Saycon Sengbloh: Motown the musical at Broadway on Broadway

Brandon Victor Dixon and Saycon Sengbloh "Dancing In the Streets"

"Get Ready" cause here we come! Motown the musical is on its way. I was so excited to see our images on the jumbo tron in the middle of Times Square! We took a full day's rehearsal to put together a live performance featuring many who will be in the Motown Broadway show. Just before beginning the final *lab before Broadway rehearsals begin in January a large group of us were invited to perform at the annual Broadway on Broadway event that highlights current and upcoming Broadway shows to see. Armed with a box of Navy Blue t-shirts with antique gold writing, our stage manager Julia gave us the basis for our costumes for that day. We all paired out shirts (which we were told NOT to cut/shred) with jeans, pants, boots, shorts and skirts to add the wow factor. I paired mine with a khaki-gold skirt on trend with the high to low flowiness, a sparkly belt with tassels, and against my podiatrist's recommendations, sparkly golden stilettos! Topped off with a rose and a ponytail with wavy bangs! I was no match for the sparkly warm golden pietted pants and super coif worn by the fabulous, Valisia Lekae, whose Diana Ross, will be the show stopper you must all come to see this spring! We were all so happy and excited! There's lots to do to get ready for gig like this. A lot goes into putting up a Broadway show especially one that is based on so many real life figures, time, effort, sacrifice, and work but we love our work that's why we do it! I've included some cute pics from the day, and a link to the performance below! Enjoy!

FULL PERFORMANCE:
http://broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-TV-MOTOWN-Cast-Performs-Get-ReadyDancing-In-The-Street-at-BROADWAY-ON-BROADWAY-20120910

INTERVIEW FEATURING VALECIA LeKAE & SAYCON SENGBLOH
http://www.broadwaychannel.com/broadway-on-broadway-2012.aspx

Motown star Valisia LeKae swept off her feet by Spiderman!

*lab- is a rehearsal period used by the producers/writer/director to see actors performing the material sort of like a demonstration to help decide on changes that need to occur before ultimate mount of the show happens.

Forever MJ: Broadway sings Michael Jackson!

photo by Darryl for ArtX photography used by permission

Forever MJ! Participated in a concert featuring music by the one and only Michael Jackson, classics that generations have grooved to for decades from "Ben" to "Butterflies." MJ brought us the hits we were invited to perform by Corey Mach, the show's producer, we took time to perform some of the best songs to ever be recorded in pop music. Lots of friends of mine lent their voices, Chester Gregory, Morgan James, Tituss Burgess, and Nicholas Christopher among others I had recently met whose voices were phenomenal! I sang "Can't Help It" early on in the night and later joined Morgan and Tituss for a gut busting trio of "I'll Be There" complete with the I dream of Jeanie ponytail swinging! It was a good time celebration located at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC's West Village area and the lighting  and sound was thoroughly "rockstar-ish".
Lots of fun here's a few pics and some links to check out.

Fashion Week : Korto Momolu

Saycon Sengbloh and Fashion designer Korto Momolu Photo used by permission.

photos courtesy of Saycon Sengbloh

Ooooooh weee! Fashion! Fashion! Fashion! David Bowie said it best... Sometimes I have a week where I'm just fashion crazed and this was one of them! I attended he show by the fabulous Korto Momolu. The show was elegant and sophisticated, I loved it! Pics from the night are here! After waiting forever I finally got a photo with the Liberian designer, the L's we're making in the photo are for "Liberia!!!" The goodie bag was  amazing as well complete with hair products, jewelry, a t-shirt and a box of Cheerios!  I gotta celebrate Korto Momolu's promotion with Cheerios to help feed local hungry! Good stuff! PS-I was rocking the colorblock craze everyone's been into, not sure if it worked for me with the extra shiny hair but I liked the outfit when I bought it LOL. Muah!
 http://www.hautefashionafrica.com/2012/09/08/new-york-fashion-week-springsummer-2013-day-2-korto-momolu/

