Kurt Elling's "The Big Blind" at The Appel Room

“What becomes of an artist when his avenue of expression is violently eliminated?” Experience the world premiere of Kurt Elling’s The Big Blind, a radio-style musical drama in which a young jazz singer faces the ultimate test. This unique passion project has been years in the making, and it’s like nothing Jazz at Lincoln Center has presented before. Set in mid-20th century Chicago, this noir-inspired tale features an all-star cast including Kurt Elling, NEA Jazz Master songstress Dee Dee Bridgewater, renowned theatre and screen actor Clarke Peters (The Wire, Treme), a large ensemble with strings led by music director Guy Barker, and additional special guests yet to be announced...

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“What becomes of an artist when his avenue of expression is violently eliminated?” Experience the world premiere of Kurt Elling’s The Big Blind, a radio-style musical drama in which a young jazz singer faces the ultimate test. This unique passion project has been years in the making, and it’s like nothing Jazz at Lincoln Center has presented before. Set in mid-20th century Chicago, this noir-inspired tale features an all-star cast including Kurt Elling, NEA Jazz Master songstress Dee Dee Bridgewater, renowned theatre and screen actor Clarke Peters (The Wire, Treme), a large ensemble with strings led by music director Guy Barker, and additional special guests yet to be announced. The dramatic character roles were written with this extraordinary cast in mind, and a “Foley” sound artist will be on stage to create real-time effects ranging from footsteps and creaky doors to the fateful sound of breaking glass. The show features new original compositions as well as lyrical adaptations of songs by Wayne Shorter, Duke Ellington, Joe Zawinul, Jimmie Van Heusen, Joe Jackson, and Bix Beiderbecke, all re-imagined by Elling to tell a rollercoaster of a tale. Join us for an evening of pure entertainment, and watch a classic radio-style thriller come to life before your eyes.

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