L A F O R R E S T

C O P E

Funktions at the JuNction

Return to LALA Land is the creative nonfiction literary musical performance piece, inspired by true events, of a highly successful musician-singer- songwriter-performer struggling to tear down borders& construct boundaries between her present day artistry and a golden past that threatens to crush her under its glittery weight.

- Mark Blickley, Author/Playwright

Return to LALA Land

Starring

LALA & Dugard's Hit Squad with Chris Fougere

Conceived by Mark Blickley

with music & spoken word from the book, Soul Shaker, written by LaForrest "LALA" Cope

Directed by Joe Battista

Produced by Roslyn McKay

Stage Manager: Allison Hohman

Music Director: Freddy Dugard

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

...Reserved seating on sale in 2018!!

Date: t/b/a

Time: 7:30 o'clock PM

Address: 50 west 13th street, New York City 11011

* * *

Past Funktions...
- Queens College Masters Poetry Reading, Flushing, NY - Dec 2006
- The Jackson Heights Poetry Festival (JHPF), 7 at Terraza Café - May 2008
- CUNY Graduate Center Turnstyle Readings, "No Show" - New York, NY - Feb 15, 2009
- Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Manhasset, NY - November 10, 2009
- We Write the Songs: Celebrating the ASCAP Collection at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC - May 11, 2010
- Smalls Lit Reading Series, Smalls Jazz Club New York, Jamaica, NY - October 30, 2010
- York College Africana Colloquium Series, Jamaica, NY - September 21, 2011
- York College Music Club/AARC Symposium, “Life in the Key of Love: The Impact of Stevie Wonder."- March 19, 2012
- York College Wow's Night of Jazz and Soul, "The Shadow of Your Smile" - Jamaica, NY - September 21, 2012
- Oh, Bernice! Reading Series: Sunnyside, NY - October 20, 2012
- Queens Library, Freddy Dugard's Jazz Salute to Dr. Martin Luther King (feat.LALA), East Elmhurst, NY - January 14, 2013
- York College/AARC Retrospective Panel, “Man in the Mirror: A Look at Michael Jackson." - March 18, 2013
- Jackson Room:Tom "Jamaica Funk" Browne (feat.LALA), St. Albans, NY - November 15 & 16, 2013
- Showmans: L.A. Blacksmith (feat.LALA), Harlem, NY - January 24, 2014
- Billie's Black: Ron Monroe (feat.LALA), Harlem, NY - April 28, 2014
- First Reformed Church of Jamaica: Dugard's Hit Squad (feat.LALA), Jamaica, NY - May 22, 2014
- Sangria Tapas Restaurant: Dugard's Hit Squad (feat.LALA), Jamaica, NY-October 24, 2015
- York College Fall Faculty Reading, Soul Shaker by Prof. Cope (feat. Jazz drummer, Freddy Dugard), Jamaica, NY-November 11, 2015
- The Shop for a Cause "Objects of Desire" fundraiser at Hempstead House: Dugard's Hit Squad (feat.LALA), Sands Point Preserve, NY-November 22, 2015
- BAM Café: Onaje Allen Gumbs Presents New Vintage (feat.LALA), Brooklyn, NY-January 16, 2016
- Astoria Bookstore: Oh!Bernice Reading Series: Soul Shaker featuring Freddy Dugard, , NY-February 20, 2016
- 13th Street Repertory Theater, NYC: Return to LALA Land: a one-woman literary musical based on the book, Soul Shaker, starring LaForrest "Lala" Cope featuring Dugard's Hit Squad, -August 20 & September 24, 2016
- Newtown Literary Issue #9 Launch Reading, Soul Shaker by Prof. Cope (feat. Jazz drummer, Freddy Dugard), Jackson Heights, NY-December 7, 2016
- The AirTrain Jazz Festival (LALA & Dugard's Hit Squad), Jamaica, NY-December 14, 2016
"The voice of the sea speaks to the soul." - Kate Chopin
Autobiography of a Song

All great songwriters have a bag of tricks that they can pull from. Whether it be a turn of a phrase, something rhythmically or harmonically interesting, the great ones know when and how to weave their spell.
- Ivan Orr, Musician/Social critic

Read more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Give_Good_Love
femamom: edgy tales from parenthood
Posted on June 23 2011
"One day he will be older and like Emerson become more self-reliant allowing me a lighter schedule. I hope. I wish. I could be a stay-at-home mom, but somebody’s gotta pay the bills. Seems like none of our mothers ever worked when we were kids..."
York English Department hosts Literary Reading of Soul Shaker
Posted on March 16 2016
"On November 11, Professor Cope's performative reading kept the packed room spellbound. Her dialogue with students afterwards was characteristically direct, witty, and impassioned..."