The musical story behind the Great Migration of Black Americans leaving the south seeking a better life.
jook: THE musical
The musical story behind the Great Migration of Black Americans leaving the south seeking a better life.
About JOOK
The Story
2023 Tom Hendry Award Winner
The Story
When slavery ended, six million Black Americans left the south seeking a better life. This is the story of the Great Migration viewed through the lens of Isaiah: a talented blues musician hell bent on leaving the Mississippi Delta behind to make his mark in Chicago. But his journey comes at a price as he discovers racism isn't just a southern curse.
The Music
2023 Tom Hendry Award Winner
The Story
Award-winning musician Glenn Marais not only wrote JOOK, he wrote and composed all the music. From tub-thumping blues romps befitting a Saturday night in a Juke joint, to soulful ballads that will elevate you and bring you to tears — the story is the music and the music is the story.
2023 Tom Hendry Award Winner
2023 Tom Hendry Award Winner
2023 Tom Hendry Award Winner
JOOK won the prestigious 2023 Tom Hendry Award from the Playwrights Guild of Canada in the musical category. The judges were brave to pick it. JOOK is not an easy story. At times, it's a wonderful love story, and a sweeping epic quest of our talented hero, and then it snaps back into a biting and savage reminder about the sting and cruelt
JOOK won the prestigious 2023 Tom Hendry Award from the Playwrights Guild of Canada in the musical category. The judges were brave to pick it. JOOK is not an easy story. At times, it's a wonderful love story, and a sweeping epic quest of our talented hero, and then it snaps back into a biting and savage reminder about the sting and cruelty of racism. Marais wrote JOOK but was assisted by award-winning writer Todd Phillips, and several other other writers and musicians.