Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope

The Black Theatre Troupe brings Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope to The Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center starting Friday, October 23, and running through November 8. It's a Broadway musical that first hit the stage in 1972 and ran for more than 1,000 performances, picking up four Tony Award nominations along the way, including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Original Score.

There's a bit of history behind the show: it was written by composer and lyricist Micki Grant and conceived by Vinnette Carroll, making it the first Broadway musical for which a Black woman wrote the book, music and lyrics. Rather than following a traditional plot, it unfolds as a revue, using song and dance to capture Black life in the early 1970s. The music pulls from gospel, jazz, soul, funk, rock, calypso and ballads, so it's more of a collection of moments than a single story. The Black Theatre Troupe is staging it as a celebration of culture, community and resilience, with a full ensemble of singers, dancers and musicians backed by a live band.

Patdro Harris directs and choreographs, with musical direction by Brenda Hankins and musical arrangements by Sanford Moore. The cast includes Larry Arnold, Cherylandria Banks, Cam Blackwell, Shaylee Flanagan, Charles Holt, Alecea Housworth, Eboni McDonald, Ryan Christopher Pinkston, Kaiiro Shepherd and Tanya Tiet.

Shows run Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM, Sunday at 2:30 PM, and Thursday at 2 PM. Tickets are $52, and the venue is at 1333 E Washington St in Phoenix.