International NewsCedric Neal and Sharon D. Clarke Will Star in King Concerts, Celebrating Life of Martin Luther King Jr.The performances at the Hackney Empire will also feature the London Musical Theatre Orchestra.
By
Andrew Gans
May 10, 2018
To celebrate the life of Civil Rights great Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated 50 years ago, Hackney Empire, in co-production with London Musical Theatre Orchestra, will present concert performances of Martin Smith's King June 30 at 7:30 PM and July 1 at 5 PM.
The cast will be headed by Cedric Neal (Motown the Musical, Chess) as Martin Luther King Jr., Sharon D. Clarke (Caroline, or Change) as Alberta King, and Debbie Kurup (The Bodyguard, Girl from the North Country) as Coretta King. The actors will be backed by the London Musical Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Freddie Tapner.
Susie McKenna directs the concerts with orchestrations by Simon Nathan and sound design by Augustus Psillas.
King, which premiered 30 years ago, tells the story of King's life with Corett Scott and the strides, successes, and sacrifices of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement that saw them change the course of history.
The production will include Bernstein’s incidental music for Lillian Hellman’s adaptation of The Lark, and Menotti’s The Unicorn, The Gorgon, and The Manticore.
Based on the novel and film by Frank Cottrell Boyce, the new musical will reunite Guettel with Tony-winning Light in the Piazza director Bartlett Sher.