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Lyceum Series begins Black History Month with musical honoring America’s first Black cowboys

Lyceum Series begins Black History Month with musical honoring America’s first Black cowboys

Contact: Aspen Harris

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Acclaimed jazz vocalist, guitarist and composer Allan Harris brings his country rock-inspired musical story “Cross That River�—honoring America’s first Black cowboys—to Mississippi State’s 76th Lyceum Series.

Allan Harris
Allan Harris (Courtesy photo)

Through a mix of fact and fiction, the Feb. 6 production tells the story of runaway slave Blue, played by Harris, who escapes Texas in the 1860s to pursue new beginnings in the unsettled West.

The “Cross That Riverâ€� cast takes the Bettersworth Auditorium stage in historic Lee Hall for a show free to ¹ú²úÂé¶¹AV students. The general public can purchase tickets at . Individual tickets are $30 per person and $25 for ¹ú²úÂé¶¹AV employees and senior citizens.

Created in 2006, “Cross That River� has depicted important history across the country and served as an educational tool for children. Through a Chamber Music America Residency Grant, the musical has been brought to 12 Harlem schools, and a children’s version is available on the Kennedy Center Distance Learning program website.

The Lyceum Series is ¹ú²úÂé¶¹AV’s longest running performance arts series and a key part of the university’s continued commitment to the arts. For more information and tickets, visit .

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