freestyle love supreme tour

Freestyle Love Supreme Announces National Tour for Early 2022

Mic check! Freestyle Love Supreme ,  the high-energy show that blends hip-hop, improvisational theater, music and vocal stylings conceived by   Lin-Manuel Miranda , Thomas Kail and  Anthony Veneziale , is heading out on a national tour. The tour will begin at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco on January 21, 2022 before visiting 11 cities across the country. Freestyle Love Supreme  will play its previously scheduled final performance at Broadway's Booth Theatre on January 2, 2022.

"We've had many of our happiest and most fulfilling creative moments working on Freestyle Love Supreme and are excited to see its next chapter unfold on this national tour," said Kail and Miranda in a statement. "It is a show that consistently surprises us: we had no idea what to expect any time we do it—and isn't that the true beauty of live theater? We are thrilled to bring Freestyle Love Supreme to audiences across the country."

The company will include  Andrew Bancroft  AKA "Jelly Donut, Jay C. Ellis AKA "Jellis,"  Aneesa Folds  AKA “Young Nees,”  Kaila Mullady  AKA "Kaiser Rözé," Morgan Reilly AKA "Hummingbird,"  Chris Sullivan  AKA “Shockwave” and Veneziale AKA “Two-Touch.”

Special unannounced guests planned for select performances include Miranda,  Christopher Jackson ,  Daveed Diggs ,  James Monroe Iglehart , Wayne Brady, Ashley Pérez Flanagan, Arthur Lewis, Bill Sherman,  Utkarsh Ambudkar , Alex Lacamoire and more.

Freestyle Love Supreme's  first Broadway mounting had an  extended  run at the Booth Theatre from September 13, 2019 to January 12, 2020,  recouping  its investment in just 14 weeks.  Freestyle Love Supreme  arrived on Broadway following a sold-out engagement at off-Broadway's Greenwich House Theater. 

The production earned a Special Tony Award at the 74th Tony Awards.

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Freestyle Love Supreme

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Andrew Bancroft

Aneesa Folds

James Monroe Iglehart

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Kaila Mullady

Anthony Veneziale

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Everything you need to know about ‘Freestyle Love Supreme’ on Broadway

Freestyle Love Supreme returns to Broadway at the Booth Theatre in October 2021.

From humble beginnings at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, to two Broadway engagements, the hip-hop improv group known as Freestyle Love Supreme  has come a long way. The troupe was co-created in 2004 by Hamilton mastermind Lin-Manuel Miranda and director Thomas Kail alongside current FLS member Anthony Veneziale. And though FLS has toured the world, performing at festivals from Edinburgh to Montreal to Melbourne, the group's self-titled show could not feel more at home than at the Booth Theatre . Freestyle Love Supreme played its Broadway debut engagement there in the fall of 2019, earning rave reviews.

Freestyle Love Supreme  returns to Broadway from October 7, 2021 to January 2, 2022. Get  Freestyle Love Supreme tickets here.  

What is Freestyle Love Supreme  about?

That's up to the audience! No two performances of Freestyle Love Supreme are the same due to the improvisational format of the show. Freestyle Love Supreme  is a combination of rap artistry, music, and improvised comedy. With three emcees, a beatboxer, two musicians and a couple of special guests thrown in for good measure, Freestyle Love Supreme  elicits suggestions from the audience and spins them into spontaneous freestyle raps or even full-fledged comedic scenes and musical numbers. Whether it is just a verb, something people love (or loathe), or an audience member's entire day so far, the Freestyle Love Supreme  members work lyrical magic as they weave various topics into staged narratives.

When did Freestyle Love Supreme premiere? 

The troupe's Broadway show premiered September 13, 2019 before officially opening on October 2 of that year. Its second Broadway engagement begins October 7, 2021 and runs through January 2, 2022. FLS's initial Broadway run was far from the first time the group has performed an improv show, however. The troupe has been performing since its inception, with its first appearance on the New York stage happening at Ars Nova in 2004. The  Freestyle Love Supreme  show made its international debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (the incubator of fellow Broadway hit  Six ) the following year.

What theatre in New York is Freestyle Love Supreme playing at?

Freestyle Love Supreme  is playing at the Booth Theatre until January 2, 2022.

What is the running time of Freestyle Love Supreme ?

