BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/New_York X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York BEGIN:VEVENT UID:156439@kingstonhappenings.org DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260426T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260426T160000 DTSTAMP:20260424T131435Z URL:https://kingstonhappenings.org/events/bayou-maharajah-film-screening-q a/ SUMMARY:Bayou Maharajah: Film Screening &\; Q&\;A DESCRIPTION:\n\n\nThe Phoenicia Playhouse proudly presents the first “Rad io X Film” themed screening of our 50th Season - the Award-Winning 2013 Documentary Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker\, directed by Lily Keber.\nSunday\, April 26th - Matinee @ 2:00 pm\nTickets available at the door or in advance here: https://our.show/radioxfilm-bayou-maharaj ah-screening\nThere will be an optional post-show discussion of the film\, facilitated by Phoenicia Playhouse staff.\n*** This film contains mature themes\, including substance use\, alcohol\, and language. Viewer discreti on is advised for children younger than 13 years old. ***\nBayou Maharajah explores the life and music of New Orleans piano legend James Booker\, th e man Dr. John described as "the best black\, gay\, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced." A brilliant pianist\, his eccentric ities and showmanship belied a life of struggle\, prejudice\, and isolatio n. Illustrated with never-before-seen concert footage\, rare personal phot os and exclusive interviews\, the film paints a portrait of this overlooke d genius.\nDirector’s Statement from Lily Keber:\n“James Booker was\, first and foremost\, one of America’s finest and most innovative musicia ns. But as a gay\, bipolar Black man with one eye and a drug and alcohol p roblem\, Booker was never going to make it to prime time. Yet in spite of all that – or perhaps because of it – his music pushes the boundaries of what is possible on the piano with an intricacy that surpasses Chopin. It was this complexity that attracted me to Booker. I needed to find out h ow a man could be both barely tolerated and completely loved – and how h is music might make that possible.”\n“A must-see for aficionados of Ne w Orleans jazz\, it’s also accessible to viewers who don’t know a Prof essor Longhair from a Dr. John.”\n- The Hollywood Reporter\n“With many different levels of appeal\, this film is highly fascinating on a univers al scale\, whether you’re a musician or not – and deserves to go very\ , very far. It’s incredibly well-researched\, cheeky\, and completely ad dictive viewing.”\n- Kai Hoffman\, UK Jazz News\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe goal of our Radio X Film Series is to explore examples of significant intersect ions between these two mediums. In this instance\, the film focuses on the story and legacy of a musician whose life was deeply intertwined with rad io broadcasting starting in his early teen years. James Booker’s music i s regularly played on New Orleans stations to this day - especially on WWO Z 90.7 FM\, a listener-supported station that maintains an archive of thou sands of live broadcasts by New Orleans musicians.\n\n\n\n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kingstonhappenings.org/wp-content/upload s/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-01-at-8.04.14-PM.png CATEGORIES:@Featured,@Newsletter,Community,Educational classes and lectures,History,Movies,Music LOCATION:Phoenicia Playhouse\, 10 Church St.\, Phonecia\, NY\, 12464\, Unit ed States GEO:42.083876;-74.314044 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=10 Church St.\, Phonecia\, NY\, 12464\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Phoenicia Playhouse: geo:42.083876,-74.314044 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR