By Morris Moore
Gangster rapper/actor Ice-T will perform with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra next month during the world premiere of the orchestrated version of Langston Hughes’ classic 1961 12-part master work titled “Ask Your Mama: Twelve Moods for Jazz.”
Ice-T will narrate Hughes’ poetry set to the music of Dr. Ronald McCurdy, who composed the project using musical cues suggested in notes written by Hughes himself.
The performance, which will be conducted by David Spears, also marks the first time the Grammy Award winning rapper has performed with a live symphony orchestra.
“It is a great honor to perform with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Ron McCurdy for this landmark event celebrating the brilliance of Langston Hughes,” Ice-T said in a statement.
A multi-media presentation featuring images by famed African-American photographers Jacob Lawrence, Gordon Parks, and Romare Bearden of the Harlem Renaissance, will be projected on huge screens around the theatre.
The images will be projected on a large screen above the stage, linking the music and Hughes poetry together.
Ticket prices to the event are priced at $18-$70 dollars each.
The concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. on June 18, at the Hilbert Circle Theatre.