Freestyle Love Supreme  is approximately 90 minutes long with no intermission.

Who is in the cast of Freestyle Love Supreme ?

Freestyle Love Supreme features a full-time cast of seven performers in the troupe, all with a stage nickname. Led by co-creator Anthony Veneziale (aka Two-Touch), the cast also includes Andrew Bancroft (aka Jelly Donut), Tarik Davis (aka Tardis Hardaway), Aneesa Folds (aka Young Nees), Arthur Lewis (aka Arthur the Geniuses), Kaila Mullady (aka Kaiser Rözé), and Chris Sullivan (aka Shockwave). Certain performances also feature special guests, sometimes announced in advance and sometimes not, including Ashley Pérez Flanagan (aka Reina Fire) and Bill Sherman (aka King Sherman).

What celebrities have performed in Freestyle Love Supreme ?

Celebrity performers are among the rotating lineup of special guests at  Freestyle Love Supreme , most of whom are Hamilton  alumni. Five-time Emmy Award winner, comedian, and Broadway performer  Wayne Brady  joined certain performances during the show's first Broadway run, as did Tony Award winners Daveed Diggs and  James Monroe Iglehart  and Tony Award nominee Christopher Jackson. And as the troupe's co-creator, it's no surprise that Lin-Manuel Miranda himself makes an appearance from time to time.

What did the reviews of Freestyle Love Supreme say?

The New York Theatre Guide review  of Freestyle Love Supreme  reads that the show   is "a seamlessly structured sequence of numbers with building complexity. From a few key words sourced for a quick freestyle to audience anecdotes being turned into mini-operas, freestyle love supreme pushes the boundaries of both improv and music." The critic also praised all the performers; Sullivan, for example, was described as "an astonishing beatboxer whose vocal mechanics are capable of carrying a show on their own," Ambudkar "deftly brandishes a bottomless arsenal of rhymes in perfect cadence," and the "impeccable sense of humor" of Folds "is rivaled by her thunderous intensity on a heavy beat."

Other critics similarly hailed the show. The Vulture review reads, " Freestyle Love Supreme , like the quick-spitting rap style in its name and the improv comedy form it's built around, is held together by nerve and verve, good instincts and a lot of good will." The New York Times called the show an "exultant master course in the fine art of hip-hop" which "suggests that there's no feeling, thought or experience so anxious or so random that it can't be translated into infectious, neon-bright rhythms." The reviews noted that relying heavily on audience suggestions means that the success of any given bit of each show is unpredictable, but gave high praise overall to the concept of  Freestyle Love Supreme  and the performers' improvisational and musical skill.

What awards has Freestyle Love Supreme won?

At the 74th annual Tony Awards ceremony held on September 26, 2021,  Freestyle Love Supreme  won a Special Tony Award for making an outstanding and unique contribution to the Broadway theatre landscape. (The show was ineligible for the competitive categories because of its improvised nature.)

Why should I see Freestyle Love Supreme on Broadway?

There is simply nothing else like Freestyle Love Supreme currently on offer on Broadway. Hamilton  fans, improv and comedy fans, and rap music fans will enjoy the format and content of the show, not to mention its performers. They create fast-paced freestyle raps and songs in equally quick, creative, and intellectual ways. In addition,  Freestyle Love Supreme is a shared experience. The performers are reliant on the audience and the limitations of its imagination, and as such they are supportive of the audience's input. Nobody is subjected to ridicule or embarrassment, and everyone can choose how much they want to be a part of the show. Even those who shy away from interactive theatre or prefer traditional musicals have the option, like at any other show, to simply sit back and take in the scenes that unfold.

What are some trivia about Freestyle Love Supreme ?

• A 2020 Hulu documentary titled  We Are Freestyle Love Supreme  premiered on the streaming platform in 2020. The film documents the troupe's entire history to that point and is directed by Andrew Fried, who began shooting footage of FLS in 2005. The documentary thus contains footage that spans 15 years of FLS.
• Freestyle raps at past performances have tackled such diverse subjects as Marvel's Avengers, Brexit, naptime, the MTA, raisins, bikini waxes, college loans, lactose intolerance, Russia, jalapeños, and one-night stands with priests in training, among countless others.
• Besides  Freestyle Love Supreme , Miranda and Kail also worked together on  Hamilton.  Kail, who directs  Freestyle Love Supreme  on Broadway, also directed Miranda's historical rap musical about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Though Miranda had created other theatre before — including  FLS  and the Tony-winning 2008 musical  In the Heights  — it was  Hamilton  that made him a household name.

