For years, the Freestyle Love Supreme experience was a “completely ephemeral” one, as founding member Thomas Kail puts it. Only those in the small, usually 99-seat, theaters who witnessed one of the hip-hop improv group’s shows live shared in the unique memory and magic of what they delivered. But through Andrew Fried’s documentary “We Are Love Supreme,” debuting on Hulu July 17, some of those performances have been given more permanence.
“It was like we were writing poetry and lighting it on fire. And later we ended up writing a couple of novels and people liked our novels,” Kail, who also executive produced the documentary, says of the difference between Freestyle Love Supreme’s shows and “In The Heights” and Hamilton.” “We thought, ‘Well, what if we go back and show them some of the poetry we wrote?’ It informed and infused the novels.”
As Freestyle Love Supreme founding...
“It was like we were writing poetry and lighting it on fire. And later we ended up writing a couple of novels and people liked our novels,” Kail, who also executive produced the documentary, says of the difference between Freestyle Love Supreme’s shows and “In The Heights” and Hamilton.” “We thought, ‘Well, what if we go back and show them some of the poetry we wrote?’ It informed and infused the novels.”
As Freestyle Love Supreme founding...
- 7/16/2020
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
David Byrne brought a touch of his wild, wild life to Broadway last week (feel free to come up with your own Talking Heads reference), playing the first three previews of his American Utopia at the Hudson Theatre, nearly selling out and scoring one of the strongest average ticket prices among the recent raft of theater district newcomers.
David Byrne’s American Utopia, in which the former Talking Heads frontman fronts an ensemble of 11 musical artists from around the world, grossed $395,604, about 86% of the Hudson tenant’s potential for three performances, filling all but a barely noticeable 29 seats for a 99% of capacity total.
Perhaps most promising for the production, though, was the average ticket price: $142, a figure on par with The Lion King‘s average and a few bucks pricier than the average for Ain’t Too Proud, the Temptations bio-jukeboxer that’s proven to be one of last season’s strongest commercial arrivals.
David Byrne’s American Utopia, in which the former Talking Heads frontman fronts an ensemble of 11 musical artists from around the world, grossed $395,604, about 86% of the Hudson tenant’s potential for three performances, filling all but a barely noticeable 29 seats for a 99% of capacity total.
Perhaps most promising for the production, though, was the average ticket price: $142, a figure on par with The Lion King‘s average and a few bucks pricier than the average for Ain’t Too Proud, the Temptations bio-jukeboxer that’s proven to be one of last season’s strongest commercial arrivals.
- 10/7/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
If you listen closely to one of Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s original songs in Disney’s new animated film Moana, you’ll hear a tribute to both David Bowie and The Little Mermaid.
That song is “Shiny,” written by Miranda and performed by Flight of the Conchords star Jermaine Clement. In the film, Clement plays a villainous crab named Tamatoa, who’s keen on preventing protagonists Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) and Maui (Dwayne Johnson) from obtaining a key piece of equipment for their quest to save Moana’s people. “Shiny” is Tamatoa’s explanation, in song form, about why he refuses...
That song is “Shiny,” written by Miranda and performed by Flight of the Conchords star Jermaine Clement. In the film, Clement plays a villainous crab named Tamatoa, who’s keen on preventing protagonists Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) and Maui (Dwayne Johnson) from obtaining a key piece of equipment for their quest to save Moana’s people. “Shiny” is Tamatoa’s explanation, in song form, about why he refuses...
- 11/24/2016
- by Kara Warner
- PEOPLE.com
Every week, comedian Wyatt Cenac and friends perform stand-up in Brooklyn for a show entitled “Night Train with Wyatt Cenac.” Cenac fans from outside of the New York area were out of luck — until now, thanks to the comedy subscription service Seeso, which is offering online viewers a front row seat.
Seeso, which is owned by NBC Universal, debuts six ninety-minute episodes today. Filmed in front of a live audience at Littlefield in Brooklyn, “Night Train” is hosted by Cenac, while also featuring an eclectic mix of some of the most exciting comedians in New York, from up-and-comers to established names. The show capture’s Cenac’s sensibilities; proudly black, reluctantly hipster, Ellen DeGeneres clean and always funny.
Cenac served as a writer and correspondent for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” from 2008-2012. However, when Cenac called Stewart out for doing a “voice” in a Herman Cain bit, long-simmering...
Seeso, which is owned by NBC Universal, debuts six ninety-minute episodes today. Filmed in front of a live audience at Littlefield in Brooklyn, “Night Train” is hosted by Cenac, while also featuring an eclectic mix of some of the most exciting comedians in New York, from up-and-comers to established names. The show capture’s Cenac’s sensibilities; proudly black, reluctantly hipster, Ellen DeGeneres clean and always funny.
Cenac served as a writer and correspondent for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” from 2008-2012. However, when Cenac called Stewart out for doing a “voice” in a Herman Cain bit, long-simmering...
- 6/30/2016
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Lin-Manuel Miranda will be taking his last bow in his Broadway hit “Hamilton” come summertime. But the prolific writer-actor will not be sitting on his laurels. In addition to his previously announced leap into “Mary Poppins” with Emily Blunt, Miranda will also be working on a new improv music show for NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Seeso entitled “Freestyle Love Supreme.” The show, which will stream exclusively on the outlet created for “comedy super fans” June 23, incorporates cues from the audience for a lyrically-driven performance and a different taste of the skills that birthed “Hamilton.” Read: The Streaming Service Where Ucb, Monty Python, and SNL Meet Below, the Pulitzer-, Tony-, and Grammy-winning artist discusses the origins of his “Mic Check” segment with fellow performer Anthony Veneziale. “I think it started out of necessity,” says Miranda. “It was a good way for us to actually check the sound of our microphones while...
