UNCHAIN MY HEART
THE RAY CHARLES MUSICAL
With music by Ray Charles and book by Suzan-Lori Parks
Directed by Sheldon Epps
STARRING
Brandon Victor Dixon as "Ray Charles"
With
Harrison White & Tasha Taylor
And
Nikki Renée Daniels as "Della"
The cast of UNCHAIN MY HEART, The Ray Charles Musical, will be lead by
Brandon Victor Dixon (2010 Lortel, Drama League & Outer Critics Circle
nominee for The Scottsboro Boys, 2006 Tony nominee for The Color Purple)
starring as "Ray Charles" and Nikki Renée Daniels (Promises,
Promises, Nine) as "Della".
The cast will also feature Harrison White (Broadway's The Lion King, West
End Smokey Joe's Café) as "Jeff Brown" & recording artist
Tasha Taylor making her Broadway debut as "Margie Hendricks".
UNCHAIN MY HEART featuring the music of Ray Charles with a book by Suzan-Lori
Parks & directed by Sheldon Epps will begin previews on October 8,
2010 and open officially November 7, 2010 on Broadway at a Shubert Theatre
to be announced.
Additional members of the company and the theatre will be announced at
a later date.
UNCHAIN MY HEART will feature Choreography by Kenneth L. Roberson with
Associate Edgar Godineaux, Music Supervision and Arrangements by Rahn Coleman,
Orchestrations by Harold Wheeler and Music Direction by Shelton Becton.
The design team for UNCHAIN MY HEART includes Riccardo Hernandez
(Sets), Paul Tazewell (Costumes), Donald Holder (Lights), Carl Casella
(Sound), Charles LaPointe (Hair & Wig Design). Casting is by
Telsey & Company, Technical Supervision by Theatersmith, Inc. and the
General Manager is Don Frantz & Laurie Brown of Town Square Productions,
Inc.
UNCHAIN MY HEART will be presented on Broadway by Stuart Benjamin. Mr.
Benjamin knew and worked with Mr. Charles for 15 years and produced the
multi Oscar nominated and award winning film Ray.
UNCHAIN MY HEART, The Ray Charles Musical explores the strength, humor
and musical genius of the legendary Ray Charles. One of the greatest
pioneering musical artists of all time, Ray Charles mastered everything
from soul and rhythm & blues to gospel, jazz, country and pop. Set
in his last live recording session, UNCHAIN MY HEART reveals Charles' remarkable
life story through his music. Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks
(Topdog/Underdog) weaves together true tales that reveal the spirit of
the man whose life and music helped to define soul, and inspired people
the world over.
UNCHAIN MY HEART features Charles' best-known hits including: "Georgia
on My Mind," "What'd I Say," "Mess Around," "Hit
The Road, Jack," "Unchain My Heart," "I Got a Woman",
"You Don't Know Me" and "Hallelujah, I Love Her So."
An earlier, developmental production was produced at the Pasadena Playhouse
(Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director) in 2007 under the title of RAY CHARLES
LIVE! The Variety review of that production can be seen at the following
link: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117935383
TICKETS:
Tickets will become available in Summer 2010 online at Telecharge.com or
by phone at (212)239-6200.
BIOGRAPHIES:
BRANDON VICTOR DIXON (Ray Charles). Broadway: The Color Purple; Harpo
(Tony Nomination), City Center Encores! House of Flowers; Royal, Lion King
Cheetah National Tour; Simba (original). Off-Broadway: The Scottsboro Boys;
Haywood Patterson (Lucille Lortel Nom., Drama League Nom., Outer Critic's
Circle Nom.). Regional: Ray Charles Live!; Ray Charles (Ovation Nom.) Henry
V, Romeo and Juliet. Columbia University's 107th Annual Varsity Show. TV:
Quincy Jones's America's Millennium, ABC's One Life to Live (recurring)
L&O: Criminal Intent; (featured). Awards: Columbia University's I.A.L.
Diamond Award, National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts Award,
British Academy of Dramatic Acting scholarship, Presidential Scholar Semi-Finalist.
Columbia University graduate.
NIKKI RENÉE DANIELS (Della). Nikki is currently appearing in Promises,
Promises on Broadway. Other Broadway credits include Les Miserables,
Aida, Nine, The Look of Love, Lestat and Little Shop of Horrors. She made
her New York City Opera debut as Clara in Porgy and Bess. Regional
credits include Caroline or Change (Emmie) at the Guthrie Theatre, Anything
Goes (Hope) at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Ray Charles Live! (Della
B) at the Pasadena Playhouse, Beauty and the Beast (Belle) at Sacramento
Music Circus, Dorian (Celia) at the Denver Center, and Ragtime (Sarah)
at North Shore Music Theatre. Nikki has also performed as a soloist
with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra,
the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Pops and at Carnegie
Hall.
HARRISON WHITE (Jeff Brown). Harrison is thrilled to return to Broadway.
