Sarasota's Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will take its hit musical, "Marvin: The Marvin Gaye Revue," to one of the world's largest gatherings of Black theater artists later this month, marking the company's seventh appearance at the International Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The troupe will perform July 30-Aug. 1 at the Gerald Freedman Theatre on the campus of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Festival tickets are $50.
Longtime festival favorite earns invitation back
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe has participated in the biennial festival since 2013. Founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs said the company has become such a regular presence that it is now invited without having to audition.
"They call and say, 'What are you bringing?' That's really an honor," Jacobs told ArtsBeat.
Musical celebrates Marvin Gaye's greatest hits
Rather than focusing on Marvin Gaye's life story, the revue centers on his best-known songs, including "How Sweet It Is," "Can I Get a Witness," "Sexual Healing" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." The production also features music by Martha and the Vandellas, the Temptations and the Four Tops.
Jacobs created the original version of the show in 2011 after watching actor Sheldon Rhoden perform two Marvin Gaye songs during a Motown revue at Art Center Sarasota and seeing the audience's enthusiastic response.
Rhoden returns to portray Gaye for the fourth time.
Jae Shanae reprises her role as Tammi Terrell, Gaye's frequent duet partner. She said performing at the festival broadened her perspective on the theater community.
"In theater, sometimes it feels like you're in your own little bubble. Going there expanded the bubble or popped it," Shanae told ArtsBeat.
The cast also includes Jazzmin Carson, Jada Carson, Michael Mejia-Mendez, Raleigh Mosely II, Leon S. Pitts II, Riki Stevens and Henry Washington. Donald Frison serves as choreographer, and Etienne "EJ" Porter is music director.
Festival draws thousands of theatergoers
According to the company, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is one of only eight Black theater companies in the United States that owns its own building and the only professional Black theater company on Florida's Gulf Coast. Jacobs said festival participants have nicknamed it "the miracle theater" because of its success in Sarasota.
Founded in 1989 by the late Larry Leon Hamlin, the festival attracts more than 65,000 attendees and features more than 100 performances. The event was renamed the International Black Theatre Festival for its 18th biennial edition in 2026 after previously operating as the National Black Theatre Festival.
Actress Phylicia Rashad is scheduled to receive the Sidney Poitier Lifetime Achievement Award during the festival's opening-night gala.
Sarasota performances precede festival trip
Before traveling to North Carolina, audiences can see "Marvin: The Marvin Gaye Revue" at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe's Donnelly Theatre, 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota.
The production runs July 15-24 with 11 performances. Tickets are $54 for adults and $24 for students and active-duty military members. For more information, call 941-366-1505 or visit the theater's website.
Upcoming events
- July 15-24: Marvin: The Marvin Gaye Revue at the Donnelly Theatre, 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota.
- July 27-Aug. 1: International Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe performs July 30-Aug. 1.
