Shadowball

A compelling new jazz opera

In a time of segregation, when jazz and baseball flourished, a courageous group of men struggled to achieve their dream despite the odds. Shadowball is a compelling new jazz opera by Julian Joseph and Mike Phillips, directed by Jonathan Moore, featuring Cleveland Watkiss, The Julian Joseph Quintet and a talented student cast of over a hundred!

Julian's swinging score, inspired by the era of Ellington and Armstrong and the game known as "The National Pastime", tells the fast-paced story of Negro League players whose talents went unacknowledged whilst their jazz compatriots, iconic legends like Cab Calloway, reached heights of stardom by defining a new artform. Together, these larger than life personalities helped to change America forever.

Join us for a lively evening of home runs, peanuts and Cracker Jack, and take to your feet with 'Take me out to the ballgame' during the traditional seventh inning stretch!

The opera is part of a groundbreaking project, which motivates young people to play baseball, achieve their dreams and create a lasting legacy for our time.

Low and Away - painting by Kadir Nelson. Used with the kind permission of the artist from his book We Are The Ship.