Broadway & National Tour: The Lion King (also LA company), Sarafina
(Winner, NAACP Theatre Awards Best Musical). Off Broadway: A Good Swift
Kick, Romance In Hard Times. London's West End: Smokey Joe's Café (nominated:
Laurence Olivier Award). Pre-Broadway: Starmites. Regional: Bark,
Seussical, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Full Monty, Gulls (nominated: 2009
NAACP Theater Award), Miss Saigon (Winner: 2008 LA Ovation Award Best Musical),
Ray Charles Live (Winner: 2008 NAACP Theater Award Best Ensemble), Sister
Act The Musical, It's A Wonderful Life, Purlie (Winner: 2005 Ovation Award
Featured Actor In a Musical), Ain't Misbehavin', Five Guys Named Moe, Once
On This Island. Film: I Got The Hook Up, Se7en, Doom Asylum. Television:
"Modern Family" & "Viva Laughlin". Internet: "Venice
The Series", "Republicrats" & "Home Purchasing
Club" for VH1.com. Soundtrack: "Tears of the Sun", "The
Power of One" & "Sarafina".
TASHA TAYLOR (Margie Hendricks). Tasha Taylor is originally
from Dallas, Texas and began singing and performing on stage at a young
age, touring with her father, Soul legend Johnnie Taylor. She went on to
study Shakespearean theater at Boston University and returned to Dallas
performing at the Dallas Theatre Center. Performances include: Annie (Miss
Hannigan), Fiddler On The Roof (Fruma Sara), Bye Bye Birdie (Rosie), Me
and My Girl (Jacqueline). She soon moved to LA and began working in TV
and Film on various shows and commercials: "House", "Ugly
Betty", "Yes, Dear", "Stripmall", (Comedy Central),
"7th Heaven", "Abby", "Moesha", the indie
film Dimples with Madaline Zima, and the stage play, Mental at the Edgemar
Theatre. Most recently performing in the play Atlanta at the Geffen Theater
as the character "Puck". Also a songwriter, Tasha has been
on the road with Aretha Franklin,Taj Mahal, Bernard Allison, Kenny Neal,
Voices of The Wetlands, Carla Thomas, Allen Tussant, Los Lonley Boys, and
many others. Her first album, REVIVAL is now available on Itunes and Amazon.com<http://Amazon.com>.
She currently performs with Dan Akroyd and Jim Belushi on the road as the
Blues Brothers Band, in addition to recording and performing her own original
music, she is currently producing her 2nd original album soon to be released.
www.tashataylor.com<http://www.tashataylor.com>.
Ray Charles (Music & Lyrics). Ray Charles, was born Ray Charles
Robinson on September 23, 1930 in Albany, Georgia. Very early in
his career, this American musician had the nickname "The Genius"
bestowed upon him, and he became the embodiment of that term in so many
areas of music. He was a vocalist, performer, songwriter, bandleader and
arranger who played keyboards and reeds. He was an innovator in music
who comfortably, confidently and successfully worked in swing, blues, gospel,
country, jazz, and rock. He was also an astute businessman who took
the unprecedented action of insisting upon artistic control and ownership
of his own master recordings, formed his own publishing companies and his
own record labels. In the 1950s, he broke down the barriers of sacred
and secular music, fused elements of gospel, jazz and blues together and
mixed it with a fiery, fervid style that would come to be known as soul
music. The same powerful gospel/jazz/blues mix would create the very foundation
for rock and roll. In the 1960s, he helped integrate country and
pop music with his crossover success, most notably with his Modern Sounds
of Country and Western Music, Vol. 1 and 2 both of which were released
in 1962. It kicked the doors wide-open for new audiences to find
country music and for country music to embrace Ray Charles. All this time,
Ray continued to mix musical styles at will, and with great success, scoring
major hits on the R&B, Jazz and Pop charts. Ray Charles' recording
of "Georgia On My Mind" was made the official state song for
Georgia in 1979. He also received the Kennedy Center Honors for exemplary
lifetime achievement in the performing arts in 1986 from President Ronald
Reagan and the National Medal of Arts in 1993 from President William Clinton.
In addition to winning 17 Grammy Awards, he received the Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award in 1987. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #10 on their
list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004 and #2
on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time" in 2008. The
2004 feature film Ray portrays the life and career of Ray Charles and stars
Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles. The film is the all-time number one music
biopic, earning $125 million in worldwide box office. Jamie Foxx won the
Academy Award for "Best Actor in a Leading Role" for his performance.
Ray Charles died from acute liver disease on Thursday, June 10, 2004,
two months before the release of his final album, "Genius Loves Company."
He was 73. In 1986, Mr. Charles created what is now known as
The Ray Charles Foundation which is dedicated to providing support in the
area of hearing disorders and the empowerment of young people through education
by offering foundation support to educational institutions and non profit
education programs. The vision of The Ray Charles Foundation is to instill
in the youth of America that "there is no challenge too great one
cannot overcome."
