On Monday, September 25, the Harold Washington Cultural Center (HWCC) will host the Chicago stop on the book tour for Flipping Boxcars, the new novel by Cedric Kyles aka Cedric The Entertainer, as it celebrates 20 years of showcasing Chicago comedy as a performing arts and education venue “Committed to Children, Community and Culture.” The evening is also a fundraiser for the HWCC, one of the nation’s only Black-owned non-profit theater and performance venues.
Billed as “the ultimate night of Comedy, Conversation and Celebration” by HWCC Global Director Jimalita Tillman, the evening will include a Chicago Comedy Homecoming salute to living legends and trailblazers of Chicago comedy. Also, a “15 Minutes of Comedy” showcase will feature six of Chicago’s top comics battling it out for an opportunity to win a “Souled-Out In Bronzeville LIVE” comedy show taping at HWCC in 2024.
A major highlight of the evening will take place on the HWCC theater stage, where Tillman and National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum Executive Director David Peterson Jr. engage in a “CED Talk” fireside chat with Cedric about his journey as an actor, executive producer, entrepreneur, Original King of Comedy and first-time novelist. Cedric’s new wine collection will also be featured during the evening.
“We are truly excited to be the host venue for the Chicago stop for Cedric’s Flipping Boxcars book tour,” says Tillman. “This is 3-for-1 night out that is not-to-be missed, as we continue our series of events as we build toward the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the HWCC in 2024.”
What:
Flipping Boxcars CEDTalk with Cedric The Entertainer
Where:
Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. King Dr., Chicago, IL
When:
Monday, September 25, 2023, 6:00 p.m.
Additional:
Tickets – www.CEDTALK-CHICAGO.Eventbrite.com
About Flipping Boxcars
The first novel from one of the original Kings of Comedy, Cedric The Entertainer, is an engaging and entertaining crime caper that is a valentine to close-knit Black families and tightly woven communities struggling to get by during the Depression and World War II.
About the Harold Washington Cultural Center
Over 25,000 youth participate in HWCC programs annually. HWCC has a 1,000-seat theater, a video editing lab, a full-service recording studio, a computer lab, a two-story cascading atrium/exhibition hall, and a museum. The HWCC’s mission is to preserve and protect African American culture, while leveraging the performing and media arts to deter at-risk behavior in youth. HWCC partners with community-based organizations as well as national and internationally recognized historical arts institutions on content and audience development.
