The Public Theater
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| - | '''Kid Creole and the Coconuts''' are an [[United States|American]] band created and led by [[August Darnell]]. Their music incorporates styles like [[Big band|big band jazz]], [[disco]], and in particular [[Caribbean]]/[[Latin American]] [[Salsa music|salsa]]. The Coconuts are a glamorous trio of female backing vocalists whose lineup changes throughout the years. | ||
| - | Darnell adopted the name Kid Creole (from the [[Elvis Presley]] film ''[[King Creole]]'') in 1980, and formed The Coconuts, a trio of female backing vocalist/dancers, including his wife Adriana Kaegi, and a band including vibraphone player Andy Hernandez aka [[Coati Mundi]] and legendary Jamaican drummer [[Winston Grennan]]. Cheryl Poirier joined that year as lead vocalist of the Coconuts, followed by Taryn Hagey as "Coconut #3" on background vocals in 1981. This line-up remained in place throughout the band's heyday. Hagey left the group in 1985 and was replaced by Janique Svedberg. Among the recurring Coconuts is Danish actress and musical star [[Gry Bay]], who made headlines with her starring role in the feature film ''[[All About Anna]]'' (2005). | + | '''The Public Theater''' is a [[New York City]] arts organization founded as The Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by [[Joseph Papp]], with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming [[playwright]]s and performers. It is headquartered at 425 [[Lafayette Street (Manhattan)|Lafayette Street]] in the former [[Astor Library]] in the [[East Village, Manhattan|East Village]] section of [[Lower Manhattan]]. The venue opened in 1967, mounting the world-premiere production of the musical ''[[Hair (musical)|Hair]]'' as its first show. It currently is led by Artistic Director [[Oskar Eustis]] and Executive Director [[Andrew D. Hamingson]]. |
| - | Their debut album was the heavily [[disco]]-influenced ''[[Off the Coast of Me]]'', which was critically well-received but not successful commercially. The second release ''[[Fresh Fruit in Foreign Places]]'' was a concept album matched with a [[New York Public Theatre]] stage production; it received rave reviews, and Darnell was recognized as a clever lyricist and astute composer, arranger and producer. The album charted briefly, and subsequently Coati Mundi's "Me No Pop I", though not originally on the album, became a Top 40 UK hit single. Their breakthrough came with 1982's ''[[Tropical Gangsters]]'', which hit #3 in the UK and spun off three Top 10 hits with "[[Stool Pigeon]]", "Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy" and "I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby", written by musical director Peter Schott. "Dear Addy" also made the Top 40. In the US the album was retitled ''[[Wise Guy]]'' and reached #145, and "I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby" flirted with the R&B charts. 1983's ''Doppelganger'' was a relative commercial disappointment, despite the single "There's Something Wrong in Paradise" reaching the Top 40. | + | The Public Theater is known for presenting "challenging work."{{Fact|date=March 2009}} This has a variety of meanings, including artistic [[heterodoxy]]. It also reflects the Public Theater's role as a voice for the American social and political Left. Many of its productions are considered avant-garde and not likely to find a home in theaters catering to a mainstream audience. |
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| - | Darnell and Kaegi divorced in 1985, though she remained with the band. She and Cheryl Poirier also formed their own group, Boomerang, with Perri Lister, which released an album on the Atlantic label in 1986. Darnell continued Kid Creole and the Coconuts and in the mid to late 1980s contributed to various film soundtracks and other such projects. He appeared at the [[Montreux Jazz Festival]] in 1986 and in this period released the albums ''In Praise of Older Women and Other Crimes'' and ''I, Too, Have Seen the Woods'', neither of which charted despite the hit "Endicott". 1990's ''Private Waters in the Great Divide'' had a hit with single "The Sex of It", a song written by [[Prince (artist)|Prince]] and recorded at [[Paisley Park Studios]] with [[Sheila E]]. It reached Top 40 in the US and UK and is to date one of his best-known songs. | + | |
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| - | Darnell used to reside in the [[Dinnington]] area of [[South Yorkshire]] but now lives in London (and occasionally Sweden), and still tours with the Coconuts occasionally. He is currently collaborating with writer/producer Peter Schott on a Contemporary Opera, to be produced by Son Of Kong Productions.The project features vocals/guitar by former creole band member and rising star "Mark Anthony Jones". | + | |
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| - | ==Discography== | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ===Albums=== | + | |
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| - | *''Off the Coast of Me'' (1980) | + | |
| - | *''[[Fresh Fruit in Foreign Places]]'' (1981) #180 US | + | |
