MONK at the MANSION - MONK The Off Broadway Play Held over "The Historic Blair Mansion " Silver Springs MD - Each Sunday in JUNE - The Life & Times of Jazz Great Thelonious Monk - RSVP Tickets Today!

[WASHINGTON DC JAZZ NETWORK]

The Blair Mansion Inn is in its third century of welcoming people through its doors. Built at the end of the 19th century as a wedding present, the Mansion has witnessed much change from its beginning as a country estate, evolving into one of the premiere destinations in the Washington, DC area for dinner theatre, wedding receptions, parties, and catered special events of all kinds.

Now in the 21st century, in the middle of the bustling urban center of Silver Spring, Maryland, we welcome you to the many modern day services that The Blair Mansion Inn provides: THE HISTORIC BLAIR MANSION RVSP Tickets for MONK The Off Broadway Play today! For reservations and information call: [phone]
7711 Eastern Avenue - Silver Spring, MD 20912


See Video Highlights with critique from some of America's greatest musicians and hollywood actors... Max Roach, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Barry Harris, Hal Williams, Mercedes Ellington, Chester Gregory and more.

ORGANIZE A BUS TRIP TO SEE "MONK"


General Admission $40 Advance Reservations with optional $19.99 Dinner Buffet. All you can eat! $50.00 at Door Reserve your tickets today! Call 301-588-1688

Church groups, School group, Listening groups, Jazz Societies, Neighborhood groups

Group sales: 10 tickets or more $30.00 each
Students w/ ID $25.00



For reservations and information call [phone] or 240-691-3868
This is hot! Off Broadway Play "MONK" comes to The Historic "BLAIR MANSION INN". To Celebrate you Must Participate!

ww.monktheplay.com

MONK is a one character tour de force about the enigmatic genius jazz pianist, Thelonious Monk, who has brought joy and understanding to people all over the world. It is the powerful story of a musical life force.

The award-winning production featuring Rome Neal, Artistic Director of the Nuyorican Poets' Theatre Cafe, is also available on video tape, VHS format.

"Brilliantly written...Extraordinary...Phenomenal" - Amsterdam News

"Intense sense of drama...Hypnotic mood..." - Village Voice

"Brilliant... Exquisite..." - NY Times "Witty, soulful and terse...A tender tribute to a legend."-Newsday

"...with its strong, accomplished writing...captures the rhythm and feel of the 1940s and '50s jazz scene...it ranks up there with the best, because it is passionate, powerful and real." - Shout~



LAURENCE HOLDER

Who is Laurence Holder?

A major American playwright who specializes in myths and tales about many of the world's most interesting performing artists, entertainers and historical figures. Laurence Holder's work is pre-eminent and his subjects demand the attention of educators and theatre goers. His plays and musicals are regularly acknowledged for excellence by awards in playwriting, music, acting, directing, stage and costume design.
"Laurence Holder doesn't frighten easily . . . his writing is taut and intimate." Frank Rich - New York Times www.laurenceholder.com

THE NY JAZZ REPORT
by Will Wolf

Laurence Holder, Max Roach & Rome Neal
www.laurenceholder.com

Rome Neal and Laurence Holder have merged their creative resources to bring back the...

"High Priest of Bebop," Thelonious Sphere Monk, for an energetic discourse on the meaning of his life and his music. Considering the full flavor of his eccentric genius and the wide range of his musical influence, there may not be another jazz musician who would be more fitting as a subject for a one-man show. As one might expect, this entertaining account is an offbeat journey, and it's filled with countless detours and shifts in mood, as Monk struggles with his many demons. It's poetry in "loco" motion, written and performed like a fine bop classic, like one of Monk's best.

Working from the well crafted script developed by Holder, Neal brilliantly captures the essence of the man and all his raw emotion, weaving in and out of consciousness and delivering a colorful array of disjointed, potent (and sometimes witty) riffs about Monk's life and those who touched it: Bud, Bird, Dizzy, Kenny Clarke, Max, Art Blakey, Clifford Brown, Miles, Nica, .......... and most especially, his mother and his wife. And Neal's portrayal of the master bopper as he periodically dances into a trance, punctuating his pearls of wisdom, just like Monk loved to do while playing his music, is so convincing, it's almost eerie

"Be-bop wasn't developed in any deliberate way." I learned how to read music all by myself~~~Thelonious Monk

GLANCING LIGHTLY AT A JAZZ ICON

Rome Neal is all things in a one-man show on Thelonious Monk.

By JASON ZINOMAN

Published: March 22, 2005

Rome Neal, the artistic director of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe theater program, is not working as an usher in the bio-play "Monk," about the life of the jazz musician Thelonious Monk. But that's about the only thing he isn't doing. According to the program, he is the star, the choreographer, the producer, the director (along with Laurence Holder), the lighting, set, sound and costume designer.

I don't know what other people are doing - I just know about me~~~Thelonious Monk!

Read more: www.theater2.nytimes.com/2005/03/22/theater/reviews/22monk.html

Greetings Jazz Lovers, Friends, and Sponsors

As you know, I've been working very hard to keep the music alive and I've had a great time doing it. In support of musicians, friends and colleagues I have always been very proud of announcing and promoting their goods, services and kind deeds where and when ever possible at the Washington DC Jazz Network without any monetary benefits. As we celebrate the opening of the Off Broadway Play "MONK" at the historic Blair Mansion Inn. I look forward to many more years of being one of the soldiers helping to keep America's Classical Music (JAZZ) alive. I ask you to join me now and become a sponsor of "Monk The Play" by Laurence Holder and starring 5 time Audelco Award Winning Actor ROME NEAL about the life and times of jazz piano great Thelonious Monk.

For as little as $100 you can be a sponsor for the next two months and have your name or business name printed on our lovely "MONK" post card flyers, which are distributed all over the city. The names also are apart of emails, myspace, blogs, websites, facebooks, twitter, google groups reaching out to tens of thousands of people all around the world and placed on ads taken out in jazz magazines (when applicable). During sponsorship series the sponsors are always complimentary guests at the shows and their names or business names are acknowledged each performance night. So become a sponsor NOW!!!.... Feel free to reply to this email for more information about issuing a payment with credit cards (paypal) or by mail. Time is running out for the May series. If all goes well the play will extended throughout June. Help us to keep jazz alive. So join our illustrious group of sponsors May series as we continue to make MONK The Play one of the cities true treasures.
Lastly, please support these businesses who contribute and are listed. And when you do tell them you found out about them from The Washington DC Jazz Network.

It's Monk time...

George V Johnson Jr
Executive Director of
The Washington DC Jazz Network
240-691-3868

Newspaper, Radio, Print and Television Media sponsors are also needed to make announcements.

My Mom Mrs. Delores M Johnson
Upper Marlboro, MD

Delightful Debbie DuCre
Washington DC

Joanne Brunson

The Late Milton Brunson & The Thompson Community Singers
Chicago