>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK TO GREAT DAY HOUSTON.
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON. JOSEPHINE BAKER MADE A NAME FOR
HERSELF AS AN ENTERTAINER WHO
PUT AN EXOTIC TWIST ON DANCE.
SHE WAS A FRENCH AGENT DURING
WORLD WAR II AND A LEADER IN
AMERICA'S CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT.
MOVEMENT.
MOVEMENT. I THINK THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH
FOR A STAGE PLAY.
JOSEPHINE TONIGHT.
JOSEPHINE TONIGHT. WELCOME CAST MEMBERS.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. WE REMEMBER YOU FROM LITTLE
SHOP OF HORRORS ON BROADWAY.
>> THAT WAS MY BROADWAY DEBUT.
>> THAT IS SO COOL.
SO MANY PEOPLE OBVIOUSLY THE
ROAD TO BROADWAY.
>> IT WAS WONDERFUL.
IT WAS NOTHING BUT A DREAM.
WE WERE JUST SO EXCITED TO EVEN
BE ON THE STAGE.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT
AS AN OPENING PLAY FOR PEOPLE
WHO ARE NOT USED TO THEATER.
WHAT'S SO COOL ABOUT THEATER IS
YOU GET TO TELL A STORY.
SO WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT HER
BEFORE AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOW
THAT'S SO ENTICING?
>> WELL, JOSEPHINE BAKER WAS AN
EXTRAORDINARY, EXTRAORDINARY
EXTRAORDINARY, EXTRAORDINARY AND BRAVE WOMAN WHO WENT ABROAD
TO FIND HER WAY BECAUSE SHE
WASN'T ABLE TO GAIN THAT TYPE
OF SUCCESS IN AMERICA.
SHE WENT ABROAD TO PARIS.
SHE BECAME A MEGA STAR.
>> WE ALWAYS WALK AWAY WITH
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. >> FOR ME I WOULD SAY THAT ONE
OF THE BEST LESSONS OF ALL IS
TO NOW YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF. SHE BELIEVED IN HERSELF.
SHE INVESTED IN HERSELF AND
TRUSTED HER TALENT AND HER
GIFT.
GIFT.
GIFT. >>
GIFT. >> SO OBVIOUSLY AS PLAYING A
HISTORICAL FIGURE LIKE THAT YOU
WANT TO RISE TO THE OCCASION.
>> BIG PRESSURE.
>> WHAT DO YOU DO TO STUDY FOR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
>> I WATCHED OLD FILMS.
I LISTENED TO HER MUSIC.
THANK GOD FOR GOOGLE.
>> RIGHT?
>> RIGHT?
>> RIGHT? >> AND THERE'S LOTS OF FOOTAGE
ON HER.
ON HER.
ON HER. THERE'S LOTS OF RESEARCH.
SHE WAS MARRIED TWICE BEFORE
THE AGE OF 15.
SHE JUST LIVED, HER CHILDHOOD
WAS THAT OF A WOMAN.
WE GO THROUGH THAT IN THE SHOW.
HER LOVE LIFE WITH EDDIE, WHO
ANDRE PLAYS SO BEAUTIFULLY.
HER JOURNEY IS ONE THAT IS
EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL.
EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL. YOU'RE PUSHED.
YOU'RE PUSHED. YOU'RE MOTIVATED TO BE NOT JUST
A WOMAN OF COLOR IN THE
ENTERTAINMENT WORLD.
ENTERTAINMENT WORLD. >> AT THAT TIME.
>> AT THAT TIME.
SHE WAS BEFORE HER TIME TELLING
YOU NO, I'M GOING TO EAT IN
THIS RESTAURANT BECAUSE I'M NOT
ONLY A GREAT ARTIST, I'M A
SUPER STAR.
SUPER STAR. THE FIRST BLACK SUPER STAR.
>> EXOTIC DANCER.
>> AT THAT TIME PEOPLE WERE
LIKE WHOA.
LIKE WHOA. SHE HAD THE FAMOUS BANANA
OUTFIT.
OUTFIT.
OUTFIT. >> SHE DID.
WHICH YOU MIGHT SEE IN THE
SHOW.
SHOW.
SHOW. >>
SHOW. >> YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT.
THIS IS JOSEPHINE BAKER.
THIS IS HER IN THAT OUTFIT.
SHE PUSHED THE ENVELOPE.
>> SHE WASN'T JUST DOING IT FOR
THE SAKE OF BEING THE AMAZING
SINGER, ACTOR, DANCER SHE WAS.
IT WAS ABOUT FREEDOM FIGHTING.
THIS WAS HER SURVIVAL
MECHANISM.