How do I get tickets for Freestyle Love Supreme ?

Get tickets for Freestyle Love Supreme by purchasing them on New York Theatre Guide here .

For more information on Freestyle Love Supreme,  check out our video guide from the show's director and co-creator, Thomas Kail, below.

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Originally published on Aug 15, 2022 17:03

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‘Freestyle Love Supreme’ to launch national tour following Broadway run

A national tour of “Freestyle Love Supreme” will launch at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater on Jan. 21, 2022, producers announced Thursday. After San Francisco, the production is currently scheduled to play nine cities and then end its run at Pasadena Playhouse in Los Angeles on Aug....

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A national tour of “Freestyle Love Supreme” will launch at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater on Jan. 21, 2022, producers announced Thursday.

After San Francisco, the production is currently scheduled to play nine cities and then end its run at Pasadena Playhouse in Los Angeles on Aug. 7. Other cities on the tour route include Boston, Washington D.C., Detroit and Philadelphia.

The Broadway production of the improvised, hip-hop show has been running at the Booth Theatre since Oct. 7 and is set to close Jan. 2. The show had an original run at the same theater from October 2019 to January 2020.

Current Broadway cast members Andrew Bancroft, Aneesa Folds, Kaila Mullady, Chris Sullivan and Anthony Veneziale will embark on the tour. They will be joined by Jay C. Ellis and Morgan Reilly.

The production also notes that special guest appearances are scheduled for certain performances. Those guests may include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Christopher Jackson, Daveed Diggs, James Monroe Iglehart, Wayne Brady, Ashley Pérez Flanagan, Arthur Lewis, Bill Sherman, Utkarsh Ambudkar or Alex Lacamoire.

“Freestyle Love Supreme” was conceived by Veneziale and created by Thomas Kail, Miranda and Veneziale. The show, which was recently awarded a 2020 Special Tony Award, is produced by Kail, Miranda, Jenny & Jon Steingart and Jill Furman.

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‘Freestyle Love Supreme’ Review: With a Co-Creator Easing Out, Musical Improv Show Has a Bit of Poignance Amid the Mirth in Pasadena

Wayne Brady sat in, as expertly as any of the company's nightly improvisors, at the 'Freestyle' tour's Pasadena Playhouse opening — even as Anthony Veneziale rapped the news that he's retiring from the road.

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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There aren’t many Tony-winning productions in which one of the veteran creator-performers can announce that he’s retiring from touring, right in the middle of a performance… and do it in song form… and have it be part of the natural flow of the evening. But that’s what happened at the opening night of “ Freestyle Love Supreme ” at the Pasadena Playhouse Thursday night, as the high-profile musical revue reached the final stop of an 11-city tour. Situational silliness abounded, as is the show’s natural wont, but so did some weirdly, wonderfully emotional moments that proved that improv and tears, while not necessarily natural bedfellows, are not mutually exclusive.

Anthony Veneziale , who created the show with Lin-Manuel Miranda and director Thomas Kail in circa 2004 (and who has acted as master of ceremonies for most of its recent revival runs), took an improvisational song in the middle of the show to sing to his wife and daughters in the audience about his guilt that he’d spend too much time away from them and would be leaving his role in the traveling company. “I’m finishing this tour, that is it for me / I’m hanging up the spurs from the Freestyle Love Supreme / It’s true, this is like the last show that I will do,” Veneziale rapped, adding that he had just six performances to go before quitting. “You sacrificed enough, no more / I want to spend every minute with you and our daughters / I hope you know I put you up on altars.” Not so especially funny, this sentimental interlude, but the audience was willing to forgive it that, as, to his left, singer Aneesa Folds then wailed, “This show blows my mind every day, like wow / You see, audience, we just learned that shit right now.” (A spokesperson subsequently clarified that Veneziale will still lead “Freestyle Love Supreme” and pop into show, just no longer as a cast regular.)

