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Neptune Theatre is located on sacred land that has been the site of human activity since time immemorial. We are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq, and we acknowledge them as the past, present and future caretakers of this land.
As artists, we are grateful to work and build community here. As stewards of culture, we commit to continuing to improve our relations with Indigenous people and upholding values of collaboration and inclusivity in all that we do.
We recommend that masks be worn in our venues. As our theatres place the audience so close to the action on stage, masking helps protect not only audience members but also the actors, who cannot wear masks when performing. By keeping them safe, we all can help prevent COVID-related performance cancellations.
Any videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. The use of cameras, cellular phones, paging devices and all other recording devices is strictly prohibited in the theatre. Please ensure all cellular phones and watch alarms are turned off. Neptune Theatre is a scent-free environment.
Neptune Theatre is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and engages, under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement, professional Artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Neptune Theatre engages professional technicians represented by IATSE Local 680.
Neptune Theatre acknowledges the support of our government partners:
BEFORE ELLA, TINA, BILLIE, OR BEYONCÉ – THERE WAS JOSEPHINE
Dynamite Lunchbox Entertainment is best known for the hit off-Broadway and international award-winner musical Josephine, a burlesque cabaret dream play. They have received over 30 awards across festivals around the world, including 12 “Best of Fest” wins and 10 “Outstanding Performance” awards for founder Tymisha Harris. In 2023 she was named Best Leading Actor in a Musical, alongside co-founder Michael Marinaccio (2023 Best Leading Actor in a Drama) by the Orlando Sentinel.
Josephine Baker was the first African-American international superstar and one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th century. In this multi-awardwinning biographical cabaret that combines music, theatre, burlesque, and dance, we follow Baker’s incredible exploits that were groundbreaking for her time and still incredible nearly a century later.
Josephine Baker was born in St. Louis in 1906 and achieved only moderate success in the United States, but became an international superstar after moving to Europe in 1924. She starred alongside white romantic leading men in films in the 30’s, had multiple interracial marriages and homosexual relationships, and performed in men’s clothing before the term “drag” was commonly used/known. She was a spy for the French Resistance in WWII, a civil rights activist, and mother to 12 adopted children. Her success often gave her the opportunity to live free from the racial oppression of her home nation, though she never stopped yearning for acceptance in America.
CAST
TYMISHA HARRIS JOSEPHINE BAKER
CREATIVE
TYMISHA HARRIS CO-CREATOR
MICHAEL MARINACCIO CO-CREATOR, DIRECTOR, STAGE MANAGER
TOD KIMBRO WRITER, CO-CREATOR
Welcome to Neptune Theatre!
What a pleasure to present Josephine: A Musical Cabaret as part of our 2024-2025 season. The moment the demo video appeared on my computer, I knew I wanted to be part of welcoming Tymisha and Michael to Nova Scotia for a tour. It was clear we would be in good hands with Dynamite Lunchbox Entertainment! They have received over 30 awards across festivals around the world, including 12 “Best of Fest” wins and 10 “Outstanding Performance” awards for founder Tymisha Harris.
Here’s a timeline of how tonight’s show came to be.
After debuting at the 2016 San Diego Fringe Festival and winning the distinctions of “Outstanding Solo Performance” and “Best Show”, Josephine toured throughout North America in 2017, picking up awards and 5 star reviews at every stop.
From there, the show was selected by The Soho Playhouse in New York City to be part of the 2017 Fringe Encore series in October, 2017. Josephine was then awarded the honor of the encore series “Outstanding Production” award, and in early 2018 was offered a limited 8-week off-Broadway run at Soho Playhouse, where it sold out performances and received high critical acclaim. For the off-Broadway run, Tymisha Harris was nominated for a 2018 Vivian Robinson AUDELCO Award for Outstanding Solo Performance.
In the summer of 2018, the show traveled across Canada to five festivals, and was the top selling show at every one of them, earning another dozen awards. In the Summer of 2019, Josephine went to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time, where it was a critical and box office hit. In February of 2020, the show played in Australia for the first time. At the Adelaide Fringe Festival (the second largest in the world), Josephine received rave reviews, sold out and extended its run, and received a coveted “Critics Circle Award”.
At Neptune, we still have many shows left to create in this current season and, of course, I am JUST about to announce the 2025-2026 season!
See you at the theatre
Jeremy Webb Artistic Director
CHAIRS’S MESSAGE
I’m delighted to welcome Josephine: A Musical Cabaret to our stage. Josephine Baker was a trailblazer whose artistry and courage paved the way for so many. We are thrilled to present this remarkable production during Black History Month and celebrate the lasting impact of her life and legacy.
I’m also excited to share that our 2025–2026 season has just been announced, and I couldn’t be prouder of the lineup Jeremy Webb and his team have put together. From beloved classics like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Wizard of Oz to captivating new works such as Mad Madge and The Ghost of Violet Shaw, there truly is something for everyone.
I encourage you to explore all that our upcoming season has to offer—and don’t forget to check out the perks of subscribing at our Box Office.
Thank you for joining us for this limited engagement weekend. Your support makes everything we do possible, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Scott McGaw Chair, Neptune Theatre Foundation
