STAGE THEATRE

This production is one of the many joint ventures between the Theatre and Dance Department, the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, and Associated Students Inc. Oakland singer and actress Jeannine Anderson plays Mahalia.

“Her powerful voice will lift the roof and the spirit with Mahalia classics such as, ‘Precious Lord Take My Hand,’ ‘Move On Up A Little Higher,’ ‘Joshua Fit The Battle of Jericho’ and many, many more,” said Darryl V. Jones, associate professor of theatre and dance.

This is the first completely realized and produced show for writer Wendy E. Taylor, who was seen in Ain’t Misbehavin’ on Broadway, and had a workshop production at Pastor Alfonso Bernard’s Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, NY. She and Jones have been collaborating and performing together for years, and they shared the stage in 1977 when they performed at President Jimmy Carter’s first State Dinner. Jones’ connection to Mahalia goes back even farther. He remembers, as a child, hearing her promote compilations of her greatest hits on television, then really connected with her, and with her power and spirit, when teaching and directing African American theater and music.

“When I look for uplifting music, I often turn to Mahalia to take me and my audience where I need to go,” said Jones. "When I look for a voice that is full of suffering but reminds me of the divine hope for a brighter tomorrow, I turn to Mahalia,” he said. Jones thinks the show can have a long life touring to Northern California theaters and churches, and dreams that it can inspire additional new musicals, particularly among playwrights of color who speak to the East Bay Community.