BLACK ANGELS OVER TUSKEGEE Celebrates 6 Years Off-Broadway

Black Angels Over Tuskegee, Layon Gray's acclaimed Off - Broadway play about the Tuskegee Airmen will Celebrate 6 years of performing Off-Broadway Thursday February 4th at St Luke Theatre (308 W. 46th St) Black Angels Over Tuskegee goes beyond the headlines of the popular stories of the Tuskegee Airmen and exposes the men who exhibited the courage to excel in spite of all the overwhelming odds against them.

Based on true events, six men explore their collective struggle with Jim Crow, their intelligence, patriotism, dreams of an inclusive fair society, and brotherhood, as they become the first African-American fighter pilots in the U.S. Army Air Forces.

"It has been an incredible 6 years! Writer and director Layon Gray says." When I brought the play to New York in 2010 we were only supposed to run 3 weeks. Now we are the longest running all African - American male play in the city's history. Amazing! Just amazing" In addition to performing at the Smithsonian Institute Black Angels Over Tuskegee won a NAACP Award for Best Ensemble, A New York Audelco Award for Special Achievement and an Artistic Director Achievement Award for Best Play.

The cast has become a motivational and inspirational tool for many professional teams. Most recently performing in Arizona for the Arizona State University Athletic Department. The cast also performed a private show for the 2010 and 2012 New York Jets teams, and in August 2015 a private show for the Buffalo Bills. The team flew the cast and crew to Buffalo to perform before its season opener against the Indianapolis Colts in which they won. Head coach Rex Ryan who has seen the show four times is one of the play's biggest fans. "The play was as good as advertised," Ryan said. "The message was outstanding, about teamwork, the way you have to take care of each other, the way you have to go through adversity and still go out and function on a high level."

It was also presented at the National Tuskegee Airmen Convention in Las Vegas for over 30 chapters. Original Tuskegee Airmen Ted Lumpkin, President of the Los Angeles Chapter, said, "I love this play. It's real and it reminded me of my times at Tuskegee. It's a great show." The play tours around country and internationally shedding light on these American Heroes. The production has received rave reviews from top critics including The New York Times who describe the performance as "Uplifting and Inspirational: and "Tough to Resist!" For more information log on www.BlackAngelsOverTuskegee.com.

Black Angels Over Tuskegee is produced Off-Broadway by Edmund Gaynes and The Layon Gray Experience. The playing schedule for Black Angels Over Tuskegee is Thursdays at 7pm. Tickets from $39.50 are available at Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200.

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