“A celebration of [James] Baldwin’s legacy as an inspiration for artists to create their own work that, like his, defies genres and expectations.” (New York Times)

Tony Award-winning playwright and singer Stew, alongside his longtime collaborator Heidi Rodewald, pays homage to the art and activism of James Baldwin in this new music and theater experience. A contemporary commentary on Baldwin’s 1955 collection of essays on being Black in America, Notes of a Native Song is an irreverent and spirited rock ‘n’ roll song cycle. Stew and his band, The Negro Problem, use Baldwin’s work to examine our lingering civil rights woes through a rapturous mix of rock, jazz, and soul. His uniquely incisive lyrics pay homage to the writer, who spoke uncomfortable truths about race, love, class division, and politics.