The Heroes of Parlor Town 
 

The Palace Theatre
February 4, 2007

 

Brent Watkins, Guest Artist

Ragtime musicologist Brent Watkins presents the history and development of ragtime in a delightful afternoon of keyboard antics!

This production is sponsored by

River City Graphics Specialties

and

Coon Creek Cable

 

 

Past ACT I shows sponsored by Coon Creek Cable include:

Let Your Hair Down, Rapunzel  (2005)
Mother Goose Memoirs  (2004)

The Parlor. America’s “entertainment center” from 1880 to 1920. Before TV, before radio - when a piano and sheet music opened the world to new sounds and new composers.

Who were the heroes of Parlor Town?  Men of color who defined musical culture for white America. Men who challenged racist stereotypes by creating some of the most sophisticated and eclectic music the world has ever heard.. White composers who valued and were influenced by these men.

Pianist Brent Watkins traces the musical development of Ragtime, featuring the music of Scott Joplin as well as lesser known American classics from ragtime's twilight years, plus East Coast Stride standards by James P. Johnson and Eubie Blake.