Charles Randolph-Wright

With that said, it brought me great joy to hear that the director of Motown: the Musical, Charles Randolph Wright, announced that he has written and is to direct the world-premiere stage musical Born For This: The BeBe Winans story at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA debuting January 2016 and running through February 14, 2016.

Born For This has been in the works for nearly a decade, and has been stated to showcase BeBe and CeCe Winans “heart-warming and hilarious journey toward self- discovery”.

Detroit natives BeBe and CeCe Winans, youngest siblings of the Winans family dynasty, experience the ultimate in culture shocks when invited to join Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Praise The Lord Network television show. The teenaged Winans become not only television celebrities, but also the “adopted children” of the Bakkers, integrating TV evangelism in Pineville, North Carolina. As BeBe and CeCe encounter fame, fortune, and even a young Whitney Houston, BeBe must learn to balance his desire for success with his true calling.

This  production featuring new music written by BeBe, will reportedly incorporate a new generation of Winans to play the young brother and sister.

The full cast has not yet been released. However, during a private reading/workshop that had media mogul and Broadway producer, Oprah in the audience, as well as legendary Cicely Tyson, a few familiar faces were seen. Those faces included Syndee Winters, Alan H. Green, Dyllon Burnside, & Bryan Terrell Clark.

“Born for This” #Artistlivin #Oprah #CicelyTyson #BeBeWinans #Legends

A photo posted by Bryan Terrell Clark (@therealbtc) on Mar 22, 2015 at 6:17pm PDT

Bebe Winans recently did an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution talking about the development of this new musical. Check out a snippet below:

On sharing his memories: “So much of it is a coming-of-age story, where we left home (in Detroit) and all the things we knew, which was pretty much a black-oriented school and church. And we were thrust into the South, where there were 4,000 (PTL Ministry) employees and four of them were African-American.

“It was a life-changing experience. We dealt with being away from home, we dealt with racism, we dealt with little things that were so different. Sports to me was basketball. And I found myself rock-climbing. I didn’t know that was a sport…”

On collaborating with “Motown the Musical” director Charles Randolph-Wright:“He’s very, very talented, and he knows my story, so it was easy to trust him. One thing I never will forget, he brought (a scene) to me, and it talked about threats on me and my sister. And I said, ‘I don’t remember no threats, Charles.’

“Then I was having dinner with Jim Bakker, who is still an incredible friend and father figure to me, love him with all my heart. And I gave him some of the script and told him that I had allowed Charles to take some leeway and that he had put in that we had had some threats. And Jim looked at me said, ‘Oh, there were a lot of threats.’

“He had protected us from them.”

On his Broadway hopes for the musical: “That’s the Alliance’s goal, that’s our goal, that’s the Arena Stage’s goal. Oh yes, it is Broadway bound!”

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW ON ARTSCULTURE BLOG HERE

Just the idea of this production hits home for me, seeing that I spent much of my spare time in church. Strongly encourage those in the Atlanta area to mark this production on their calendars. I know how much of a blessing his music was to my life and I can only imagine what blessings are in store for those who take the time to support this man of God. I’ll be first in line when it comes to Broadway.

The post Born For This: The BeBe & Cece Winans Musical Broadway Bound appeared first on Broadway Black.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmv2A8dDOgk

LENA: A Moment With A Lady MARCH 31st, 2015

Show & Dinner @ 7PM DUANE PARK NYC Tickets:45$

The show (previously entitled, “Let Me Love You: A dedication to Lena Horne”) made its debut on March 24, 2014 performing to a SOLD OUT audience at the world- famous Cutting Room NYC. The demand for the show was so high, the show returned, this time at the elegant Duane Park NYC and brought the house down in front of another SOLD OUT audience. And we’re sure March 31st will be no different. Get ready to put on your best upscale casual attire and get your tickets now HERE before it sells out ! Also, learn more about the show and the journey it’s taken to get to this point in our interview with the fabulously talented Syndee Winters below!

BroadwayBlack (BB): Let’s jump right in. What inspires you the most about Lena Horne?

Syndee Winters (SW): It was sort of by accident that I found her. Someone said to me when I was in college “Oh, you remind me of a young Lena Horne.” So I googled her and when I did I was immersed in a world of this woman. I really identified with her. She was tenacious, classy, extremely talented, and extremely beautiful, and she had gone through  a lot of tribulations in her to life to make her the person that she was. And in living my life I identified and understood her.

(BB): Who is she to you?

(SW): She is… kind of like a spiritual mentor or an entertainment mentor. Kind of guiding me thru how I conduct myself as a performer and a businesswoman in the entertainment industry. She is such an inspiration to me. So, producing this concert is my way of honoring her and celebrating her. And bringing her to the forefront of my generation. This is my love letter to her.

Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010)

(BB): What is something that people would be surprised to know about Lena Horne?

(SW): You know, people have forgotten she was a pop star. In whatever the sense a pop star was back in the 1940s and 50s. She was the equivalent of what like… Beyonce is today. AND many people don’t know how much of a civil rights activist she was back in those days. She actually put out a civil rights protest record and it was banned. Like, how bad ass is that? I just love her. I love her attitude, I lover everything about her. She makes it okay for me to be who I am in this industry as I’m learning.

(BB): How did you birth the idea of this production?

(SW): I had just come off The Lion King tour. I was ready to step into a new phase in my life and I was sort of in a place where I wanted to make my own way. So, a friend of mine said “Write a show!” and I said “Oh, well… Okay!”. So, it kind of came on as dare and what started off as a dare turned into a full on lifestyle commitment. The more I researched and the more did work on this project, the more I fell in love with Lena Horne, and her story, and wanting to make her as fabulous and relevant as the pop stars of today.

(BB): You did a successful indiegogo campaign which allowed you to produce and eventually sell-out the last TWO mountings of this project. How have things grown since then?

(SW): Honestly, beginning out, all I had was a flyer and a dream. So to do the campaign and exceed my goal of 7,000$ and to be contacted, somehow, someway, by Fox Good Day New York to do a performance on their morning show, and thru that the buzz really picked up. It’s been like the angels are guiding me.

(BB): Why did you choose this specific time in Lena’s life to showcase?

(SW): It was a pivotal moment for her (right before she went to Broadway with her one woman show). It was a very new chapter in her life where she was okay with being who she was. No longer feeling like she had to prove anything to anyone and she was ready to share her story (on this tour). This may be bold but , although her one woman show was her way of telling it, this show is the voice of Lena Horne in today. It will get the audience to understand and love who she was.

(BB): What is your favorite Lena Horne song?

(SW): My favorite would be a song she sings from the musical Gypsy called “Some People”. I just feel like that really sums up her life.

(BB): Out of all the shows you’ve done on Broadway Off-Broadway, which one taught you the most and prepared you for this?

(SW): I think, The Lion King taught me the most. It was my first Broadway musical. I wanted to be in that show since I was 9 years old. I wanted to play Nala. So when I put THAT image on my vision board and I put it in my prayers and the prayer was answered, it completely changed not only my life but the way I though about dreams, goals, and accomplishments. It totally switched my way of thinking.

(BB): Anything you’d like to say to our readers?

(SW): Yes! Come see the show! And check us out on Instagram @LenaTheLady and visit the website LENATHELADY.com

The post Syndee Winters Dares To Be Lena Horne appeared first on Broadway Black.