Photo Flash: First Look at New Musical BORN FOR THIS at ArtsEmerson

ArtsEmerson has announced that Born for This - A New Musical will take the stage this summer for a limited engagement, June 15 - July 15 at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St, Downtown Boston. With original music and lyrics by six-time GRAMMY® Award-winning icon BeBe Winans book by Charles Randolph-Wright, BeBe Winans, and Lisa D'Amour, and direction by Charles-Randolph Wright (Motown the Musical), Born For This celebrates the incredible true story of BeBe Winans - a young man who follows his heart and finds his destiny.

Detroit teenagers BeBe and Cece Winans experience the ultimate in culture shock when they leave the comfort and safety of their family (the already-famous Winans musical dynasty) to join Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's Praise The Lord Network in Pineville, North Carolina. Jim and Tammy become an unlikely surrogate family as the siblings rapidly become the hottest stars in televangelical America. Eventually crossing over to mainstream fame, BeBe must learn to reconcile the temptations of stardom and fortune with the things he ultimately values more.

Born For This brings the legendary artist's story to life with acclaimed new music and lyrics by BeBe Winans that will have audiences on their feet. A wildly funny yet deeply emotional journey toward self-discovery, Born For This is the family-friendly and universal story for anyone who has ever yearned for something - for anyone who is looking to find their purpose in life.

Born For This will feature Donald Webber Jr. as BeBe Winans, Loren Lott as Cece Winans, Milton Craig Nealy as Pop Winans, Chaz Pofahl as Jim Bakker, Nita Whitaker as Mom Winans, and Kirsten Wyatt as Tammy Faye Bakker.

Tickets for Born For This are now on sale, available online at www.ArtsEmerson.org, by phone at 617.824.8400, or in person at the ArtsEmerson Box Office (located at the Emerson Paramount Center, 559 Washington St, Downtown Boston). Ticket prices start at just $18, and student, senior, group and package discounts are also available.

"We are beyond thrilled to be continuing ArtsEmerson's relationship with this remarkably inspirational work," said David Howse, Executive Director of ArtsEmerson. "Our commitment to this piece began in 2013, when we provided BeBe Winans and Charles Randolph-Wright with space for two workshops of what was then a brand new idea for a Broadway musical."

David Dower, Artistic Director of ArtsEmerson, remembers the performance that concluded that second workshop in 2014. "We invited many of our community partners to get a glimpse of what we had been up to, and the music and story just swept them away. At the end of the presentation, the whole group just turned toward me, demanding that we get this show back to Boston as soon as possible. That response was wonderful and unambiguous. I loved it. And now we're finally here. I'm looking forward to being in the Cutler Majestic to see our audiences light up in the same way."

ArtsEmerson is Boston's leading presenter of contemporary world theatre. It is dedicated to engaging all communities through stories that reveal and deepen connections to each other. By cultivating diversity in the art and in the audience, ArtsEmerson ignites public conversation around the most vexing societal challenges as a catalyst for overcoming them. ArtsEmerson is committed to welcoming everyone into its landmark venues, located in Boston's downtown Theatre District, for a diverse program of contemporary theatre, film, and music from around the city and around the world. In addition, ArtsEmerson engages in a range of community partnerships and produces a series of initiatives that make visible the rich diversity of cultural activity in the region. These programs are core to ArtsEmerson's mission and expresses commitment to civic responsibility to create a more cohesive society. ArtsEmerson is led by Artistic Director, David Dower and Executive Director, David Howse. For more information, visit ArtsEmerson.org.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

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