The rest of the performances at the Pasadena Playhouse, continuing through Aug. 7, probably won’t be quite as personally revelatory as that — although Veneziale’s retirement notice did come during a specific portion of the show that’s preceded with the promise that “everything you’re about to hear is true,” so anything could happen. Thursday’s show felt like it went beyond the stakes that improvisational comedy is usually going for, with a few personally cathartic moments that won’t likely be repeated. And therein lies the rub of reviewing a production that’s almost wholly different from night to night — and even has cast members rotating in and out, and  special guests, like Wayne Brady , who sat in for the whole of the Playhouse’s opening night. You feel a hesitation that maybe the Tonys committee did right before voting “Freestyle Love Supreme” a special award last fall: What if we just caught it on a particularly good night?  Will the next audience to come in think our gushing was nuts?

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But on the basis of opening night, anyway, this seems like an an easy call as a can’t-miss for L.A.-area comedy fans — regardless of whether Veneziale’s exit from his long turn with “Freestyle” signals any kind of end of the road for the troupe. (It shouldn’t, since director Kail probably isn’t going anywhere.) Even if the remaining shows go for pure, impetuous slapstick and there’s not a wet eye in the house, the rewards are likely to be worth it. You may say of some other theatrical productions that you wish you could see it every night, but the no-two-snowflakes nature of this one might make you literally and un-hyperbolically wish the show offered a season pass option.

A show of applause at the beginning of the night indicated that a lot of the crowd was bicoastal enough to have already seen incarnations of “Freestyle Love Supreme” during its limited 2019 and 2020 Broadway runs (with a few of the same ensemble members now in Pasadena). These found what was once a niche comedy show that Miranda co-conceived and starred in around the same time he was developing “In the Heights” suddenly becoming a hot mainstream ticket as a result of his and some of his collaborators’ “Hamilton” fame. A vaster part of the crowd had seen “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme,” a documentary that premiered at Sundance before bowing on Hulu. So the trick was not new to many of the local theatergoers, although how it’s done will remain a source of ongoing fascination. Good “normal” improv is captivating enough for those of us who can’t imagine accessing those parts of our brains, even before adding the elements of doing it in constant rhyme and sometimes in melody — sort of the rough equivalent of Ginger Rogers doing something already brilliant backwards and in high heels.

The first segments in the opening-night performance were expert, if almost run-of-the-mill, exercises in combining multiple audience suggestions. A call-out for “things you hate” produced both “my toddler” and “the Supreme Court,” either of which could and did prompt the company to find something that rhymes with “uterus” and get just political enough for Veneziale to semi-comedically declare: “Freestyle is embarrassed to share the name ‘Supreme.’” Of the cast of eight, two were world-class beatboxers — aka sound-effects experts — with current regular Kaila Mullady joined on this night by O.G. FLS member Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (standing in for Mark Martin); between them, these two basically add a complete mime segment to the show, while just happening to act as their own foley artists.

Things get more interesting, and impressive, when the company is required to build a full narrative, which is going to amount to two impromptu mini-rock-operas a night, based on attendees sharing their stories. One of these asks an audience member to tell about something shameful in which they wish they could reverse the narrative for a different outcome. That had an Al in the Playhouse’s balcony telling about a childhood encounter in which a neighborhood bully, Walter, had sprayed pee across a wide swath of playmates. In the musical suite built out of that, Wayne Brady portrayed the juvenile pisser in question — and quickly provided an illustration of why, at the outset, Veneziale reasserted the no-photos rule, because “taken out of context, Wayne’s show [‘Lets Make a Deal’] would be canceled tomorrow.”

Even better was the climactic number, which had another audience member, Patrick, describing his day — which had found him getting the call that he’d been cast as a series regular on an Apple+ series — as the gist for an epic medley about a pivotal moment in a show-biz career. (The fact that the Black Patrick was dually played by two blondes, Mullady and self-described Justin Timberlake lookalike Andrew Bancroft, led to a nice “Representation matters” joke.) The cast’s other powerhouse belter, Morgan Reilly, even found a pause to throw in a snippet of “A Chorus Line’s” “I Hope I Get It” amid the almost ridiculously apropos original improv material. For the actor in question, actually doing the Apple series may seem anticlimactic after seeing his life turned into a wildly joyful 15-minute musical on the spot.

