Rondo '56
Rondo ’56: Remembering St Paul’s Black Main Street
October 19, 7:30 pm
Ticket: $40 (main floor); $30 (balcony)
With its four musical hosts, Rondo '56 paints a portrait in music, stories and archival photos of St. Paul's thriving Black neighborhood in the decade before it was sliced down the middle to make room for I-94. Brimming with first-hand accounts and iconic R&B and gospel favorites from the decade after World War II and before the freeway, Rondo '56 is a loving evocation of this two-mile-long neighborhood centered on Rondo Avenue, a vibrant and tight-knit community that was home to most of St. Paul's Black residents.
Rondo '56 was created in 2010 by pianist Dan Chouinard as a commission from the Minnesota Historical Society and in consultation with Rondo elders and performer colleagues who lived in Rondo. Ten years later the show was substantially updated in collaboration with vocalists and co-hosts T Mychael Rambo, Thomasina Petrus and Charmin Michelle. Since its debut, the show has been presented by the MN Historical Society, St. Joan of Arc Catholic Community (Minneapolis), White Bear Lake Unitarian, Hamline United Methodist, and Crooners Supper Club (Fridley).
Learn more
- In words and songs Rondo '56 tells the story of St. Paul's Black neighborhood displaced by I-94 (Star Tribune, 11/16/21)
Performers
- T. Mychael Rambo (vocals and narration)
- Thomasina Petrus (vocals and narration)
- Charmin Michelle (vocals and narration)
- Dan Chouinard (piano and narration)
- Daryl Boudreaux (percussion)
- Jay Young (bass)
- Walter Chancellor (bari saxophone)
- Scott Johnson (tenor saxophone)
Featured performers
Dan Chouinard is a St. Paul based pianist, accordionist, sing-along enabler and occasional writer of shows for MPR, TPT, Theater Latté Da and others. At St. Joan of Arc church in Minneapolis he's been curator and host of the annual MLK Holiday concert for 23 years. He assembled the first version of Rondo '56 in 2010 with the help of Rondo elders, Rondo performers (including T Mychael Rambo) and the MN Historical Society.
DanChouinard.com
Classically trained in piano, violin and flute, Charmin Michelle transitioned into singing in the early 1990s performing in jazz clubs throughout the Twin Cities. Though based in Minneapolis, she is no stranger to life on the road, and has toured internationally since 1986, performing at jazz festivals and clubs throughout Spain and France. charmsongs.com
Thomasina Petrus is a 30 year equity actor and premier jazz vocalist in the Twin Cities. She is a founding member of New Dawn Theatre, a company member of Penumbra Theatre and brownbody.org and founder of the new vocal ensemble SingHers. She is also creator of Thomasina’s Cashew Brittle, featured at the MN State Fair, local retailers and online. Thomasinascashewbrittle.com
T. Mychael Rambo is a two time Regional Emmy Award winning actor, vocalist, arts educator and community organizer. His credits include national and international film, commercials and performances. T. Mychael is an established recording artist, arts educator, motivational speaker and affiliate professor in the College of Liberal Arts, Theatre Arts and Dance at the University of Minnesota.
Daryl Boudreaux is a percussionist, singer, songwriter, and a member of the Grammy Award-winning Sounds of Blackness. He began playing music in junior high school with classmate Prince Nelson and later joined forces with Jimmy “Jam” Harris. Boudreaux has performed with innumerable soloists, groups and orchestras, as well as in productions at the Guthrie, Penumbra and Chanhassen theaters.