The Simple Joys cast pose at the end of “Magic To Do” from Pippin during their final performance / Photo courtesy of Margarita Williams
May 3 marked the last of three performances of the Simple Joys Cabaret, an event in “celebration of Black artists.” It was a cabaret inspired by the Black Folks Theatre, a collective for Black students at Northwestern established in the 1970s as a branch of FMO (For Members Only), Northwestern’s Black Student Union.
Per their program, this cabaret drew inspiration from the word “Sankofa,” from the Akan people of Ghana meaning “To go back and get.” According to Communications fourth-year and Simple Joys Director Constance Harris, this collective honored the beauty of reaching back and “reclaim[ing] the stories that have been forgotten – or intentionally erased – on this campus.” The audience got to experience a series of serenades from movies and musicals across decades.
This photo story is an homage to the many voices and countless hours of effort that built this cabaret.
Director Constance Harris (right) and Producer and Assistant Director Morgan Barber (left) showcasing the “Sankofa,” the tangible representation of the phrase “to go back and get.” / Photo courtesy of Margarita Williams Weinberg fourth-year Danielle Adekogbe reading from the ‘Sankofa’ book as the presentation pays homage to the origin of Black Folks Theatre at Northwestern / Photo courtesy of Margarita WilliamsDancers dazzle as they sing the opening song, “Magic To Do” from Pippin / Photo courtesy of Margarita WilliamsDancers in the final chorus of “Magic To Do” from Pippin / Photo courtesy of Margarita Williams McCormick third-year Aiden McCoy performing “King of the World” from Songs for a New World / Photo courtesy of Margarita WilliamsFrom left to right, McCormick third-year Creed Bellamy, Medill master’s student Oluwaseun Ayeni, and Communications second-year Steph-Ann Dejean posing in their performance of “The Gospel Truth” from the Hercules movie / Photo courtesy of Margarita Williams Medill master’s student Oluwaseun Ayeni posing in the performance of “The Gospel Truth” from the Hercules movie / Photo courtesy of Margarita Williams McCormick third-year Creed Bellamy singing her original song “Wooden Woman,” accompanied by Communications fourth-year Laila Spencer performing interpretive dance / Photo courtesy of Margarita WilliamsCommunications first-year TaLea Carter and Weinberg third-year Amaya Hillman performing “Sidewalk Tree” from Raisin / Photo courtesy of Margarita Williams Weinberg fourth-year Zosia Alarr performing their solo in “Easy to be Hard” from Hair / Photo courtesy of Margarita WilliamsWeinberg first-year Noelle Hutchinson performing her solo in “One Wing” from the movie Sparkle / Photo courtesy of Margarita WilliamsCommunications fourth-year Morgan Barber performing her solo during “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt movie / Photo courtesy of Margarita WilliamsCommunications fourth-years Constance Harris and Morgan Barber singing their duet “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt movie / Photo courtesy of Margarita WilliamsSESP third-year Malik Middleton, Medill master’s student Oluwaseun Ayeni and Medill second-year Darius Daughtry in their performance of “Family” from Dreamgirls / Photo courtesy of Margarita WilliamsMcCormick first-year Ariana Blake, Weinberg first-year Noelle Hutchinson, and Medill second-year Caleb Evans, along with the rest of the cast, in the finale of “Family” from Dreamgirls / Photo courtesy of Margarita WilliamsThe Simple Joys Cabaret cast singing the ending of “Family” from Dreamgirls and beginning of opening bows / Photo courtesy of Margarita WilliamsThe cast at the end of bows and their final song of “A Brand New Day” from The Wiz / Photo courtesy of Margarita Williams
