Bronzeville (podcast)

Historical fiction podcast

Podcast

Bronzeville

Presentation
Genre|

* Historical drama
* Crime

Written by| Josh Olson
Directed by|

* KC Wayland
* Larenz Tate
* Laurence Fishburne

Language| English
Publication
Original release| February 7, 2017

Bronzeville is a historical fiction podcast written by Josh Olson. Set in the eponymous district of Chicago in the 1940s, it mainly follows the members of two families, the Randolphs and the Copelands.

The series star Larenz Tate and Laurence Fishburne, who also act as executive producers; all episodes were directed by either Tate, Fishburne, or producer KC Wayland. The first season of Bronzeville was released between February 7 and April 11, 2017, with a second season released between March 16 and April 20, 2021.

## Background

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The podcast was produced by Cinema Gypsy Productions, TateMen Entertainment, and Audio HQ.[1][2] The show is directed by Larenz Tate, Laurence Fishburne, and Kc Wayland.[3] Larenz Tate spoke with Quincy Jones in 2004 when preparing for his role in the movie Ray, which inspired him to dig into Chicago's history and eventually led to the creation of Bronzeville.[4] The first season of the podcast debuted on February 7, 2017, and season two debuted on March 16, 2021.[5][6] The fist season consisted of 10 episodes.[7] The second season consisted of six episodes.[8] The podcast is a historical fiction story set in 1940s Chicago.[9][10] The story is based on Black Metropolis.[11] The story is set during a time when radio dramas were popular and the first black radio soap opera, Here Comes Tomorrow, was created in Chicago.[12][13] The podcast begins by describing 47th and South Park in Bronzeville, Chicago.[14] The show follows the Randolph family and the Copeland family.[15] The show focuses on the underground lottery or the numbers game.[16][17] According to the Chicago Defender, the podcast has received more than 20 million listens.[18] The podcast has over 50 voice actors and more than 100 characters.[19]

### Cast and characters

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* Larenz Tate as Jimmy Tillman
* Laurence Fishburne as Curtis "Eyeball" Randolph
* Tracee Ellis Ross as Anna Randolph
* Omari Hardwick as Jesse Copeland
* Wood Harris as Everett Copeland
* Tika Sumpter as Lisa Copeland
* Lahmard Tate as Zeke Copeland
* Cory Hardrict as Casper Dixon
* Mekhi Phifer
* LeVar Burton
* Lalah Hathaway
* Affion Crockett
* Beth Maitland
* Michael Nouri
* Obba Babatundé
* Rodney Saulsberry
* Lance Reddick
* Fay Hauser
* Kevin Brief[20][21][22]

## References

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1. ^ Petski, Denise (March 8, 2021). "Laurence Fishburne and Larenz Tate Set to Release Season Two of Audio Series 'Bronzeville'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
2. ^ D'Amour, Zon (February 23, 2017). "Larenz Tate on Recreating the Black Excellence of 'Bronzeville'". Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
3. ^ Kilday, Gregg (October 19, 2016). "Laurence Fishburne, Larenz Tate Team Up for 'Bronzeville' Podcast: The 10-Part Audio Series Set in 1940s Chicago Will Begin Streaming in January". The Hollywood Reporter. Eldridge Industries. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
4. ^ Stemer, Zak (May 23, 2017). "Chicagoan Larenz Tate Goes Home in 'Bronzeville': The Chicago-Raised Actor Spotlights the South Side's Rich History in His Audio Drama 'Bronzeville'". Wheretraveler. Morris Visitor Publications. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
5. ^ Rao, Sameer (February 7, 2017). "Laurence Fishburne and Larenz Tate Resurrect Black History in Star-Studded 'Bronzeville'". ColorLines. Race Forward. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
6. ^ Moore, Evan F. (March 16, 2021). "Laurence Fishburne, Larenz Tate Launch Second Season of Audio Series 'Bronzeville': The Series Detailing Chicago's "Black Metropolis" First Aired in 2017". Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago Public Media. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
7. ^ Verdier, Hannah (February 16, 2017). "Bronzeville – Glossy Podcast Drama Starring Laurence Fishburne: A Hollywood Cast Including Larenz Tate and Tika Sumpter Scratch the Surface of the American Dream in 1940s Chicago". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
8. ^ Harris, Michael (March 22, 2021). "Larenz Tate and Laurence Fishburne Debut Season Two of 'Bronzeville' Podcast". rollingout.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
9. ^ "Bronzeville: A Podcast Drama Set in 1940s Chicago". WBEZ. Chicago Public Media. February 27, 2017. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
10. ^ James, Becca (August 31, 2019). "15 Podcasts to Take to the Beach: For When You Want to Listen to Something Other Than the Waves at the Beach". BuzzFeed News. BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
11. ^ Lee, Britta (April 13, 2017). "Chicago Connection: The Tate Brothers Discuss 'Bronzeville'". Atlanta Daily World. Real Times. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
12. ^ Cannon, Ben (February 13, 2017). "From Audio Dramas to Genre-Bending Comedy, Podmass Serves Up the Newest and Freshest Shows". The A.V. Club. G/O Media. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
13. ^ Gorden, Audrey (May 25, 2017). "Listen: Laurence Fishburne, Larenz Tate Star in Podcast 'Bronzeville'". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
14. ^ Ali, Tanveer (February 21, 2017). "Laurence Fishburne, Larenz Tate Tell Story of 'Forgotten' Black Chicago". DNAinfo. New Media News, LLC. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
15. ^ Menzer, Leah (April 4, 2017). "Bronzeville: The Podcast Creates a Mandate for Change". South Side Weekly. South Side Weekly Publishing. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
16. ^ Greene, Steve (May 25, 2017). "10 Great Fiction Podcasts to Listen to Right Now: From "Bronzeville" to "Within the Wires," These Shows Have Some of the Best Stories Anywhere". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
17. ^ Keeley, Sean (December 21, 2017). "The 10 Best New Audio Drama Podcasts of 2017: When We Needed Escape More Than Ever, 2017 Was a Breakout Year for Audio Dramas". The Comeback. Comeback Media. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
18. ^ Sanders, Danielle (March 22, 2021). ""Podcast and Chill" With Season Two of Bronzeville, an Audio Drama by Larenz Tate and Laurence Fishburne". The Chicago Defender. Real Times. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
19. ^ Golden, Jamie Nesbitt (March 31, 2021). "'Bronzeville' Podcast Back for Season Two as It Transports Listeners to a Time When Lottery 'Kings' Ruled Black Chicago: The Podcast, Now in Its Second Season, Explores Black Life in Chicago in the '40s". Block Club Chicago. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
20. ^ Clifford, Kambra (March 18, 2021). "Glossy Audio Drama Bronzeville Features a Bevy of Soap Stars, Including Beth Maitland, Tika Sumpter, Michael Nouri, and More". Soap Central. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
21. ^ Penrice, Ronda Racha (March 28, 2017). "Welcome to 'Bronzeville': Larenz Tate and Laurence Fishburne Make a Podcast: Larenz Tate and Laurence Fishburne Have Brought an Unsung Chicago Community to Life With the Star-Studded Audio Scripted Drama With "Bronzeville."". NBC News. NBC. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
22. ^ Connor, Jay (March 22, 2021). "Larenz Tate Explains How Bronzeville is More Than a Tale of Perseverance, It's a Star-Studded Podcast That Wouldn't Exist Without It". The Root. G/O Media. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2022.

## External links

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* Official website