Up Until Now Collective

We’ll be boarding the train to Georgia every midnight in July with UP UNTIL NOW – a new artist collective creating interdisciplinary content that is radically empathetic, accessible, diverse and inclusive. The collective’s American Sign Language (ASL) cover of Gladys Knight & The Pips’ ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ is performed by Deaf actor and dancer Mervin Primeaux-O’Bryant and Brandon Kazen-Maddox, a hearing Grandchild of Deaf Adults (GODA), dancer, choreographer and third-generation native signer of ASL. Elevating sign language from supporting role to center stage, Georgia makes music visible nightly in Times Square, synchronized across more than 75 screens in the moments leading up to midnight.

In their moving and animated rendition of the 1973 classic, Primeaux-O’Bryant signs the role of a heartbroken Gladys Knight, and The Pips are personified by Kazen-Maddox — Knight's confidant as she rallies herself to join her lover who’s decided to leave her for a ‘simpler place and time.’ The duo incorporates Black ASL and elements of Visual Vernacular to embody an invisible train and bring to life the seductive and punchy lyrics of the original song.

Georgia is one of 10 covers of seminal musical works by Black female artists in a series by UP UNTIL NOW titled SOUL(SIGNS): An ASL Playlist, all commissioned by Broadstream Media, a new arts streaming platform.

Throughout the month of July, UP UNTIL NOW Collective will also be presenting weekly live performances in Times Square incorporating music, dance and ASL.

Up Until Now and Times Square Arts presented three live performances in celebration of July’s Midnight Moment.

Friday, July 9 | 11pm – 12am
Duffy Square, Broadway and 46th
In celebration of their Midnight Moment Georgia, as well as their new Broadstream video series SOUL(SIGNS): AN ASL PLAYLIST, Up Until Now Collective presents live performances in Times Square showcasing the talents of a diverse roster of interdisciplinary artists.

Culminating with a live rendition of Georgia in the moments leading up to midnight, the late-night event will also include a dance performance by Kayla Hamilton and a live ASL cover of En Vogue's Free Your Mind featuring the SOUL(SIGNS) cast (Brandon Kazen-Maddox, Alexandria Wailes, Mervin Primeaux-O'Bryant and Michelle Banks). These ASL-accessible performances feature musical accompaniment from members of the Warp Trio, an internationally touring cross-genre chamber music experience conducted by David Bloom.

Tuesday, July 13 | 9pm – 10pm
Broadway and 44th
Come hear the gentle yet soulful sounds of Linda Diaz, a singer, songwriter, and performer from Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the winner of the 2020 NPR Tiny Desk Contest, and co-host of the PBS musical education series Sound Field. Featuring her easily recognizable lush vocal arrangements, powerful lyricism, and jazzy R&B sound, her Times Square performance will also feature ASL interpretation by Up Until Now member Brandon Kazen-Maddox.  

Tuesday, July 20 | 9pm – 10pm
Broadway and 44th
Join us for a night of triumphant pop anthems and heart-wrenching lullabies from Shayfer James and Kate Douglas' The Ninth Hour, a rock-noir reimagining of Beowulf, the famous epic exploring the intricacies of mankind's relationship with power and violence. Featuring ASL interpretation by Brandon Kazen-Maddox and special guests.

UP UNTIL NOW Collective was founded by Brandon Kazen-Maddox, Kevin Newbury, Marcus Shields and Jecca Barry in the summer of 2020 to gather artists who have never been brought together before. These artists, currently numbering two dozen and counting, come from multiple disciplines to create work that is joyful, challenging and necessary. Committed to inclusive, accessible, and equitable working environments, UP UNTIL NOW develops and produces new interdisciplinary work that explores empathy, intimacy, and community, and seeks to challenge the status quo by building new structures for artistic creation.

Brandon Kazen-Maddox is a BIPOC, LGBTQAI+, gender non-conforming third-generation native user of American Sign Language (ASL) and Grandchild of Deaf Adults (GODA). In 2010, Brandon received their undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, where they studied Spanish and French language and literature. After receiving their Bachelor of Arts, they moved to San Francisco, CA where they crafted a seven-year career as a professional circus acrobat. In May 2019, Brandon graduated with their Master’s degree in Dance and New Technology from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Brandon currently lives, works and creates art in New York City, collaborating with and providing opportunities for Deaf artists who share a passion for bringing artistic works of American Sign Language dance theater to the stage, screen and beyond.

A native of Lafayette, LA, Mervin Primeaux-O’Bryant graduated from Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) in 1995. He also attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where he obtained his degree in Dance Performance & Choreography. He is an actor, director, producer, choreographer, international performer, and advocate. His creative journey has blessed him with many experiences; including with Quest Visual Theatre as an assistant director, and as a consultant for American Sign Language in theatre and music videos.

Support for Midnight Moment is provided by Meta, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Times Square Advertising Coalition. Additional in-kind support for Midnight Moment is provided by the Times Square Edition Hotel.

         

Major support of Times Square Arts is provided by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Morgan Stanley. Additional program support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

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