Pictured: Sharon Preston-Folta shares her mother's story in Lucille Sweets Preston: Flash Acts in Black Vaudeville on November 22 at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center. Provided photo.

The Glenridge Performing Arts Center (GPAC) continues its 2026–2027 season with an eclectic lineup of music, dance and storytelling, from holiday rock and roll and big band jazz to soulful vocals and dazzling tap dancing. Among the upcoming highlights is a little-known chapter of American entertainment history that takes center stage November 22, when Sharon Preston-Folta, daughter of jazz legend Louis Armstrong and performer Lucille “Sweets” Preston, joins forces with Sarasota Contemporary Dance to celebrate her mother's legacy. The production, Lucille ‘Sweets’ Preston: Flash Acts in Black Vaudeville, combines storytelling and dance to illuminate the lives and artistry of Black performers who helped shape American popular entertainment during the 1930s and 1940s. Directed by Leymis Bolaños Wilmott with choreography by Monessa Salley, the program explores a vibrant chapter of cultural history that has often been overlooked.

Pictured: Sharon Preston-Folta shares her mother's story in Lucille Sweets Preston: Flash Acts in Black Vaudeville on November 22 at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center. Provided photo.