| Show Title | Unchain My Heart:The Ray Charles Musical |
| Show Type | Musical |
| Theatre | Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 243 West 47th Street |
| Story | Coming SPRING 2011!
Tony Award nominee Brandon Victor Dixon, acclaimed for his work in the musical The Scottsboro Boys, plays entertainer Ray Charles in the new Broadway Bio-Musical
UNCHAIN MY HEART
Written by Suzi Lori-Parks
Directed by Sheldon Epps
Dixon (who earned a Tony nomination for The Color Purple) will play the acclaimed blues/country/soul/rock singer-songwriter Charles opposite Nikki Renée Daniels (currently in Broadway's Promises, Promises) as Della.
The Suzan-Lori Parks-scripted new musical, with music by the late Charles, also features Harrison White (Broadway's The Lion King, West End's Smokey Joe's Café) as Jeff Brown and recording artist Tasha Taylor making her Broadway debut as Margie Hendricks.
Dixon is a 2010 Lortel, Drama League & Outer Critics Circle nominee for playing a wrongly accused man in the John Kander-Fred Ebb musical The Scottsboro Boys, which recently ended its run at the Vineyard Theatre Off-Broadway. That show is moving forward to a regional production and then Broadway in 2010-11; Dixon's participation in Unchain My Heart would seem to prevent his 2010-11 casting in Scottsboro Boys.
Unchain My Heart features 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 includes Riccardo Hernandez (sets), Paul Tazewell (costumes), Donald Holder (lights), Carl Casella (sound), Charles LaPointe (hair and wig). Casting is by Telsey & Company, technical supervision is by Theatersmith, Inc.
Unchain My Heart is presented on Broadway by Stuart Benjamin. Benjamin knew and worked with Charles for 15 years and produced the 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 Parks wrote Topdog/Underdog. For the new musical, she "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."
Charles was born Ray Charles Robinson on Sept. 23, 1930, in Albany, GA. He was a vocalist, performer, songwriter, bandleader and arranger who played keyboards and reeds. He worked in swing, blues, gospel, country, jazz and rock 'n' roll. He was known for taking artistic control and ownership of his own master recordings, and 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," according to his bio. 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.
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Charles' recording of "Georgia On My Mind" was made the official state song for Georgia in 1979.
Park is a playwright, screenwriter, novelist, essayist, actor and songwriter. Her new play, The Book of Grace, recently played the Public Theater. Her other plays include 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 and 365 Days/365 Plays. |
| Running Time | 2 hours and 20 minutes |
| Schedule | Tuesday at 7:00pm
Wednesday at 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Thursday at 8:00pm
Friday at 8:00pm
Saturday at 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday at 3:00pm
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| Group Price Range | $39.00 - $76.50 |
| Group Minimum | 10 or more in group | | |
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