Bashar B. Barazi – Executive Producer/Creative Director
Bashar oversees all creative productions and business divisions of 3B Media Inc., the world’s largest producer and distributor of Arabic & Middle Eastern media, including music label & production (MAQAM®), dance & theater shows, concerts & live events, radio broadcasts, and online media distribution. He is the creative force behind A DREAM OF ARABIA®, the first Broadway-style theatrical production of Arabic dance and music.
A sought after producer, director, and voice artist, Bashar produces and hosts Radio MAQAM®, the first nationally syndicated Arabic program on public radio, lends his voice to public radio and inflight entertainment on major airlines around the world, and has been recognized by the Oxford Dictionary of Music for his contributions in bringing Arabic, Middle Eastern, and North African art and culture to mainstream broadcasting in the United States. He is a nationally noted speaker, regularly presenting at major universities and academic institutions, business groups, professional associations, and entertainment conferences. He is often hired by major legal firms and consulting companies as a subject matter expert in media, entertainment, and cultural productions.
Nanae – Artistic Director/Lead Choreographer
Nanae, an exclusive MAQAM® artist, is the artistic director, lead choreographer, and star of A DREAM OF ARABIA®.
A world renowned artist in Arabic dance, Nanae began ballet at the age of three, and holds a degree in performing arts from Tamagawa University where she studied ballet, Kabuki dance, and acting. In her teens, with a desire to create a new style, Nanae embarked on a journey to study traditional dances around the world and discovered Arabic dance. Nanae holds the distinguished honor of being the first artist to present an Arabic performance at a major US sports venue when she performed “A Feeling Like Love” at Soldier Field in Chicago. This historic event was repeated one week later with Nanae’s performance of “Where It All Begins” at the world-famous and historic Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Nanae’s exceptional choreographic and dance skills are surpassed only by her performance artistry. She is world renowned for her exquisite lines, her fluid, nature-defying movements, her dramatic interpretation of Arabic music, and her ability to connect the audience with the story and emotion of the folkloric dances of the Arab World.
Rosalind Jones – Key Hair/Makeup
Rosalind, head Hair & Makeup artist for MAQAM® since 2008, is the creative master of image and makeup for the cast of A DREAM OF ARABIA®.
An accomplished artist of both hair and cosmetics, Rosalind has worked on countless Broadway shows, television programs, and blockbuster movies. A specialist in period design, her work can be seen on stage, film, and the pages of top fashion magazines, as well as many of today’s stars of film, theater, and music. Her credits include The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Broadway In Chicago, Goodman Theatre, Ravinia, Auditorium Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Annie Get Your Gun, Aida, The Color Purple, The Magic Flute, Wicked, Jersey Boys, The Ballad of Emmet Till, Mary Poppins, Dream Girls, Billy Elliot, Nutcracker, A Merry Widow, Motown, Chicago Fire, Chicago Justice, Chicago Law, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., and over 30 feature films and Hollywood blockbusters.