But the cast members’ own truth still made for the mid-show highlight, in a segment that works off audience shout-outs, as always, but is introduced by Veneziale with the promise: “Everything you are about to hear is true.” The callout from the crowd was “edibles,” and Veneziale played a little fast-and-loose with that, calling his wife his spiritual edible as he made his aforementioned vow to retire from the road. But Brady and principal player Jay C. Ellis took it more literally as they both told THC-related stories, in rhyme, that managed to be just as touching. Ellis earnestly described in rap form how he had grown up from toddler age with the crippling pain of rheumatoid arthritis — speaking of things you don’t often hear in a hip-hop song: “I’ve had a knee replacement and I don’t take pain pills / And when I get emotional and I get up in my feels / I’m just saying, I praise the Lord for every one of his good deeds, but I’m so very thankful for that great plant weed / And my edibles.” Brady, for his part, recounted a hilarious story of how he never touched a drug till he was 48, then ended up going to MedMen and taking three edibles — or, two too many — and letting his daughter down by missing a key night in her life.  It ended up being another bittersweet father/daughter story in a show where poignance isn’t supposed to be part of the deal they’re making.

Brady, who’s been a Freestyle Love Supreme ir regular, fit so naturally into the cast this night (replacing James Rushin for an evening) that you’d imagine he collaborated with improv hip-hoppers instead of TV shoppers every night. In that category of household names who are still thoroughly underrated, let’s add his name. But he didn’t overshadow a regular company that’s been pulling off something that feels like necromancy all year. You will be tempted to come back to “Freestyle Love Supreme” to try to figure out what templates are set in place to ease the improvisations, but unlike a magic show, there’s no real illusion to spoil here. Some people’s synapses just do fire that much faster than ours. And if they happen to connect with the viscera for a minute or or two, too, then you’ve really got an extemporaneous night to remember.

Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena, CA; 686 seats; $106 top. Opened and reviewed July 14, 2022. Running time: 100 MIN.

• Production: A Pasadena Playhouse production in association with Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jenny & Jon Steingart and Jill Furman.
• Crew: Directed by Thomas Kail. Sets, Beowulf Boritt; costumes, Lia Zinni; lighting, Jeff Croiter; music, Richard Baskin Jr. and Victoria Theodore; sound, Nevin Steinberg; production stage manager, McKenzie Murphy and Angela Griggs.
• Cast: Andrew Bancroft, Richard Baskin Jr., Jay C. Ellis, Aneesa Folds, Kaila Mullady, Morgan Reilly, Victoria Theodore, Anthony Veneziale, Mark Martin and James Rushkin; for opening night, Wayne Brady and Chris Sullivan.

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James Monroe Iglehart to Join FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME Tour for Philadelphia Performances

The show is created live every night with the audience contributing words, ideas, and inspiration. No two shows are ever the same.

Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart will be appearing in Freestyle Love Supreme during its engagement at the Kimmel Cultural Campus in Philadelphia. FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME's national tour is coming to the Kimmel Cultural Campus' Miller Theater from June 7-12, 2022. James will be in the show June 7-11 (he will not be in the show on the 12th).

Created before In the Heights and Hamilton and directed by Kail, Freestyle Love Supreme is a thrilling, improvised musical comedy show that features talented performers providing non-stop action throughout this fast-paced evening, spinning suggestions from the audience into humorous bits, instantaneous songs and riffs, and fully realized musical numbers. The electrifying vocals of the performers - from singing to rapping to beat-boxing with harmonies and freestyle flow - are backed by tight tunes from keyboards and human percussion. The show is created live every night with the audience contributing words, ideas, and inspiration. No two shows are ever the same.

FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME's company on tour includes Allentown, Pennsylvania native Morgan Reilly AKA "Hummingbird" and Philadelphia native Anthony Veneziale AKA "Two Touch" along with Andrew Bancroft AKA "Jelly Donut;" Simone Acosta AKA "Sims"; Richard Baskin, Jr. AKA "Rich Midway;" Jay C. Ellis AKA "Jellis J;" Mark Martin AKA "Mandible"; Kaila Mullady AKA "Kaiser Rözé;" James Rushin AKA "Shifty Hills;" and Dizzy Senze AKA "Dizzy". Special spontaneous and unannounced guests are planned for select performances during the tour.

