'Fannie Lou' Musical

The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer
Depicted at World-Renowned Venue

 
About the Event

Practice, practice, practice. That's one way to get to spend time at the esteemed performance space known as Carnegie Hall.

Another way was to be part of the audience for "Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall." Presented in the comfortable elegance of Carnegie Hall's 599-seat Zankel Hall, the one-night-only performance took place Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014. The cast and musicians were thrilled to share the evening with audience members, as Fannie Lou Hamer's journey to attain dignity as a citizen was depicted through compelling music and riveting dialogue. 

“Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall” featured selected
music and dialogue from the new, oringal musical Fannie Lou. Part of the event also conisted of discussions that put into perspective characters and events depicted in the work.

The musical was inspired by the life of voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, a Mississippi native who risked her life to secure voting rights for herself and others. You can find out more about "Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall" here and  here, and more about Fannie Lou Hamer through various pages on this site. We're extremely pleased that the venue for this special occasion was the historic Carnegie Hall, inside its newest performance space. Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall was a beautiful setting for the evening's events, and we were honored to perform there. 

About the Center for Law
and Social Justice  

The evening also served as a fundraiser for the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, CUNY. The center benefits the community in a variety of ways, through the work of specialists in fields that include education policy, race policy, parent advocacy and skills-building, and the social impact of legislation, among other areas.

One of CLSJ's profound interests is voting rights. Current projects and initiatives include protecting the right to vote in light of redistricting methods under consideration in New York State.

Medgar Evers and Fanie Lou Hamer were contemporaries. Both fought for civil rights, both were determined to surmount what at times must have seemed like insurmountable odds, and both paid a severe price for standing up for justice. Fannie Lou Hamer was jailed and beaten. Medgar Evers lost his life. Both, without a doubt, are heroes whose work and sacrifices have reverberations well into the 21st century.

It was with great pride that we welcomed Medgar Evers College's Center for Law and Social Justice as the nonprofit beneficiary of "Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall." We also were delighted to welcome CLSJ founder and Executive Director Esmeralda Simmons, Esq., as a program participant. For more information about CLSJ, please visit here. 

Thank you 

To those who joined us for "Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall," thank you for supporting what was a very memorable event. We also look forward to seeing you, and others, as Fannie Lou continues its performance journey. 

Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall
© Jeff Goldberg / Esto