I Dream (musical)

I Dream

Music	Douglas Tappin
Lyrics	Douglas Tappin
Book	Douglas Tappin
Productions	Atlanta, GA

I Dream is a fully through-composed musical by Douglas Tappin (librettist, lyricist, composer) based on the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. I Dream is produced by Dej Mahoney, Sola Mahoney, Cedric Perrier and Tim Bowen. The world premiere opened in July 2010^[1] on the Alliance Stage of the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia and was directed by Jasmine Guy.

Original Atlanta Cast

Quentin Earl Darrington - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Demetria McKinney - Coretta Scott King
Bob Carlisle - Priest
Avery Sunshine - Grandma
Ben Polite - Ralph David Abernathy
Bill Killmeier - J. Edgar Hoover
David Boggs - Professor
Greg Bosworth - Ronald Allen
Sam Collier - David, Harry Belafonte, Ensemble
Desmond Sean - Hosea Williams, Ensemble
Niles Fitch/Kamil McFadden - Young Martin Luther King, Jr.
Kislyck Halsey - Rosa Parks, Supreme, Ensemble
Tony DeSario Hoops - William Allen
Arietha Lockhart - Mama King, Ensemble
Royce Mann/Robert Oliver Norris - Young Ronald Allen
Eric Moore - Daddy King, Ensemble
Sherri Seiden - Vivien Allen
Camilla Zaepfel - Katherine Allen

Brian C. Binion - Ensemble
Theresa Cunningham - Ensemble
Jazmine Dinkins - Supremes, Ensemble
Jenna Edmonds - Young Katherine Allen, Ensemble
Ava Hill - Supremes, Ensemble
Jelani Jones - Ensemble
Nia Lancelin - Ensemble
Juel Lane - Ensemble
Caitlyn Martin - Ensemble
Bruce Meadows - Police Chief, Frank Sinatra, Ensemble
Wesley Morgan - Preacher, Bus Driver, Clerk Ensemble
Melody Pinion - Ensemble
Brandon Sauve - Ensemble
Stuart Schleuse - Ensemble
Lumumba Seegars - Ensemble
Tim Stylez - Sammy Davis Jr., Ensemble
Whitney Umstead - Ensemble

Original Atlanta Orchestra

Keith Williams - Music Director, Conductor
Jack Gianni - Keyboard II
Brett Carson - Keyboard III
Steve Wright - Lead Guitar
Brandon Gilliard - Bass Guitar

Perry Westmoreland - Violin
Adam von Housen - Viola
Stefanie Tessler - Cello
Neil Newcomb - Reed I
Caitlin Dolenc - Reed II

Averil Taylor - Trumpet
Forrest Watkins - Horn
Derrick Jackson - Trombone
Nate Robinson - Drums
Robert Tanner - Percussion

Critical Acclaim

I Dream opened to mostly positive reviews from both the press and those involved with the Civil Rights Movement. RollingOut.com said "The life of Dr. King as chronicled in the stage musical I Dream, is right on time as a reminder of what the fight was for. The dynamically talented cast delivered stirring performances to move audience members through each riveting scene.”^[2] Creative Loafing reported that "Tappin's hugely ambitious world premiere follows the example of Broadway's big, rock-influenced musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, and Les Miserables."^[3] The Huffington Post stated "[The show brought] some of the heartiest former Civil Rights activists in the house to tears, before raising them to their feet at the finale for, perhaps, the greatest standing ovation the show will ever receive."^[4]

Nominated in 10 categories for Atlanta's 2009-2010 Suzi Bass Awards, I Dream won in the "Outstanding World Premiere" (Play or Musical) category and, following the awards ceremony, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Howard Pousner reported of "a potential transfer of the musical to the Big Apple".^[5]

References

↑ NewsDesk, Broadway World. broadwayworld.com, May 26, 2010
↑ Radford, Gerald. rollingout.com, July 10, 2010
↑ Holman, Curt. creativeloafing.com, July 16, 2010
↑ Perrier, Cedric. thehuffingtonpost.com, July 15, 2010
↑ Pousner, Howard. , accessatlanta.com, November 9, 2010

External links

Official website

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Speeches, movements, and protests

Speeches	"Give Us the Ballot" "I Have a Dream" "How Long, Not Long" "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" "I've Been to the Mountaintop"

Writings	Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story The Measure of a Man "What Is Man?" "Second Emancipation Proclamation" Strength to Love Letter from Birmingham Jail Why We Can't Wait Conscience for Change (The Trumpet of Conscience) Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?

Movements and protests	Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956) Albany Movement (1961–1962) Birmingham campaign (1963) March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963) St. Augustine movement (1963–1964) Selma Voting Rights Movement (1965) Chicago Open Housing Movement (1966) Mississippi March Against Fear (1966) Anti-Vietnam War Movement (1967) Memphis Sanitation Strike (1968) Poor People's Campaign (1968)

People

Family	Martin Luther King, Sr. (father) Alberta Williams King (mother) Christine King Farris (sister) A. D. King (brother) Coretta Scott King (wife) Yolanda King (daughter) Martin Luther King III (son) Dexter Scott King (son) Bernice King (daughter) Alveda King (niece)

Other leaders	Ralph Abernathy (colleague) Ella Baker (colleague) James Bevel (strategist / colleague) Dorothy Cotton (colleague) Bernard Lafayette (colleague) James Lawson (colleague) Joseph Lowery (colleague) John Lewis (colleague) Jesse Jackson (protégé) Benjamin Mays (mentor) Diane Nash (colleague) James Orange (colleague) Bayard Rustin (advisor) Fred Shuttlesworth (colleague) C. T. Vivian (colleague) Wyatt Walker (colleague) Hosea Williams (colleague) Andrew Young (colleague)

Assassination

James Earl Ray Lorraine Motel (now National Civil Rights Museum) Funeral MLK Records Act Riots Loyd Jowers trial

Media

Film	King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970 documentary) Our Friend, Martin (1999 animated) Boycott (2001 film) The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306 (2008 documentary) Alpha Man: The Brotherhood of MLK (2011 documentary) Selma (2014 film)

Television	King (1978 miniseries) "The First Store" (The Jeffersons episode, 1980) "Great X-Pectations" (A Different World episode, 1993) "The Promised Land" (New York Undercover episode, 1997) "Return of the King" (The Boondocks episode, 2006)

Plays	The Meeting (1987) The Mountaintop (2009) I Dream (2010) All the Way (2012)

Illustrated	Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story (1957 comic book)

Music	"Abraham, Martin and John" (Dion) "March! For Martin Luther King" (John Fahey) "Martin Luther King's Dream" (Strawbs) "Happy Birthday" (Stevie Wonder) "Pride (In the Name of Love)" (U2) "MLK" (U2) "King Holiday" (King Dream Chorus and Holiday Crew) "By The Time I Get To Arizona" (Public Enemy) "Shed a Little Light" (James Taylor) "Up to the Mountain" (Patti Griffin) "Never Alone Martin" (Jason Upton) "Symphony Of Brotherhood" (Miri Ben-Ari) Joseph Schwantner: New Morning for the World; Nicolas Flagello: The Passion of Martin Luther King (1995 album) "A Dream" (Common featuring Will.i.am) "Glory" (Common and John Legend)