“ WHEN YOU BRING PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS TOGETHER WHO HAVE A SHARED LOVE OF THEATER , THE STEREOTYPESAND BARRIERS COME DOWN .”
theater
AGift to Lift a Hidden Treasure
Grant from Michael Jordan helps underwrite the Vanguard Theater WRITTEN BY JULIA MARTIN
The Vanguard Theater has been Montclair ’ s best-kept secret .
But that may soon change due to agift to the nonprofit from none other than basketball legend Michael Jordan : Vanguard isthe recent recipient ofa $ 75,000 community grant from the Jordan Brand ’ sBlack Community Commitment program . The theater was the only New Jersey-based organization and one of only two theater companies among the 48 groups to be so honored .
This is likely because Vanguard ’ s mission dovetails perfectly with the initiative ’ s four key focus areas : economic justice , education , narrative change , and social justice . Case in point : The subject of Vanguard ’ swinter production , Tonyaward-winning musical Passing Strange , is aBlack musician ’ s quest for identity .
The production is also an example of Vanguard ’ sefforts flying under the radar . The show garnered rave reviews , and starred three Broadway actors including veteran Dwayne Clark ( husband of Vanguard founder Janeece Freeman Clark ); Montclair resident Brandi Chavonne Massey , who played the first Black Elphaba on Broadway in Wicked ; and Montclair High School graduate and resident Jason Tyler Smith , fresh off the national tour of Rent . Ticket prices were $ 20 to $ 40 , less than the price of transportation into New York City .
Yetinapost on aMontclair
SHOW TIME Amanda Rose Gross , J ’ royce Jata and Montclair ’ s Jason Tyler Smith perform in Vanguard Theater ’ s Passing Strange .
Facebook page , one attendee , who called the show “ amazing ,” lamented that there were empty seats inthe small theater onthe first of only two weekends .( Passing Strange closed March 5 ). Another poster didn ’ t seem to know Montclair had atheater . “ Where isit ?” he asked .
“ WHEN YOU BRING PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS TOGETHER WHO HAVE A SHARED LOVE OF THEATER , THE STEREOTYPESAND BARRIERS COME DOWN .”
JANEECE FREEMAN CLARK , VANGUARD THEATER FOUNDER
WHERE IS VANGUARD THEATER ?
Vanguard ’ slocation , in arenovated ballroom dance hall in Montclair ’ s4th Ward , the town ’ s historically Black neighborhood , is slightly off the town ’ s beaten path . But that ’ sbydesign , says Freeman Clark , who founded the
FREEMAN CLARK : COURTESY OF JANEECE FREEMAN CLARK ; PASSING STRANGE : COURTESY OF SPOTLIGHTS PHOTOGRAPHY
28 MAY 2023 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE