Freestyle Love Supreme

Freestyle Love Supreme is an improvisational hip-hop (also known as freestyle rap) comedy musical group started by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anthony Veneziale in 2004 and directed by Thomas Kail.[1][2] In 2022, the group completed a Broadway musical run at the Booth Theatre.

The Freestyle Love Supreme group standing on stage during a curtain call on their Broadway 2021 run.

History

The idea for the project started during rehearsal breaks for Miranda's first Broadway musical, In the Heights.[3] During shows, the performers rap and beatbox, backed by keyboards.[4] Unlike traditional, scripted musicals, the audience is intended to be engaged and participate in the show, providing suggestions and occasionally even being brought on stage.[2][5] Before being performed on Broadway, there were performances at Ars Nova in 2004, 2006 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Montreal Just for Laughs Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2005,[1][3][6] as well as many other performances including Joe's Pub, Google Zeitgeist, Greenwich House Theater, Mo Pitkin's, and others.

Members of the group appeared in several episodes of the 2009 The Electric Company revival, on which Miranda, Sherman, Jackson, and Sullivan were regular music contributors.

The group created an 11-episode television series that aired on Pivot in 2014. Now available for a fee on Prime video and YouTube[7]

The group performed its Off-Broadway and Broadway shows in 2019–2020 in celebration of their 15th anniversary.[1]

The story of the group and musical is featured in the 2020 documentary We Are Freestyle Love Supreme,[8] directed by Andrew Fried, who began filming the group in 2005.[9] The film contains footage shot over the 15 years of the group's history.[8]

Cast and crew

Cast members have included the following, though other members have appeared, sometimes unannounced.[3][4][5] The opening night performance on Broadway featured multiple guest stars.[4][10]

Vocal performers

The following performers have performed rap or beatboxing on the show:

Keyboardists

The following keyboardists have accompanied the vocal artists:

  • Arthur Lewis a.k.a. Arthur the Geniuses (Sings during "True")
  • Bill Sherman a.k.a. King Sherman a.k.a. And Bill
  • Ian Weinberger a.k.a. Berger Time
  • Kurt Crowley a.k.a. The Lord and Lady Crowley
  • Alan Markley
  • Richard Baskin Jr. a.k.a. Rich Midway
  • James Rushin a.k.a. Shifty Hills
  • Simone Acosta a.k.a. Sims
  • Victoria Theodore a.k.a. Gigawatts
Crew

Performances

Freestyle Love Supreme was performed on Broadway at the Booth Theatre from October 2, 2019, through January 12, 2020.[2][4]

On October 7, 2021, the group began a three-month limited run back at the Booth Theatre. After four months on Broadway, the show finished the Broadway run on January 2, 2022.[12][13]

Freestyle Love Supreme announced that they would do a National Tour, with stops in 11 cities. The tour will start on January 21, 2022, at the American Conservatory Theater, in San Francisco.[14][15] The tour concluded at the Pasadena Playhouse, in California on August 7, 2022.

The show arrived at The Venetian Las Vegas Showroom in Las Vegas on November 10, 2022. It closed on January 29, 2023.[16][17]

Their performances consist of freestyle "games" including: What Y'all Know, On the Fence, True, Day in a Life, Foundations of Freestyle, Pet Peeves, Home, Second Chance, Deep Dive and more.

References
  1. Caroline Siede (June 2, 2020). "We Are Freestyle Love Supreme is a feel-good origin story for Lin-Manuel Miranda's first troupe". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  2. Lily Pace (October 3, 2019). "Behind 'Freestyle Love Supreme,' Lin-Manuel Miranda's Improv Dream". billboard.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  3. Vinson Cunningham (October 7, 2019). ""Freestyle Love Supreme" Raps its way to Broadway". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  4. "Freestyle Love Supreme". broadway.com. 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-05-09. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  5. We Are Freestyle Love Supreme, Hulu, July 17, 2020, archived from the original on July 17, 2020, retrieved July 17, 2020(subscription required)
  6. "The Ars Nova Revolution". ARS NOVA. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020. THE ARS NOVA REVOLUTION: FROM FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME (ARS NOVA, 2004) TO HAMILTON (BROADWAY, 2015)
  7. Esther Zuckerman (October 17, 2014). "Lin-Manuel Miranda on bringing Freestyle Love Supreme to TV". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2015-04-11. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  8. Scott Simon (July 18, 2020). "'We Are Freestyle Love Supreme' Is An Accidental 'Hamilton' Cast Origin Story". NPR News. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  9. "We Are Freestyle Love Supreme". Sundance Institute. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  10. David Gordon (October 3, 2019). "Chelsea Clinton, Questlove, and More Join Lin-Manuel at Freestyle Love Supreme Opening". Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023. Special guests during the opening-night performance included Lin-Manuel Miranda, Christopher Jackson, James Monroe Iglehart, Daveed Diggs, Wayne Brady, and Ashley Pérez Flanagan.
  11. "About — Cody Renard Richard, Stage Manager". codyrenard.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  12. Evans, Greg (2021-06-16). "'Freestyle Love Supreme' To Make Broadway Comeback As Lin-Manuel Miranda Continues Juggernaut". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  13. Harms, Talaura (January 2, 2022). "Freestyle Love Supreme Wraps Up Limited Broadway Run January 2". Playbill. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  14. Moynihan, Caitlin (December 9, 2021). "Freestyle Love Supreme Announces National Tour for Early 2022". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  15. Rubin, Rebecca (9 December 2021). "Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'Freestyle Love Supreme' Announces Nationwide Tour". Variety. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  16. Henry, Alan (January 6, 2023). "FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME Will Close In Las Vegas". www.broadwayworld.com. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  17. "Freestyle Love Supreme". freestylelovesupreme.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023. FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME VEGAS PLAYED ITS FINAL PERFORMANCE ON JANUARY 29, 2023.
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