| - | *''[[Tropical Gangsters]]'' (released in the US as ''Wise Guy'') (1982) #3 UK, #145 US, #43 US Black | + | |
| - | *''Doppelganger'' (1983) | + | |
| - | *''Cre-Olè: The Best of Kid Creole and the Coconuts'' (1984) | + | |
| - | *''In Praise of Older Women and Other Crimes'' (1985) | + | |
| - | *''I, Too, Have Seen the Woods'' (1987) | + | |
| - | *''Private Waters in the Great Divide'' (1990) | + | |
| - | *''You Shoulda Told Me You Were'' (1991) | + | |
| - | *''Kid Creole Redux'' (1992) | + | |
| - | *''KC2 Plays K2C'' (1993)(Japan only, Coverd by [[Kome Kome Club]]) | + | |
| - | *''To Travel Sideways'' (1995) | + | |
| - | *''Kiss Me Before the Light Changes'' (1995) | + | |
| - | *''The Conquest of You'' (1997) | + | |
| - | *''Oh! What a Night'' (2000) (Live album; also released as ''Best of Kid Creole and the Coconuts'') | + | |
| - | *''Too Cool to Conga!'' (2001) | + | |
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| - | ===Singles=== | + | |
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| - | {{inc-musong}} | + | |
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| - | *"Maladie D'Amour" (1980) | + | |
| - | *"He's Not Such a Bad Guy (After All)" (1980) | + | |
| - | *"Going Places" (1981) #51 US Club Play Singles | + | |
| - | *"Table Manners" (1981) | + | |
| - | *"Latin Music" (1981) | + | |
| - | *"I am" (1981) | + | |
| - | *"Kid Creole and the Coconuts presents Coati Mundi: Me No Pop I" (1981) #32 UK | + | |
| - | *"I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby" (1982) #4 UK, #44 Black Singles, #18 Club Play Singles | + | |
| - | *"Stool Pigeon" (1982) #7 UK, #25 Club Play Singles | + | |
| - | *"Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy" (1982) #2 UK, #45 Germany | + | |
| - | *"Dear Addy" (aka ''Christmas in B'Dilly Bay with Kid Creole and the Coconuts'') (1982) #29 UK | + | |
| - | *"There's Something Wrong in Paradise" (1983) #35 UK | + | |
| - | *"The Lifeboat Party" (1983) #49 UK | + | |
| - | *"My Male Curiosity" (1984) #83 UK | + | |
| - | *"Don't Take My Coconuts" (1984) #86 UK | + | |
| - | *"Endicott" (1985) #80 UK | + | |
| - | *"Caroline Was a Drop-Out" (1986) | + | |
| - | *"Hey Mambo" (with Barry Manilow) (1987) | + | |
| - | *"Pepito" (1988) | + | |
| - | *"The Sex of It" (1990) #29 UK | + | |
| - | *"I Love Girls" (1990) | + | |
| - | *"(She's A) Party Girl" (1991) | + | |
| - | *"UFO" (1997) | + | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ==Awards== | + | |
| - | * 1983 [[BRIT Awards]] - Best International Artist | + | |
| + | In addition to five theater spaces, the site includes [[Joe's Pub]], a cabaret-style setting used for new work, musical performances, spoken-word artists and soloists. The Public also operates the [[Delacorte Theater]] in [[Central Park]], where it presents its free [[New York Shakespeare Festival|Shakespeare in the Park]] performances during the summer months. These productions feature popular actors and tickets are disbursed quickly. The Public Theater also invests in theater education, training classical actors through the annual summer acting intensive known as the Shakespeare Lab. It also hosts the [[Under the Radar Festival]], directed by Mark Russell. | ||
| + | The Public Theater Musical Theatre Initiative Director is [[Ted Sperling]], named in 2008. This program is intended to expand and develop new works for the American musical theatre. | ||
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The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as The Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers. It is headquartered at 425 Lafayette Street in the former Astor Library in the East Village section of Lower Manhattan. The venue opened in 1967, mounting the world-premiere production of the musical Hair as its first show. It currently is led by Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson.
The Public Theater is known for presenting "challenging work."Template:Fact This has a variety of meanings, including artistic heterodoxy. It also reflects the Public Theater's role as a voice for the American social and political Left. Many of its productions are considered avant-garde and not likely to find a home in theaters catering to a mainstream audience.
In addition to five theater spaces, the site includes Joe's Pub, a cabaret-style setting used for new work, musical performances, spoken-word artists and soloists. The Public also operates the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, where it presents its free Shakespeare in the Park performances during the summer months. These productions feature popular actors and tickets are disbursed quickly. The Public Theater also invests in theater education, training classical actors through the annual summer acting intensive known as the Shakespeare Lab. It also hosts the Under the Radar Festival, directed by Mark Russell.
The Public Theater Musical Theatre Initiative Director is Ted Sperling, named in 2008. This program is intended to expand and develop new works for the American musical theatre.
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "The Public Theater" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
