Exodus To Jazz is doing something different this month. The great jazz series is bringing two performances of the Off-Broadway play Monk-The Play, by acclaimed playwright Laurence Holder and starring Rome Neal, both winners of the Audelco Award for excellence in African-American Theatre, up from NYC to Rochester for performances on January 29th and 30th. Monk is a is one character play exploring the genius and mystery of jazz icon Thelonious Monk. The award-winning production of the play by Neal, Artistic Director of the Nuyorican Poets Café Theatre, has received many great notices in New York, including:

• "Brilliantly written ... Extraordinary ... Phenomenal" (Amsterdam News)
• "Intense sense of drama ... Hypnotic mood ...." (The Village Voice)
• "Brilliant... Exquisite..." (The New York Times)
• "Witty, soulful and terse ... A tender tribute to a legend." (Newsday )
• "...with its strong, accomplished writing ... captures the rhythm and feel of the 1940s and '50s jazz scene ... it ranks up there with the best, because it is passionate, powerful and real." (Shout)
• Here are some more testimonials from YouTube, including from jazz men who knew Monk, after seeing it at the Nuyorican Poets' Cafe Theatre.

There will be a performances, on Friday, Jan. 29th and Saturday, Jan. 30th, 2010. Both shows start at 8:00 pm. The play will be presented in the Riverview Ballroom, Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside, 120 Main Street East, Rochester, New York. Reserved Seats are $25; General Admission seats are $20. Students get in for $10. You should be able to purchase tickets at all Wegmans “That’s T.H.E. Ticket” locations soon (start date TBA). Tickets may also be purchased at TicketWeb.com (search for “MONK – The Play”) or by email order to (for reserved Seats only) to [email protected]. For more information: Call (585) 733-7685 or visit the Exodus to Jazz website.