By Tanya Batson-Savage, Staff ReporterGOSPEL MUSIC will take over The Ward Theatre, Downtown Kingston, on Sunday afternoon with the second instalment in the 'Reliving the Glory' concert series. 'Reliving The Glory in Gospel' will be headlined by Judy Mowatt, and will also feature performances by Noreta Lewis and Sister Scully. Goddy Goddy, Theophilus Brown and the Portmore Vision Choir are also slated for the show, which begins at 4:00 p.m.
The concert is a part of 'The Year of The Ward', which was launched at the end of April this year. The aim of the year is to simultaneously restore The Ward to its former physical glory as well as to the former prominence in the minds of Jamaicans.
According to Wycliffe Bennett, who heads the Ward Theatre Foundation, which organises the events, the concert series is aimed at once more bringing Jamaicans back to The Ward. He noted that the funds earned from the concerts will only be a drop in the bucket, since over $300 million will be needed for restoration. According to the revenue projections chart issued at the launch of The Year of the Ward, the theatre hopes to earn a net income of just over $2.5 million dollars.
REPAIRS
Repairs to be made include fixing the roof, the promenade, staircases, foyer, auditorium, dressing rooms, smoke detectors, the air-conditioning and light fixtures. Building repairs alone have been estimated at over $200 million dollars.
The first concert to commemorate the start of The Year of the Ward was 'Broadway on Ice', from May 9 to 11, was produced by Leary Ice Productions. The performance included ice skating interpretations of classic musicals such as Grease and Top Hat.
The start of the 'Reliving the Glory' concert series followed a week later. The first featured performances by a slew of Jamaican performers including Charles Hyatt, The Jamaica Big Band, Cecil Cooper, The Little Theatre Movement Company, Movements Dance Company and Fab Five.
The concert series is expected to continue on a monthly basis. According to Bennett, The European Chamber Orchestra will be featured in September, while the Jamaica Big Band will perform in October. A revival of Bedward is planned for December.
Bennett noted that the foundation has received several promises of donations. He noted that he hopes these promises will bear fruit by next month. Bennett was also optimistic enough to point out that the foundation is not depending solely on big business for donations. "We are not relying purely on the 'bigshot'," he said. "Every man, woman and child, should be willing to make a contribution." Bennett also noted, however, that the foundation has not begun to aggressively seek sponsorship from ordinary Jamaicans.
The Ward Theatre is 91 years old and began to show its age years ago. 'The Year of the Ward' is an attempt to stop the ravages of time. The theatre was donated to the city and its people by Lieutenant Colonel Charles James Ward, who is more popularly known as the nephew in J. Wray and Nephew.