Sasha Allen sings at Joe's Pub

I attended a wonderful show this past week, the scene was magical. Joe' Pub was on its feet, quiet, and breathless! Sasha Allen was singing  many classic soul hits and it was a lovely sight to behold, the silence really took hold once she had begun her tribute-medley to Whitney Houston. We sort of all held our breath not wanting to miss a note. There' was not the usual hooping and hollering you hear at these sort of shows because the audience litteraly did not want to miss a note. Miss. Allen was in top form, wearing a simple white blouse and black pants. The vocalists accompanying her were true soulsingers, nothing background about them (among them underground soul rocktress Kimberly Nicole) were dressed to impress and the band was immaculate and lush: strings, horns, they spared no expense. later in the eveing even the vocalists Cheryl Pepsi Riley and Inaya Day aka "Jiffy" came out and did a powerhouse rendition of "This Will Be". Wooo lawd! Their "Teflon" voices were in the house! The Musical Director, her long time beau, Rob Lewis, put together an amazing show and I was happy to be there!This was a beautiful night always a treat to hear a voice like hers and see all the wonderful Hair Broadway peeps in the crowd! It was like a reunion of sorts.

Check out this link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgPxr8LKLzA

xoxo
Saycon 

The House That Will Not Stand

Life takes you in many directions. I'm thankful for them... The past 2 weeks I've been in Pougkeepsie, NY, on the Vassar college campus surrounded by some talented individuals and some interesting personalities! Participating in Powerhouse and New York Stage & Film summer festival.

I'm playing the dark romantic Odette in "The House That Will Not Stand" by Marcus Gardley.

Saycon rehearses "Once On This Island"

I'm excited to be working with the wonderful cast of Once On This Island at the Papermill Playhouse! Check out some clips from the rehearsal that the press came out to visit the other day!

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/166262-PHOTO-CALL-Syesha-Mercado-Darius-de-Haas-Saycon-Sengbloh-and-More-Preview-Paper-Mills-Once-On-This-Island

SAYCON in Katori Hall's HURT VILLAGE

Come see Saycon Sengbloh in Hurt Village! I'm so excited to tell everyone about the new daring and extraordinary piece by Katori Hall. I'm thrilled to be a part of this show at the New Signature theatre. The language and characters in Hurt Village  are something that has not been seen on the American theatrical landscape in a very long time perhaps since Melvin Van Peeple's Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, or Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Hurt Village is not a musical though the musical influence of hip-hop pulses through the veins of this ghetto story set in Memphis, Tennessee. I'm playing the role of Toyia a girl who works at the local "shake junt" and is fiercely protective of her man, her body, and her baby. With costumes by Clint Ramos I'm having a ball wearing clothes from all of hip-hop's fashion moguls (Sean John, Fetish, an House of Dereon). And sharing a stage with New York's hottest up and coming talents, like Lloyd Watts, Charlie Hudson III,  Marsha Stephanie Blake, Nicholas Christopher, Corey Hawkins, Ron Cephas Jones, Joaquina Kalukango , and Tony award winner Tonya Pinkins directed by Patricia McGregor! Choreography by Daniel Price. Come out and witness this new work!

Check out some of the reviews below:

"Five Stars! Exceptional! This is theatre that throbs with life, and quickens the pulse and mind!"

Adam Feldman, Time Out New York

"A rousing, latter-day response to A Raisin in the Sun! Vividly acted! [The actors] inhabit David Gallo’s evocative urban-jungle jumble of a set (and Clint Ramos’s sociologically exact costumes) with fervent and affecting conviction. And they make sure we feel the emotional double edge with which their characters regard one another."

Ben Brantley, New York Times

"An original theatre voice!"

Linda Winer, Newsday

"A terrifically exciting work by a playwright with something to say!"

Marilyn Stasio, Variety

"Thoroughly sensational! Obligatory viewing! Under direction by Patricia McGregor as fierce as Katori Hall's writing, the cast makes a strong bid for a best-ensemble prize!"

David Finkle, Theatermania.com

"Makes you stand up and pay attention!"

Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post

Photos by Joan Marcus

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VIDEO FROM FIRST REHEARSAL

Hurt Village: First Rehearsal from Signature Theatre Company on Vimeo.

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Backstage

JOOKIN'

Hurt Village: Jookin' in Rehearsal from Signature Theatre Company on Vimeo.

FIRST REHEARSAL PHOTOS

Photos by Erik Carter Photography.

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March 2012