Jason Ellis Reboots ‘U-Street, The Musical’ – And Wins!

Celebrate BLACK History with us! Last weekend!

On the heels of the Blockbuster movie Black Panther and at a time where encouragement is needed in America more than ever – enter U-Street, The Musical, the groundbreaking play offering a fresh perspective on a litany of today’s relevant topics. I personally encourage everyone to continue the excitement that Black Panther started by taking that spirit of celebration and attending this musical, which is written, directed, choreographed and contains original music by Jason Ellis, an African American artistic professional.

You may remember our review from when U-Street debuted in 2016; this updated version was bigger and better in many ways. Let’s be honest – when it comes to community theater, expectations are normally rather low. Jason Ellis takes this challenge head on and improves U-Street’s acting, writing, choreography, flow, musical score and other aspects. He makes U-Street, The Musical both a MOVEMENT and an important MOMENT in not just Black History, but the lives of all who value justice, humanity and of course, theater.

In Washington, DC at the cross sections of politics, religion, race relations, and socio-economic paradigms, U-Street weaves the narratives of five complex individuals in various stages of, and reasons for, homelessness. Queen, Richard, TJ, Booker T. and Melody – I challenge you to see which characters you connect with most…

As with any involved plot, their paths intertwine as they wrestle with the challenges of living on the streets and discovering all that life has to offer them. With a present day setting, U-Street is representative of the grittiness one would expect from life on the ever-changing streets. The musical and dance numbers keep the pace of the production brisk, while providing a distinctly urban and Caribbean feel.

While Black Panther showed the strength of people of African descent through the representative Kingdom of Wakanda, U-Street, The Musical conveys this complex brilliance and power through the handling of societal issues – with music and humor. U-Street, The Musical is an event for the entire family and an important pillar in the cultural history of African-American people.

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Come dance, come laugh, come with your family and friends and experience this important MOMENT in Black History!