Production History
Season 15
Porgy & Bess
May 20 â June 12, 2022
Written by George Gershwin
In this legendary Gershwin opera set among the Black residents of a fishing village in 1912 South Carolina, Bess â a woman with a disreputable history â tries to break free from her brutish lover Crown after he becomes wanted for murder. The only person willing to overlook her past and offer her shelter is the differently-abled Porgy. Their relationship is threatened by the disapproval of the townspeople, the presence of her old drug supplier Sportinâ Life â and the threatened return of Crown.
Lady Day at Emersonâs Bar & Grill
April 21 â May 1, 2022
Featuring Keia Johnson
The time is 1959. The place is a seedy bar in Philadelphia. The audience is about to witness one of Billie Holidayâs last performances, given four months before her death. More than a dozen musical numbers are interlaced with salty, often humorous reminiscences to project a riveting portrait of the lady and her music.
Tumbling Down
March 11 â April 3, 2022
Written by Ekundayo Bandele
As the 50-year commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.âs assassination looms, Memphis races to pull the city out of the shadow of that fateful day in 1968. Based on a series of facts, the play revisits the Jim Crow era when many Confederate statues were erected as symbols of white supremacy, and also shows the 2017 stratagems and protests that led to the statue of one of Americaâs most controversial people, Nathan Bedford Forrest, tumblinâ down from its pedestal.
Now I Am Alone
August 13 â September 5, 2021
Written by William Shakespeare
Conceived by Geoffrey Owens
Shakespeareâs complex creations â men and women, kings and beggars, villains and heroes â stand alone and speak aloud their inmost thoughts. On stage, Mr. Owens recently appeared on Broadway in Romeo and Juliet (with Orlando Bloom). Other credits include Oscar Wildeâs Salome (with Al Pacino), the Chicago premiere of David Mametâs Race (at the Goodman Theatre), and many others. On film, Mr. Owens has appeared in Stonebrook (with Seth Green), The Paper (directed by Ron Howard), and others. His television credits include âThe Cosby Showâ and âBoston Legalâ, â âItâs Always Sunny in Philadelphiaâ, âLaw and Orderâ, and others. He has recently been seen as âGeraldâ on HBOâs âDivorceâ and on episodes of âBlue Bloodsâ and âLucifer.
Marie and Rosetta
October 1 â 24, 2021
Written by George BrantÂ
Bringing fierce guitar playing and swing to gospel music, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a huge influence on Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jimi Hendrix. This musical chronicles her first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare to embark on a tour that would establish them as one of the great duos in musical history.
A Holiday Juke Joint
November 26 â December 19, 2021
Conceived by Ekundayo Bandele
Celebrate this holiday season with excitement, wonder, and an energy that you can only experience in a Juke Joint. A montage of dance, singing, music, and acting by some of Memphisâ most talented artists will fill you with cheer and make you want to try to do a backflip. Whether youâre a grinch or a reveler, we guarantee you will be ready to face the hustle and bustle after experiencing this cabaret.
The Mountaintop
January 21 â February 13, 2022
Written by Katori Hall
A gripping reimagination of events the night before the assassination of the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 3, 1968, after delivering one of his most memorable speeches, an exhausted Dr. King retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel while a storm rages outside. When a mysterious stranger arrives with some surprising news, King is forced to confront his destiny and his legacy to his people.