In name and beyond, Freestyle Love Supreme pays homage to John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme," with a nod to musical roots in jazz, soul, blues and hip-hop. Freestyle Love Supreme was originally developed and produced in 2004 by Ars Nova, in association with Jill Furman and Back House Productions. The show has played in all five boroughs and many states, as well as the U.S. Comedy Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Melbourne Comedy Festival, and the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival. Hulu premiered the documentary "We Are Freestyle Love Supreme " at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020 and the acclaimed film was nominated for a Grammy Award.

FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME features set design by Beowulf Boritt ; costume design by Lisa Zinni ; lighting design by Jeff Croiter ; and sound design by Nevin Steinberg . Andy Jones and James Hickey are Executive Producers. General Management provided by Baseline Theatrical .

James Monroe Iglehart

Broadway: Hamilton (Lafayette/Jefferson), Aladdin (Genie; Tony Award), Memphis (Bobby), ...Spelling Bee (Mitch); Chicago (Billy Flynn). TV: Netflix series "Maniac" (recurring), "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (recurring), "Gotham," "Elementary," "Perfect Harmony," "Tangled: The Series," "DuckTales," "Elena of Avalor," "Vamperina," "HellavaBoss." Film: Three Christs, Disney's Disenchanted (2022). To my wife, Dawn, thank you for freestyling through life with me for the last 20 years.

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Freestyle Love Supreme

Eisenhower Theater

Before  Hamilton , before  In the Heights , there was  Freestyle Love Supreme . Now—direct from Broadway—the original hip hop musical phenomenon from Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Anthony Veneziale.

May 10 - 15, 2022

Upcoming Dates

Price Range

$45.00 – $135.00

Chris Sullivan, Christopher Jackson, Anthony Veneziale, and Utkarsh Ambudkar in Freestyle Love Supreme at Greenwich House Theater. Photo: Matthew Murphy

Before  Hamilton , before  In the Heights , there was  Freestyle Love Supreme . Now—direct from Broadway—the original hip hop musical phenomenon from Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Anthony Veneziale. The subject of the recently released Hulu documentary  We are Freestyle Love Supreme , every performance of this Grammy ® -nominated show brings the unexpected, as the crew takes the crowd on a freestyle, hip hop, improvisational comedy ride. The performers take suggestions from the audience and spin them into instantaneous riffs and full-length musical numbers. See it for the first time each time—as no two shows are ever the same.  A “delightfully wit-laced evening of comedy rap for a wide range of ages” ( The Washington Post ),  Freestyle Love Supreme  is “fast, furious, funny, and wildly entertaining” (T he Hollywood Reporter ).

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

“An experience that will take you blissfully out of yourself. Freestyle Love Supreme puts you in your happy place.” The Washington Post

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Freestyle Love Supreme

Jan 21–Feb 13, 2022

The Geary Theater

FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME is completely improvised, and the content varies, based on what the audience suggests. We recommend ages 12 and up.

“A perfect choice for A.C.T.’s first in-person production since the pandemic hit”

“Inventive fun…[a] spine-tingling communal experience you could never get in front of a screen”

“90-minute exercise in creativity . . . simply spectacular”

“Brilliant . . . a thrilling amalgamation of hip-hop, theatre, and improvisation”

We're throwing open the theater doors and welcoming the San Francisco Bay Area back to live, in-person theater!  

Through a very generous direct gift and matching funds from Salesforce, with additional support from the Koret Foundation,  we’re able to make over 15,000 tickets available to  Freestyle Love Supreme  for as little as $5 per ticket. This is our gift to the Bay Area and a way to welcome everyone back to in-person theater after so many months without!

Want to pay it forward? When you select your seats, certain tickets will show a variety of prices that you can pay—including a “pay it forward” option. If you choose this level, you support A.C.T. as a nonprofit organization, and help us to provide subsidized tickets to the community.

Help us spread the word.  This big-hearted production is a terrific way to return to A.C.T. Come see the show, bring friends, or share this offer with anyone who loves a good time. We welcome everyone and hope to see you at the theater for  Freestyle Love Supreme!

Lead Sponsor

With additional support provided by the Koret Foundation

Before  Hamilton , before   In the Heights , there was  Freestyle Love Supreme , the critically acclaimed Broadway hit from the minds of longtime friends  Thomas Kail ,   Lin-Manuel Miranda , and Bay Area artist  Anthony Veneziale .

