CLEVELAND (March 2, 2018) – The sound of America echoes across the country, made up of the music of our collective and diverse cultural experiences. From the jazz of New Orleans and the blues of Chicago to the hip-hop beats of the Bronx and the Latin rhythms of Miami.
Trace the roots of American music with Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc in “America’s Musical Journey,” a new giant-screen documentary from the team that produced “National Parks Adventure,” opening Friday, March 23 in the Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater at Great Lakes Science Center.
The film, produced by MacGillivray Freeman Films in association with Brand USA and presented by Expedia and Air Canada, celebrates the unique diversity of cultures and creative innovation that characterize America, as told through the story of its music. With narration by Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman, the movie follows the footsteps of Louis Armstrong through the colorful locales and cultures where America’s music was born. As audiences join Blacc on this joyful, tune-filled tour, they’ll visit such iconic cities as New Orleans, Chicago, New York City, Nashville, Memphis, Miami and more, exploring the collision of cultures that gave birth to jazz, the blues, country, rock and roll, and hip-hop.
The iconic music is given visual accompaniment by several uniquely American adventures such as paddle-wheel boating up the Mississippi, flash mob dancing in Chicago, and skydiving with Elvis impersonators over Memphis in scenes shot exclusively for the giant screen.
In addition to Blacc, audiences will meet other innovative artists, musicians and performers who are shaping America’s culture today, including Jon Batiste, bandleader and musical director of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Latin music legend Gloria Estefan, New Orleans music hero Dr. John, Chicago jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, teenage banjo-playing phenomenon Willow Osborne, Memphis jookin dance star Lil Buck, the Detroit Youth Choir, Chicago footwork maestros Pause Eddie and Donnetta “Lil Bit” Jackson, the Bandaloop vertical dancers, the Fisk University Jubilee Singers, the Beale Street Flippers, and more.
Visit GreatScience.com for showtimes and tickets, and americasmusicaljourney.com for more information about the film.
(Editor’s note: The Science Center’s normal fall/winter operating schedule is Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The Science Center will be closed on Sunday, April 1 but will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, April 2 for special spring break hours.)
About Great Lakes Science Center
Great Lakes Science Center, home of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, makes science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) come alive for more than 300,000 visitors a year through hundreds of hands-on exhibits, temporary exhibitions, the Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater, Steamship William G. Mather, daily science demonstrations, seasonal camps, and more. The Science Center is funded in part by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. Visit GreatScience.com for more information.