“Church Girl” is a must see!
by Robert Hasan James
Philadelphia, Pa (October 5, 2010)
After hitting major cities like Chicago, Houston and D.C., the new musical stage play, Church Girl, delivered its (Philadelphia) opening show in the “City of Brotherly Love” to a sold out crowd. The Merriam Theater was home to the first of eight shows that will run through Sunday, October 10th. Church Girl is a story of betrayal, brokenness, rebellion, praise and redemption, All in One electrifying story. And speaking of All in One, Grammy Award Winner, Karen Clark Sheard (with a current album of the same name) does a magnificent job portraying the character of Valerie Clark, the saved and sanctified aunt of main character, Emily. Other notable actors and artists lending their talents include: Demetria McKinney (House of Payne), A’ngela Winbush (of 80’s group Rene & A’ngela), Sean Blakemore (Motives I & II) and Robin Givens (Boomerang, The Game).
Church Girl tells the story of two women, Amber & Emily, who start off on the same path of sanctity and purity and eventually find themselves on the road to destruction, due to the power and manipulation of a man named Jacob, played by Blakemore. Emily tries to hide her secret from her mother, who is the Pastor of the church they attend, but everything comes crashing down and her secret is exposed. Sex, drugs, stripping and violence is prevalent throughout but phenomenal singing and praise takes over!
Produced by playwright, Angela Barrow Dunlap, Dunlap describes the play as “an inspirational musical based on true events”. Her other works include “My Brother Marvin”, a dramatic story of Marvin Gaye’s life seen through the eyes of his sister Zeola Gaye. She is also the creator of other hit stage plays such as “Real Men Pray”, “I Won’t Be The Other Woman”, “Why Good Girls Like Bad Boyz” and most notably, “If These Hips Could Talk”, which was one of the longest running shows in urban theater history, completing a two year run.
If you live in the Philly tri-state area, this play is a must see. Karen Clark Sheard gets a chance to sing an old Clark Sisters favorite as well as a song from her current CD, “All in One”. While the surprisingly comedic, Gia Wyre, wows the crowd with her powerful voice. Anthony Grant (Why Did I Get Married, The Fabric of a Man), gives a stunning vocal and acting performance as well.. The show also features play circuit powerhouses and theatre veterans including Wanda Nero-Butler, Teisha Lott, Zeeky Minnis and singing sensation, Tasha Page-Lockhart.