- 6/10/2016
- backstage.com
Goodbye, Hamilton. Hello, Freestyle Love Supreme. After Lin-Manuel Miranda takes his final bow on Broadway this summer, fans won't have to go far to get their fix of the actor's impressive rapping skills. Miranda, 36, is set to appear alongside his improv group Freestyle Love Supreme in a new musical improv show of the same name to air on NBC's new online comedy platform Seeso. The show is based on a series of live performances in which Fls get cues and inspiration from the audience and turn them into nonstop, hip-hop-infused musical riffs and numbers. In this exclusive video, Miranda and...
- 6/10/2016
- by Jodi Guglielmi, @JodiGug3
- PEOPLE.com
Ars Nova presents The Ars Nova Revolution, celebrating Ars Nova All Stars Jill Furman, Thomas Kail and Lin-Manuel Miranda, from Freestyle Love Supreme Ars Nova, 2004 to Hamilton Broadway, 2015. This epic night of revelry benefiting Ars Nova's artist community, featuring performances by cast members of Hamilton and Freestyle Love Supreme, takes place tonight, September 21 at 630pm at The Edison Ballroom 240 West 47th Street.
- 9/21/2015
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
This summer, Joe's Pub at The Public welcomes a slate of artists familiar to many because of their star turns in television, film, Broadway and The Public Theater's stage. The season features the incomparable Jane Lynch, in her Joe's Pub debut the masterful hip-hop talents of Freestyle Love Supreme James Monroe Iglehart, Lin-Manuel Miranda, etc the laser-sharp wit of Julie Klausner Tony Award-winner Michael Cerveris with his southernfolk rock band Loose Cattle the pure delight and charm of Cristin Milioti and more...
- 6/30/2015
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
This summer, Joe's Pub at The Public welcomes a slate of artists familiar to many because of their star turns in television, film, Broadway and The Public Theater's stage. The season features the incomparable Jane Lynch, in her Joe's Pub debut the masterful hip-hop talents of Freestyle Love Supreme James Monroe Iglehart, Lin-Manuel Miranda, etc the laser-sharp wit of Julie Klausner Tony Award-winner Michael Cerveris with his southernfolk rock band Loose Cattle the pure delight and charm of Cristin Milioti and more...
- 6/19/2015
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Tonight, November 14, Pivot will air a brand-new episode of Freestyle Love Supreme, a new comedic improv series inspired by the acclaimed stage show from Tony and Grammy award-winners, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail. Below, BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you an exclusive clip from tonight's episode, featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda and more as the audience relays things they hate and the crew performs an improvised rap and Lin nominates himself to take 'cell phones in theaters'.
- 11/14/2014
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Lin-Manuel Miranda now has what he considers a "superpower" thanks to his years rapping with his hip-hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme. That "superpower," an ability to rhyme with ease on a deadline, has not only affected his own work for the stage, it's also one of the reasons he was tapped to compose closing raps for two of Neil Patrick Harris's Tony hosting stints. And now that superpower, along with the others who possess it, has a platform: a Freestyle Love Supreme TV show premieres on Pivot tonight. EW chatted with Miranda—best known as the star, composer...
- 10/17/2014
- by Esther Zuckerman
- EW - Inside TV
On Friday, October 17, Pivot will debut two new half hour series during the 10 p.m. hour, Freestyle Love Supreme, a new comedic improv series inspired by the acclaimed stage show from Tony and Grammy award-winners, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail. And Welcome to Fairfax, a series that explores the vibrant and arts district of Los Angeles and the entrepreneurs who work and live on these blocks. Below, BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you a clip of the company in action...
- 10/9/2014
- by BroadwayWorld TV
- BroadwayWorld.com
In an upcoming episode of Pivot's new improv comedy show “Freestyle Love Supreme,” Utkarsh Ambudkar has to make up a 60-second rap on a topic of an audience member's choosing on the spot. Luckily, he's offered something he's very familiar with. In this exclusive clip (above), Ambudkar, who also goes by the stage name Utk the Inc, is asked to freestyle rap about Freestyle Love Supreme — the rap group the show is named after. According to Utk's rap, several group members had history together already when he was at New York University, but the stars finally aligned in 2005...
- 9/25/2014
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
Pivot announced a third season for its comedy “Please Like Me” and set premieres for “Freestyle Love Supreme,” “Welcome to Fairfax” and “Fortitude.” Pivot has also greenlit “The Operatives,” an original series about conservationists taking on eco-offenders. Also read: Pivot's Evan Shapiro: The TV Exec Who Wants to Slow Down America “Freestyle,” a comedic improv series from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail, creators of the Tony and Grammy-award winning “In the Heights,” will premiere Friday, Oct. 17. So will “Welcome to Fairfax,” a cinema verite-style series about young entrepreneurs in Los Angeles’ Fairfax District. Both will air in the 10 p.
- 7/11/2014
- by Tim Molloy
- The Wrap
Improvisational hip-hop troup, Freestyle Love Supreme, participated in a virtual round table discussion on Wednesday with Future of Storytelling FoST, where members discussed their best moments on stage.The group performs at various venues in NYC, and even appears on the Pivot Network in a ten-episode series that exposes the nation to the much talked about live show. On stage, five performers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Chris Jackson, Chris 'Shockwave' Sullivan, Andrew Bancroft, Arthur Lewis, and Bill Sherman, take the crowd on a non-stop hip-hop improv ride, spinning cues from the audience into instantaneous riffs and fully realized musical numbers.
- 5/30/2014
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
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