Free Event: June 15. 2024 at 3:00 pm; Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street, NYC

From The Page to The Stage to The Screen: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of B-Boy Blues

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/b-boy-blues-30th-anniversary-celebration-real-talk-tickets-865025623927?aff=oddtdtcreator

Years before “homo thug” and “down low” became infamous catchphrases and Li’l Nas X was crowned an international pop star, there was James Earl Hardy’s B-Boy Blues. 

Charting the romance between a college educated journalist from Brooklyn and a homeboy/bike messenger from Harlem, the novel was released in November 1994 and surprised many when it became an out-of-the-gate hit, topping indie bestseller lists and setting an LGBTQIA+ press record. Praised as the first gay hip hop love story, the novel has given birth to seven bestselling sequels, the BroadwayWorld award-winning stage play, and the GLAAD Media Award nominated film adaptation (which is currently streaming on BET+).

This DUAF-sponsored event will serve as the official kickoff for Mr. Hardy’s tour to celebrate the novel’s 30th anniversary. Mr. Hardy will trace the book’s journey from the page to the stage to the screen, share fan favorite excerpts and anecdotes, and explore its cultural impact (an influence that can be seen in the television series Noah’s Arc and the 

Oscar-winning Best Picture Moonlight), with actors from both the theatrical and screen versions. A talkback with the audience will follow.

This event is produced by the Downtown Urban Arts Festival/DUAF