Congratulations to Working In Concert with the selection of Black Voices in Cabaret being selected as the winner of The American Prize in Virtual Performance, 2022 (artists performing together/professional division) for the BVIC concert and conversation series Healing through Song.
Working In Concert launched the new network of African-American cabaret artists with the streaming of Healing through Song as a three-part concert and related online conversations in March 2021.
Emceed by magician and singer David Stephens and vocalist Arlene Armstrong and recorded at PianoForte Studio and Epiphany Center for the Arts, performers included opera singer Gwendolyn Brown, classical soprano Dr. Ollie Watts Davis, Chicago cabaret notables Lynne Jordan and Cynthia Clarey, Natalie Douglas (“Princess of Birdland” in Manhattan), Chicagoan of the Year actress E. Faye Butler, jazz singers Bobbi Wilsyn, Margaret Murphy and Ava Logan, drag queen Coco Sho-Nell, rap artists Che Rhymefest and Seany-Doo, and many more.
David Stephens, the Managing Director of BVIC, explains, “Our mission is to showcase Black performers, educate new audiences about the history of Chicago cabaret as seen through Black eyes, and uplift its repertoire beyond the standard American Songbook.”
The American Prize is awarded annually to recognize and reward the best performing artists, ensembles, conductors, and composers in the United States.
This honor demonstrates the importance and quality of all the artists who lent their talents to Healing through Song. It is a tribute to the dedication of Black Voices in Cabaret in creating opportunities for advocacy and connection. We celebrate and honor BVIC's commitment to be harmonious storytellers so that Black Voices will be heard and valued.
Watch their award winning concert and conversation series now at blackvoicesincabaret.org