The Walltown Children’s Theater provides a family-like after school atmosphere aimed toward inspiring children to achieve excellence in academics and life via excellence in arts. Far from a place to dip one’s toes toward a maiden voyage in acting, the theater’s mission is to inspire positive social change by developing and reconnecting diverse underserved youth through exemplary performing arts programming, academic tutoring and collaborative leadership opportunities. Class subjects range from Vocal Technique and Ballet to Capoeira and Hip-Hop.
Lenora Zenzalai Helm is a prolifically accomplished master of international vocal techniques and history – a Fulbright Music Specialist with a Master of Music degree in Jazz Performance, and inductee into the prestigious Pi Kappa Lambda and Golden Key International music societies – who also helms her own education programs Vocal Jazz Online and its offshoot The Vocal Musicianship Academy.
Holiday-Themed Program Runs at the Walltown Children’s Theater In Durham, North Carolina Weekend of Thursday December 12 – Sunday December 15
Young people and adults alike in Durham, North Carolina, will soon be touched by the mastery and magic of Lenora Zenzalai Helm when they tap into the bliss of her musical score for “Indigo Blue: A Reimagining of ‘The Pied Piper’.” Helm, the first African American woman to graduate from the Berklee College of Music with a degree in Film Scoring/Voice, applies that one of several skill sets to a program fine tuned to the key of the holidays.
“Indigo Blue” is produced by Cynthia Penn (Executive Director of Walltown Children’s Theatre) and originates from the book and lyrics of playwright Howard L. Craft as directed by Karen Dacons-Brock, a colleague of Helms who directed the vocalist in the Langston Hughes play “Soul Gone Home.” They promised to work together again and, in “Indigo Blue,” have found the perfect project within their sisterhood to flex their creative muscles in a way that not only entertains but uplifts and educates young people via this contemporized classic.
“Of all my creative endeavors, writing music for children is closest to my heart,” Helm states. “The young people at Walltown Children's Theatre are tremendously talented, and they have a committed and talented leader in Executive Director and Choreographer Cynthia Penn. When I heard the cast singing the music I've written I just teared up - it is an amazing production. Director Karen Dacons-Brock and I worked together on a previous theatre piece. She is a tenacious and compassionate visionary. The playwright, Howard Lemuel Craft has a voice through his pen that brings to mind an August Wilson, who was one of his influences. I do believe ‘Indigo Blue’ will just astound people. I have not been this excited about a creative project in a long time. I hope everyone can have an opportunity to see it. I feel really blessed to work in a community of creative people here in Durham that has the kind of world-class talent you would expect in New York City or any huge creative metropolis."
The Walltown Children’s Theater provides a family-like after school atmosphere aimed toward inspiring children to achieve excellence in academics and life via excellence in arts. Far from a place to dip one’s toes toward a maiden voyage in acting, the theater’s mission is to inspire positive social change by developing and reconnecting diverse underserved youth through exemplary performing arts programming, academic tutoring and collaborative leadership opportunities. Class subjects range from Vocal Technique and Ballet to Capoeira and Hip-Hop.
Lenora Zenzalai Helm is a prolifically accomplished master of international vocal techniques and history – a Fulbright Music Specialist with a Master of Music degree in Jazz Performance, and inductee into the prestigious Pi Kappa Lambda and Golden Key International music societies – who also helms her own education programs Vocal Jazz Online and its offshoot The Vocal Musicianship Academy.
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