Nearly a year after Big Boi tore up the Fox with his collaboration on the hip-hop ballet Big, his partner in crime Andr? Benjamin aka Andre 3000 will be hitting the stage in a newly adapted stage version of his Emmy award-winning “Class of 3000” cartoon series. The show originally aired on The Cartoon Network but they ceased production on the animated comedy after only 26 episodes. Now the Alliance Children?s Theatre will present the world premiere stage adaptation beginning this Friday (March 6th). In case you didn’t know, Dre is the show?s creator, executive producer and starred in the toon as the inspirational music teacher Sunny Bridges.? He also created a new song for every episode (five of which will appear in the stage play). When asked if it was difficult writing music for a younger audience, the ATL legend responded:
I wasn?t trying to water down the music aspect of the show just because it was for kids. You watch old ?Peanuts? or ?Fat Albert? shows, they weren?t necessarily kids? songs. On ?Peanuts,? you?re listening to jazz by Vince Guaraldi. I want to make sure that kids had something to listen to that wasn?t teeny bopper songs ? although we would do those, too, if they fit into the story. I wanted to give them a little jazz, ragtime, blues, funk music, with the hope that if kids heard those kinds of music later, they?d say, ?Hey, I remember this kind of song!? I thought that was fitting, since I play a music teacher. I also wanted to show how different kinds of songs, like classical music, could be reinterpreted in new ways, which is what I like to do with my other kinds of music. MORE
The music definitely isn’t watered down! It’s smooth, comfy and feels like home. Between this play and Big Boi’s Big with the Atlanta Ballet, these two dudes are dayum near unstopable! I can’t wait to see what Dre comes up with onstage! (Anyone got a kid they could loan me next week 😕 )
A few of my favorite songs from Dre’s “Class of 3000” as well as show information below:
A Richer Shade of Blue **My personal favorite**
The Crayon Song
Oh Peanut
The show runs March 7-29. Visit The Alliance Theatre for more information about dates and showtimes. Class of 3000: Music Volume One
