Crowns
by Regina Taylor
Join us for a warm, touching, funny, thoughtful holiday treat.
Now that we’ve completely refurbished our new lobby, we’re getting ready to blow the roof off the joint with our fantastic season opener- the glorious, uplifting gospel musical , “Crowns”.
“Crowns” has been critically acclaimed across the country. Centerstage Chicago called it “Probably one of the most joyous pieces of theater you will ever see.” “Hats Off To Crowns!" praised The New York Times. The New York Post raved, “Dazzling! Now that's entertainment!"
“Spectacular! This beautiful, gospel-filled musical is a joy!" said Daily News. "Soul-stirring! Brimming with joy and vitality, Crowns is delightful." extolled The Star-Ledger.
Inspired by the photo book, ‘Crowns, Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats’ by Micheal Cunningham and Craig Marberry, “Crowns” is a musical testament to faith, hope, courage and love as seen through the eyes of African American women.
The essential story of “Crowns” is that of a young African American girl trying to figure out her identity, her place in the world, and her place in her own culture. Yolanda, a tough gang member, has been sent to the South to live with her grandmother following the murder of her brother. We meet a wonderful collection of ladies who take Yolanda under their wing and weave their stories of humor, love and loss around her like a blanket of tenderness and redemption.
The music ranges from traditional foot-stomping, soul-shaking spirituals to heartbreakingly beautiful ballads.
The focus is on the hats these black ladies wear to church –and what hats they are! As one character puts it, "The more I study Africa, the more I see that African Americans do very African things without even knowing it. Adorning the head is one of those things... whether it's the intricate braids or the distinct hairstyles or the beautiful hats we wear on Sundays. We just know inside that we're queens. And these are the crowns we wear."
But with gentle humor and wisdom, the real power of the piece comes from the bedrock of human belief and mercy that transcends races, borders and nationalities.
Artistic Director Don Bilotti is excited about this production. “Dennis Brown brought “Crowns” to my attention while we were working on “Billy Bishop Goes to War”. Without his considerable talents and credibility, there’s no way we could have attempted this production.”
“These are not just actors” Bilotti continues, “these folks are the real thing. This play is truly about them and their lives. And these are not just musical numbers that have been learned for a “show”. They have been singing most of these songs all of their lives and it comes straight from their hearts and souls. It comes from real faith, real love, real joy. It is so pure. It comes straight from church to our stage. There is no way to “act” that. The play perfect for our intimate space. We’ve chosen to downplay any razzle-dazzle in favor of highlighting the powerful and personal elements. We want you to feel like you’re in church.”
Dennis Brown is Musical Director. He is well known as an actor with a huge list of credits in our region and beyond. He was last seen at Stage 3 as one half of the “Billy Bishop” cast. He is Director of Music and Liturgy at St Patrick’s in Sonora but his roots are in the gospel tradition.
Playwright Regina Taylor is actually best known as an actress. She has appeared on stage and in many films but really caught the public’s eye when she played the pivotal role of Lilly Harper in the critically acclaimed series I'll Fly Away, which earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series and an NAACP Image Award. She was the first black woman to play Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway and is a Distinguished Artistic Associate of Chicago's Goodman Theater. Her playwriting credits are no less impressive. They include “Oo-Bla-Dee”, “Drowning Crow”, “A Night in Tunisia” and critically acclaimed adaptation of Chekhov's “The Seagull”.
The cast of “Crowns”, culled from Central Valley churches and stages is truly its heart. Michelle Allison last appeared at Stage 3 as Billie Holiday in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill”. Making their Stage 3 debuts are René Patterson, Loretta Spence, Melina Hunter, Renée Levine-Christian, Carla Hunt and Bryant Mills who portrays a variety of men’s roles.
Set design will be by Ron Cotnam with Lighting Design by Matthew Leamy.
This production is made possible in part by Associate Producer Golden State Cellular.