It’s been a few years since I worked in the professional theater scene of Atlanta. Lately, I’ve been focusing on educational theater and my personal clients. I earned my MFA in Design from UGA in 2008 and have been designing and making friends and colleagues in the theatre ever since. But it was an ill fated tech week before we were expecting Scarlett when Red greeted me at breakfast with, “Mama! You’re back! You’ve been gone forever!!” I had, in fact, been pulling 14 hour days all week in anticipation for opening. It wasn’t a schedule I could keep up when we got pregnant, and now with two kids and many hats to wear, I had to pull away.
When I heard one of my friends, Jevares, had a hand in creating iLLA! A Hip Hop Musical, I was so excited for him! I knew it was destined for New York, and I’m so happy to say it’s playing this weekend for a three-day residence at Pebblebrook High School before heading north.
I sat in on rehearsal last week, watching the entire cast pick out choreography, fine-tune vocals, all while the set was being constructed I really missed the environment. My heart was so full when I scanned the cast onstage and saw a handful of people I knew so well from working in Atlanta. I learned about their involvement (from Pebblebrook students to school alumni to Broadway members and Atlanta professionals) and the short rehearsal period they were up against.
I was so happy for all of them, and more than excited to be in a theatre again. I knew I had to see the show, and you do, too! iLLA was not only named as one of the “Top 10 Musicals Not To Miss” by Playbill, the Broadway trade magazine, but also won the 2015 Award for Excellence at the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) Developmental Reading Series.
After selling out at NYMF and Toledo, iLLA! travels to Atlanta this summer. CCCEPA alumni Ronve O’Daniel & Jevares Myrick are thrilled to be returning to Atlanta, the city that first propelled them on their showbiz journey.
Find tickets for iLLA! A Hip Hop Musical here, for June 10-12, 2016. And keep your eyes peeled… You never know where this show will go! Catch me in the audience- I’m counting the days!
About iLLA! A Hip Hop Musical:
Set against the challenges of the 2008 U.S. financial meltdown we meet Prince, a classically trained dancer who dreams of becoming a famous rap star. After suffering a humiliating defeat at a leading open mic competition, Prince struggles to redeem himself in the eyes of his friends and family. He falls hard for a girl named Stacy but his father’s prejudices threaten to tear them apart. Can Prince overcome his fears and trouble home life to achieve his Hip Hop dreams? It’s a journey of Struggle, Swagger and Salvation.
Do you have what it takes to be iLLA?
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