Launching its American tour at the A.C.T.'s Geary Theater,  Freestyle Love Supreme  pays homage to John Coltrane's improvisational musical style as it takes audiences on a freestyle, never-before-seen-and-never-to-be-seen-again hip-hop comedy ride. Hailed as “sophisticated and haphazard, hilarious and serious” by  Rolling Stone , no two shows will be alike, as performers—and special guest artists—take suggestions from the audience and spin them into instantaneous riffs and full-length musical numbers.  Bay Area audiences will be the very first to see this slam-dunk hit, conceived over 15 years ago and as fresh as today’s Twitter feed.

The performance on Saturday, February 12 at 2 p.m. will feature open captioning.

For our full COVID-19 safety policy for Freestyle Love Supreme , click here  or download here .

Check out the  Freestyle Love Supreme Program

There is more for teachers and students in the Freestyle Love Supreme Educator Guide

Andrew Bancroft

ANDREW BANCROFT ( Jelly Donut/Standby ) is a writer and performer in New York. He made his Broadway debut with Freestyle Love Supreme in 2019. Bancroft is a co-founder of FLS Academy and a member of the band Moondrunk. As rapper Jelly Donut, he has been featured in MTV’s “TRL,” Rolling Stone and Time. Bancroft writes musicals and is an award-winning ad writer/creative director. He loves whales. He is grateful to FLS, his family and his friends for their love and support. IG: @mcjellyd

Richard Baskin Jr.

RICHARD BASKIN JR. (Rich Midway) is a pianist, vocalist, songwriter, and actor. Favorite pastimes include exploring food, languages, and cultures! He has worked with world-renowned artists, including Bobby McFerrin, George Benson, Ben Folds, and Kurt Elling.  Freestyle Love Supreme  was his first Broadway show and he is elated to be on tour with  FLS .

Kurt Crowley

KURT CROWLEY (The Lord and Lady Crowley) As MD and keyboard player, previous work in theatre includes  Hamilton ,  Freestyle Love Supreme, Bring It On: The Musical,  and  In The Heights.  Executive music producer of  tick, tick…BOOM!  and vocal supervisor on  In The Heights  (Warner Bros.). He has written arrangements for Vail Dance Festival, Kennedy Center Honors,  Somewhere  (Hartford), and the European tour of  Carmen La Cubana . Co-arranger and music producer for  Bolero  and  Of Thee I Sing  with Juilliard, conceived and produced the piece  Variations on America , featuring Yo-Yo Ma and Christ Thile. Te amo, Carlito.

Jay C. Ellis

JAY C. ELLIS ( Jellis ) is honored to  join FLS, repping LGBTQ+ perspectives in hip-hop! Off-Broadway: "Black Hole Wedding''(Signature),  “Saturday Night Fever”(TRW). Regional: “Passing Strange'', “Chess” (Playhouse Square). Film: "Wormwood Falling"(Shriek Theatre),"Poncho"(Corin Michalski), "Interrogation"(Stephen Caple Jr.). Created/Directed “BARS”, hip-hop musical; Playhouse Square & Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music (Alma Mater). Instructor @FLSAcademy. Gratitude@ Vicky, Scott, Greg, Dr. Weagraff #BWMT! Love@ Kyle, Woof@ Bagley. Mama&Pops forever. Instagram: @Jellis14 Twitter: @Too_JEllis Website: jayellis.net

Aneesa Folds

ANEESA FOLDS ( Young Nees ). Credits include Broadway: Freestyle Love Supreme. Off-Broadway/ NYC: Sistas the Musical. Regional: North Shore Music Theatre, Goodspeed Opera House, Arrow Rock Lyceum. National tour: Ragtime. Film/VO: Vivo, tick, tick…BOOM! Features include Disney Channel, “Sesame Street,” and Rolling Stone. Instructor at FLS Academy. Much love to my team, family and friends. Follow Aneesa’s journey @aneesafolds and aneesafolds.com. Yeeerrrr!