Suzan-Lori Parks (Book) playwright, screenwriter, novelist, essayist, actor
and songwriter, recently celebrated her 8th show, The Book Of Grace, at
the Public Theatre. The others: Venus, (OBIE Award),
In The Blood, (Pulitzer Prize Finalist), Fucking A, The America Play, Father
Comes Home From The Wars, Part 1: The Union of My Confederate Parts,
Topdog/Underdog, and 365 Days/365 Plays (as part of the year-long international
collaboration involving over 700 theatres; co-produced with Bonnie Metzgar).
Parks' other plays include The Death Of The Last Black Man In The
Whole Entire World, Devotees In The Garden Of Love, and Imperceptible Mutabilities
in the Third Kingdom (OBIE Award, Best New American Play). Most all of
Suzan-Lori's plays are published by Theatre Communications Group. Her
first novel, Getting Mother's Body is published by Random House. Suzan-Lori
has a leading role in ...Plus One which recently premiered at the
Cannes Film Festival. Her additional work for film includes: as
writer/director: Anemone Me (produced by Christine Vachon and Todd Haynes),
as writer: Girl 6 (dir. Spike Lee), screenplays for Brad Pitt, Jodie Foster
and others. She wrote the adaptation of Their Eyes Were Watching
God (staring Halle Berry) for Oprah Winfrey Presents. She is a recipient
of a MacArthur "Genius" Grant and won the Pulitzer Prize for
Topdog/Underdog. Teaching at NYU and at work on her second novel,
Suzan-Lori also serves the Public Theater as their Master Writer Chair
and appears as an animated character on Nickelodeon Jr.
Sheldon Epps (Director) has been Artistic Director of the renowned Pasadena
Playhouse since 1997. Before beginning his tenure at the Playhouse
he served as Associate Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre for four
years. He was also a co-founder of the Off Broadway theatre, The
Production Company. Mr. Epps has directed both plays and musicals
at many of the country's major theatres including the Roundabout, Manhattan
Theatre Club, the Guthrie, Playwrights Horizons, Seattle Repertory Theatre,
Arena Stage, and the Goodman Theatre. He conceived the highly acclaimed
musicals Play On! and Blues In the Night, which both received Tony Award
nominations. He directed productions of both of those shows on Broadway,
in London, and at theatres throughout the world. Mr. Epps also has
had a busy career as a television director helming episodes of shows such
as "Frasier", "Friends", "Everybody Loves Raymond",
"Girlfriends" and many others. For more than a decade,
he served as a member of the Executive Board of the Society of Stage Directors
and Choreographers. Mr. Epps received the James Irvine Foundation
Leadership Award for his efforts and accomplishments at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Under his leadership the Playhouse has become one of the premiere
theatres in the country, earning distinction for productions of artistic
excellence, overwhelming critical and box office success, and highly praised
theatrical diversity.
Stuart Benjamin (Presenter/Producer). Oscar nominated and Grammy
Award-winning film, television and record producer, Stuart Benjamin co-founded
New Visions Entertainment which produced such films as Against All Odds,
White Nights, La Bamba, Everybody's All American, The Long Walk Home, Queen's
Logic and Mortal Thoughts, as well as the Academy Award-winning short,
Teenage Father. As a principal in New Visions Music Group, he has
been involved in the production of a number of gold and platinum sound
track albums. New Visions Music Group has been responsible for nine
(9) # 1 singles. As a music producer, Benjamin not only received
a Grammy for producing the soundtrack album for Ray, but he also collaborated
with such artists as Sting, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey and
Billy Preston in producing Sam Moore's comeback album. Benjamin has
also produced a number of successful feature, television, cable and animated
projects, including a live gospel concert with Ray Charles, which he also
directed, and the multi-award winning "Ray Charles Tribute Concert"
which was a CBS Television special. Benjamin's friendship with Ray Charles
from the 1980s resulted in Mr. Charles granting him the rights to make
a film about Mr. Charles' life. The result of those efforts was the
film, Ray, which Benjamin produced with Mr. Charles' full participation
and blessing. The film garnered six Oscar nominations and two wins,
including a nomination for Best Picture. As the producer of the film,
Benjamin was personally nominated for an Oscar. Benjamin also produced
the multi-platinum soundtrack album from the film for which he received
a Grammy. In the fall of 2007, Benjamin successfully launched a
live theatrical production at the Pasadena Playhouse based upon the life
of Ray Charles. In March, 2009 he produced Louis & Keely Live
at the Sahara at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood, California. The
show went on to become the longest running show in the history of the Geffen,
and Benjamin received an Ovation Award from the Los Angeles Stage Alliance
for Best Production of a Musical. He is a graduate of the University
of Southern California and Harvard Law School.
www.UnchainMyHeartOnBroadway.com<http://www.UnchainMyHeartOnBroadway.com>
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