THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
from the column "Different Stages"
by Charles E. Rogers
'Cooking the Books' on Broadway
So you've never heard of a hip-hop musical stage play, huh?  Well you have now, because
acclaimed writer/director Jacqueline Hankins has an impressive one called "Cooking the
Books: A Recipe for Murder" running at the Theater District's Playwright Tavern (732 Eighth
Avenue, between 45th & 46th streets).

The action-packed comedy/musical/murder-mystery about corrupt stockbrokers who choose
to murder rather than go to jail features Mykeko E. Bryant, Ann Estill, Leroy Hankins, Angel
Martinez, Stephen Robinson, Ann Hill, Erika Staples, Jacqueline Hankins and Loretta Poole.

Author/director Hankins' career spans 27 years touring the United States, Europe, the
Caribbean, Kenya, Iceland and the former Soviet Union.  A composer of folk operas called
"Hip Hop Musical Mysteries", she is also a songwriter with two acclaimed albums to her
credit:  "Christmas Joy" and "Let's Dance to blues, Swing and Latin Music"

A one-act production, "Cooking the Books" has a Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. playing
schedule, and includes a brunch menu.  Tickets can be purchased online at
www.ticketcentral.com or by calling (212)279-4200.
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