BWW TV Exclusive: Konversations with Keeme: Chatting with Janet Evelyn

Fifteen year old Ajibola Tajudeen, better known as Keeme, is the host of New Paradigm Theatre's web series here on BroadwayWorld. "Konversations with Keeme" is show where Keeme interviews seasoned television and film professionals like Tamara Tunie of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and Renee Lawless of Tyler Perry's The Have and the Have Nots, as well as Broadway veterans such as Emmy and Grammy winner, Paul Bogaev, and Broadway pros Christine Dwyer, Kelly Grant, Juwan Crawley and more.

The series follows Keeme's interviews as he receives advice on "the business", performing, and leadership from the pros in the performing arts industry. These interviews produced by NPT's youth crew with editing by Claire Rice and are released weekly on BroadwayWorld.

New Paradigm Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre promoting social responsibility and fostering creative problem solvers, leaders, and global citizens through theatre arts education and productions. This series is one of the ways that NPT features their outstanding Youth Board of directors (all the production and on-camera work is facilitated by our Youth with some guidance from our Pros). Artistic Director and Broadway veteran, Kristin Huffman says, "New Paradigm is a theatre with a social conscience. We produce events and shows that not only entertain with Broadway pros, but that also connect directly to our community and teach youth leadership.

This series leads up to South Pacific: In Concert. New Paradigm Theatre, a company well-known for its inventive productions that are presented with multi-cultural, multi-generational and multi-gendered casting and The Norwalk Symphony, a 80-year-old non-profit with a well-regarded professional orchestra, are co-producing this exciting production of South Pacific: In Concert.

In addition to presenting this beautiful music, the two organizations are committed to a "collective impact" production, bridging the gap between the arts and the local community by choosing NICE (Norwalk International Cultural Exchange), a local non-profit that echoes the theme of the show.

Janet Evelyn is the Founder and Executive Director of The NICE festival in Norwalk CT. For South Pacific: In Concert, NPT and Norwalk Symphony Orchestra are proud to partner with The Nice Festival. Janet Evelyn, Executive Director, states that "NICE is committed to bringing awareness to the multiplicity of our global cultural heritage. The performing arts have not only been a conduit through which people of different race and culture can share natural commonalities but one of the most efficacious in addressing social injustice worldwide. The song "Carefully Taught" from the musical South Pacific reminds us how important it is to expose our children at a young age to the different cultures to encourage understanding of our unique backgrounds." As partnerships between the non-profit and for-profit world continue to form in order to tackle social challenges from all sides, this type of collective impact production has become increasingly relevant and a vital component of a community.