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10. Cathy Rawlings: From the Wings
- The University Press of Kentucky
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Cathy Rawlings From the Wings History is often portrayed as a linear subject, a chronological progression of dates and events leading up to the present. Other times, its themes take on an erratic, zigzag nature, bounding forward and backward and forward again, seemingly at will. But sometimes history comes full circle, providing an emotional and serendipitous arc to those who live it. The morning of 28 October 2010 was one of those moments for the eager crowd of 300 strong gathered at the intersection of Elm Tree Lane and East Third Street in Lexington’s East End neighborhood . As ten o’clock drew near, the audience could hardly be blamed for growing impatient. After all, it was an event that had been nearly fifty years in the making for the city’s African American community: the rebirth of the historic Lyric Theatre. The ceremonial speeches began at the appointed hour, with city officials and community leaders framed by the gleaming chrome of the marquee. Perched on the awning against the backdrop of yellow brick was one word, its letters bordered in neon lighting: LYRIC. When the theater opened its doors in 1948, it became an instant cultural center for Lexington’s black residents in the Jim 167 10 168 A Few Honest Words Crow era—a movie house of their own, where they were not relegated to the balcony or to separate restrooms bearing the sign “For Coloreds Only.” Here at the spacious Lyric, with its elegant Art Deco lobby, they took in the baseball biopic The Jackie Robinson Story and the lusty musical Carmen Jones, starring Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte. The Lyric quickly became more than just a cinema, hosting concerts by legendary jazz, soul, and R&B performers including Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, and Ella Fitzgerald. But by 1963, business had slowed as Lexington’s theaters became fully integrated, and the Lyric closed. The building was effectively abandoned, falling into a state of disrepair until the city government finally committed to its restoration more than forty years later. The community feted the theater’s reopening with an eventfilled weekend that included a screening of Lena Horne’s 1943 film Stormy Weather, an exhibit by folk artist La Von Van Williams Jr., and an opening-night gala featuring singers Miki Howard and Ben Sollee and acclaimed Kentucky poets Nikky Finney and Bianca Spriggs. Six weeks later, the restored Lyric hosted its first stage production , The Duke, the Women, the Music, a roots musical based on the female singers in Duke Ellington’s legendary band. These remarkable, largely forgotten women were portrayed by members of the Agape Theatre Troupe, a nonprofit, all-volunteer group dedicated to preserving African American culture in the Bluegrass State and entertaining the public at large. The Duke, the Women, the Music was the brainchild of troupe founder Cathy Rawlings, a local singer, actress, director, and playwright with a long-standing connection to the theater. “I remember going to the Lyric as a child,” she recalls with a smile in her voice. “My older brother and sister would take [another] sister and I on Christmas Day. I just love that when I walk in that star in the lobby is still there. My aunt used to live on Third Street, adjacent [3.238.228.191] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 18:44 GMT) 169 Cathy Rawlings to the Lyric. Just to see it lit up and to see people dressed up real fancy, it was just wow! With all the history, when I heard it was going to [reopen], it was my dream to be able to perform there, to bring it back to life like in the old days.” She watched nervously from the wings on opening night, scrutinizing the faces in the multiracial audience for their reaction . The production brought down the house, and by the time she bounded onstage to take a curtain call at the end of the evening , she was beaming with pride, overcome with emotion. It was a rare moment in the spotlight for this multitalented artist, who is more accustomed to directing from behind the scenes or singing in the back row of her church choir. But she paused to savor this moment, an appreciation of her commitment to historic preservation through music and the arts. After bowing to the crowd, she retreated to the wings, a smile still lighting her face. Despite possessing a lush alto, Cathy doesn’t claim to be much of a singer. She...