01

The Color Purple

I've had the pleasure of seeing The Color Purple on Broadway three times. The original, second time starring Fantasia, and the 3rd time with Michelle Williams as Shug Avery. I liked the version starring Fantasia best. The colors were vibrant. The music, soul stirring and the set was one of the best I have ever seen. 

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02

Cirque Du Soleil, "O", "Mystere" & "Luzia"

Anything Cirque Dul Soleil is selling, I am buying. What I love most about this circus is that there are no animals. I can sit right up front and not worry about breaking out in hives or having an asthma attack. The costumes are the best, hands down. Each show is different. Once seen three of the shows so far. "Mystere" was excellent. I loved the opera singer that appeared through the show. I even purchased the CD.  I also loved "Luzia" which was majority in Spanish, but I still felt at home. Finally, I've had the pleasure of experiencing "O" at the Bellagio in Vegas, which has to be my favorite so far.  What the acrobats accomplished in the water, was death defyingly breathtaking. This production oozes with heavenly creativity. 

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03

Billy Elliot 

I surprised my sisters with tickets to see Billy Elliot on Broadway in Chicago. I loved the set design of the warehouses where the unions would strike in front of. I also loved how the storyline centered around a talented young boy who had a gift to dance. No matter how much his father hated the idea at first, the gift was too good to be ignored.  

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04

The Lion King

The Lion King seems to permeate the soul, no matter what medium its in, whether in illustration form, 3D, realistic film, or Broadway, The Lion King will have an audience leaving the theater singing and dancing. The message of identity is powerful. I loved seeing it on Broadway with my family, and am blessed that one of the cast members, was also in one of my plays as well. 

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05

Mary Poppins 

I've always loved the magic of Mary Poppins, but not in a millions years did I think I would ever see a production pull off the flight across the theater. I was in New York when I saw Mary Poppins for my birthday. This by far, was the highlight of my trip. Mary Poppins flew on an invisible wire, above a few thousand people. I was shook. I was memorized and I was inspired. 

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06

Wicked

I absolutely love the song Defying Gravity. The entire reason for me going to see Wicked, was to hear this song live. And it was worth every penny! 

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07

Dream Girls

After seeing Dream Girls, I went through my Jennifer Holiday phase. I had to attempt to sing her song at every audition. I sang it when I woke up, went to sleep, during sleep... "and I am telling you... Ha!" This musical was everything. Years later I would end up in To Sir With Love II, the movie, with Christian Payton, who was also a lead in Dream Girls. Small World. 

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08

Carmen

Carmen is my favorite Opera. I saw Carmen on a field trip with my high school. It was difficult for me to take my eyes off of the stage to read to subtitles above. I decided to watch and look up what they were singing about later, the set, the costumes, the red dress, the heels, the sassiness, the way the singers belted out every operatic note, was simply divine. 

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09

The Billy Holiday Story 

I was barely 14 years old, attending The Chicago Academy for the Arts, downtown Chicago. We walked a short distance to a local theater where I saw The Billy Holiday Story up close and personal. It was my first tine seeing something so raw, so real, so emotional. Its been well over 30 years and I can still remember the actress who portrayed Billy Holiday and her drunken drawl as she spoke in-between her songs. She inspired me to be a better actress. 

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10

Alvin Alley, "Revelations" 

I love when movement and dance can tell a story without dialogue. I've often thought that people who have seen Alvin Alley's "Revelations" must feel closer to God. It's the kind of production that forces one to acknowledge God, even if they don't want to, they know that; He is. 

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11

Honorable Mention- Tyler Perry's, "Madea Get's A Job"

I was blessed to see a Tyler Perry play by my best friend. I was blown away with his set design. Such a spirit of excellence. Tyler Perry showed me what a set can be without a limited budget. That's my goal. In addition to his wonderful set design, let me just say that his cast will sing their faces off in every production.