MECHANISM. SHE WAS GOING TO GET UP OUT OF
EAST ST. LOUIS OUT OF THE COLD
FREEZING SHACK SHE GREW UP IN.
IT BECAME ABOUT PROGRESSING HER
PEOPLE AND CULTURE.
MANY CULTURES.
MANY CULTURES. SHE WANTED PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN
THEMSELVES SO TRULY AND
HONESTLY AND PROGRESSIVELY THAT
THAT FIGHT, THAT FIRE IN HER
WAS UNENDING.
WAS UNENDING. >> SPEAKING OF CULTURE.
THE ENSEMBLE THEATER TELLS
STORIES WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO
SEE EVERYWHERE ELSE.
>> DEFINITELY.
>> DEFINITELY. THE ENSEMBLE THEATER FOR ME HAS
ALWAYS TOLD OUR STORIES.
THE TRUTHS ABOUT OUR CULTURE.
WHERE WE COME FROM.
HOW WE BECAME WHO WE ARE.
IT'S AMAZING THEATER TO WORK
AT.
AT.
AT. IT'S
AT. IT'S FAMILY ORIENTED.
I TRYING TO YOU UP EVEN WHETHER
I'M DOING A SHOW OR NOT I'M
ALWAYS WELCOME.
ALWAYS WELCOME. >> THIS IS A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT
FOR ME.
FOR ME.
FOR ME. I
FOR ME. I WAS A YOUNG PERFORMER AT THE
ENSEMBLE WHEN I WAS A BABY,
TEENY WEANY LITTLE THING.
>> THIS ONE RIGHT HERE.
YOUR MOM SAID YOU WOULD ALWAYS
GET INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING AT
SCHOOL JUST SO YOU COULD.
>> NOT COME HOME AND HAVE TO DO
CHORES.
CHORES.
CHORES. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> AND IT PAID OFF RIGHT HERE.
OKAY.
OKAY.
OKAY. YOU
OKAY. YOU CAN SEE JOSEPHINE TONIGHT.
WE HAVE A LINK TO TICKETS AND
MORE INFORMATION ON OUR SITE.
NOW HERE THEY ARE, THE CAST
WITH JOIN ME IN THE DANCE.
♪ SHAKING UP THE WORLD ♪ ♪
BREAKING ALL THE RULES ♪ ♪
DANCING THROUGH THE NIGHT ♪ ♪
LET THEM CALL US FOOLS ♪ ♪
EVERYONE ALIVE HAS GOT TO HAVE
A CHANCE ♪ ♪ EVERYONE ALIVE
HAS GOT TO DANCE THEIR DANCE ♪
♪ ALL THAT YOU REQUIRE IS
ACTING LIKE YOU'RE FREE ♪ ♪
YOU CAN FIGHT YOUR FIGHT AND
FREEZE WHAT YOU'LL BE ♪ ♪
YOU'VE GOT TO SEIZE THE DAY ♪
♪ YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE THE
CHANCE ♪ ♪ YOU'VE GOT TO LEAD
THE WAY OR YOU CAN'T DANCE YOUR
DANCE ♪ ♪ YOU'VE GOT TO SPEAK
YOUR MIND ♪ ♪ YOU'VE GOT TO
GAMBLE ON ♪ ♪ WHAT ARE YOU
GOING TO LOSE IS A FEELING WE
CAN'T TRUST ♪ ♪ YOU'VE GOT TO
BREAK THE MOLD ♪ ♪ IT'S EASY
FOLLOW ME ♪ ♪ JUST MAKE
BELIEVE YOU'RE BOLD ♪ ♪
YOU'VE GOT TO SEIZE THE DAY ♪
♪ YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE A CHANCE
♪ ♪ THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS
FATE ♪ ♪ WE'RE BORN TO STAND
UP STRAIGHT ♪ ♪ LET'S
CELEBRATE ♪ ♪ HERE'S TO YOU
AMERICA ♪ ♪
♪COME
♪COME JOIN US IN THE DAY IN THE DANCE ♪
>> BEAUTIFUL.
>> BEAUTIFUL. SO YOU'VE ALREADY GOTTEN A FAN.
>> I'M GOING TO KILL HIM.
>> PLEASE BRING THESE FLOWERS
TO YOU.
TO YOU.
TO YOU. YES.
YES.
YES. THEY'RE GORGEOUS.
THEY'RE GORGEOUS. >> BIGGEST FAN AND N LIFE AND
FRIEND.
FRIEND.
FRIEND. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> AND I HAVE SOME CANDY FOR
YOU TWO.
YOU TWO.
YOU TWO. IN THE GREEN ROOM BACK THERE.
BUT THANK YOU