Kaila Mullady

KAILA MULLADY ( Kaiser Rösé/Standby ) is the 2015 and 2018 World Beatbox Champion. She travels the world incorporating singing, beatboxing, and theatre to push the boundaries of storytelling and show just what the human instrument is capable of. She is passionate about teaching others how to beatbox through her Beatbox Education Platform, The Academy of Noise.

Morgan Reilly

MORGAN REILLY ( Hummingbird ) is thrilled to be joining the FLS family!  A singer/songwriter & multi-instrumentalist from Allentown, PA, her original music can be found on all streaming platforms. A world of gratitude to Mom, Dad, Ian, Peter, Marianne, German, and her incredible team. Every show is for you, Grandpop. Instagram/TikTok/Voisey: iammorganreilly

James Rushin

JAMES RUSHIN (Not Draggin) recently made his Broadway debut in  Freestyle Love Supreme.  New York City-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and music director Rushin is often at work developing new shows and new bands. Most recently on  Far From Canterbury  and as Slappi/Bass in  Eighth Grade President.  @not_dragging. 

Chris Sullivan

CHRIS SULLIVAN ( Shockwave ) has appeared on “The Electric Company,” “The Daily Show,” “The Real Housewives of NYC,” “SportsNation,” The Hamilton Mixtape and various programming for MTV and College Humor. Shockwave has trained and performed with The UCB Theatre, The PIT, Annoyance Theatre and Beatboxer Entertainment and is a co-creator of the FLS Academy. Love and gratefulness to the Ars Nova family, Foxboro High School Music Program, Angus MacGyver, Britt and Yoda. @offbookbeatbox

Anthony Veneziale

ANTHONY VENEZIALE ( Two-Touch ) is conceiver and co-creator of FLS and FLS Academy. Founding member of American Immigrants (San Francisco). He has used improv techniques to create endeavors for television (Cartoon Network, Sesame Workshop, Boardwalk Pictures), for theatre (FLS, The Freeze, American Immigrants) and for business (TED, Google, Adobe, Salesforce and many more). He is a co-founder of speechlessinc.com, an improv thinking company that helps humans create, collaborate and find their authentic voice, as well as co-founder of the FLS Academy where we use equitable play to foster diverse communities of creative voices. Stage: Freestyle Love Supreme, Servicemen. TV: “Sex and the City,” “Looking,” “Kid of the Year.” Special thanks to all my teachers including Caricia, Jett and Oci—the loves of my life.

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All titles, schedules, and artists are subject to change. No refunds.  Tickets are for personal use and not for resale.

2022 Season

Upcoming productions.

The Lehman Trilogy

May 25–Jun 23, 2024

Fefu and Her Friends

Mar 24–May 1, 2022

Freestyle Love Supreme

Jan 21, 2022, aug 07, 2022, about this production.

• Production Staff
• Opening Night Cast

Engagement Dates

City and state.

Tours To You

Your home for information about the touring broadway productions in north america, freestyle love supreme.

# Rescheduled from the 2020/2021 season

# Rescheduled to the 2021/2022 season

• Runtime: TBA
• Intermissions: 0
• Age Recommendation: 13+

Before  Hamilton , before  In the Heights , there was  Freestyle Love Supreme . Now, more than 15 years after its inception, the original hip-hop musical phenomenon from Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anthony Veneziale is heading on tour!

Every performance, the crew takes the crowd on a freestyle, hip-hop, improvisational, never-before-seen comedy ride. See it for the first time every time as the performers take suggestions from the audience and spin them into instantaneous riffs and full-length musical numbers.

Freestyle Love Supreme is “fast, furious, funny, and wildly entertaining” ( The Hollywood Reporter ). “It’s a delightfully wit-laced evening of comedy rap for a wide range of ages” ( The Washington Post ). “Modern, brilliant, experimental and sets a template for a new mode of comedy. You have to be there. So be there” ( Observer ).

Please note that some reviews may contains spoilers.

Brilliant, Funny, Unique

I’ve seen Freestyle Love Supreme multiple times (like, close to two dozen) on Broadway, and it’s one of the most fun experiences I’ve had going to theater. Because they take suggestions from the audience, the show is different every night. I’ve shed many tears of laughter – but also sometimes of sorrow, from the raw vulnerability and honesty that group members dare to show. I come away amazed by the talent, skill, humor, and intelligence shared onstage in every performance.

Please provide an honest review of your experience below. Thank you!

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