'SYLVESTER' and 'PHYLLIS HYMAN' to Play The Gramercy This Month

A friendly reminder! AnthonyKen LLC and Sheryl Lee Ralph / The Diva Foundation will present the two hit biographical musicals MIGHTY REAL: A FABULOUS SYLVESTER MUSICAL and AN EVENING WITH Phyllis Hyman together for one weekend only at The Gramercy Theater (127 East 23rd Street) this May.

AN EVENING WITH Phyllis Hyman, the new musical about the beloved R&B diva, will be performed on Saturday, May 20th at 8:00 PM (doors at 7:00 PM), and MIGHTY REAL: A FABULOUS SYLVESTER MUSICAL, the Broadway-bound musical celebration of the life and music of the original 1970s "Queen of Disco," Sylvester, will be performed on Sunday, May 21, 2017 at 8:00 PM (doors at 7:00 PM). Tickets for both shows are now on sale via Telecharge -- visit www.AnthonyKen.com.

MIGHTY REAL: A FABULOUS SYLVESTER MUSICAL, written by Anthony Wayne (Pippin, Anything Goes, Priscilla Queen of the Desert) and Kendrell Bowman, is directed by Mr. Bowman and stars Mr. Wayne as Sylvester, Jacqueline B. Arnold (An Evening With Phyllis Hyman, Priscilla Queen of the Desert) as Martha Wash, and Anastacia McCleskey (Waitress, Violet, Book of Mormon, Priscilla ...) as Izora Armstead. AN EVENING WITH Phyllis Hyman, written by Kendrell Bowman and Anthony Wayne and directed by Mr. Bowman, stars Jacqueline B. Arnold as Ms. Hyman. The music director for both shows is Alonzo Harris.

Sylvester James, Jr. (September 6, 1947 - December 16, 1988), better known as Sylvester, was an American disco and soul singer-songwriter. Known for his flamboyant, androgynous appearance, he became known in the United States as the "Queen of Disco." Born in Watts, LA, Sylvester developed a love of singing through the gospel choirs of his Pentecostal church, which he left after being persecuted for his homosexuality. His career started as an early founder of a group of black cross-dressers and trans women known as The Disquotays. After that group disbanded, he moved to San Francisco and embraced the counterculture, joining a drag troupe, The Cockettes, and he eventually produced solo shows heavily influenced by female blues and jazz singers like Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker. Sylvester left the Cockettes to focus on his solo career, and by 1978, his acclaimed album Step II spawned the disco classics "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" and "Dance (Disco Heat)." He released 12 albums in his career, and had several more hits, including "Do Ya Wanna Funk," and "Can't Stop Dancing." An activist who campaigned against the spread of HIV/AIDS, Sylvester died from complications arising from the virus in 1988. In 2004, "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame, and one year later in 2005, Sylvester himself was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for his achievement as an artist.

Phyllis Hyman, born July 6, 1949, is known to the theater community for her acclaimed Broadway performance in the 1981 musical Sophisticated Ladies, which earned her a Theatre World Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, she recorded numerous Soul /R&B albums, and some of her singles include "You Know How to Love Me", "Living All Alone" and "Don't Wanna Change the World," and a cover of "Betcha By Golly Wow," among many others. Her film credits include Spike Lee's School Daze. Ms. Hyman, who suffered from bipolar depression, committed suicide by overdose on June 30, 1995.

MIGHTY REAL: A FABULOUS SYLVESTER MUSICAL (formerly known as Fabulous, One More Time) began a series of concerts at le poisson rouge in New York City in 2012. These early concerts were followed by sold-out performances at The Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. in January 2013, and additional concerts in Miami soon followed. MIGHTY REAL: A FABULOUS SYLVESTER MUSICAL made its Off-Broadway premiere in an acclaimed one-month limited engagement at Theatre at St. Clement's in September 2014. The critically acclaimed musical was nominated for a 2015 Off-Broadway Alliance Award and a 2015 AUDELCO Award for Best New Musical. In early 2015, the musical headed west to The BRAVA! Theater in San Francisco for a limited engagement, and performances/engagements followed in Philadelphia, D.C., and Atlanta. The show returned to The BRAVA! Theater in San Francisco for an acclaimed, sold-out limited engagement in February 2016. MIGHTY REAL: A FABULOUS SYLVESTER MUSICAL was featured in the acclaimed music documentary series "Unsung: Revisted" in 2015. MIGHTY REAL: A FABULOUS SYLVESTER MUSICAL Live Original Cast Recording is available online on iTunes and CD Baby.

AN EVENING WITH Phyllis Hyman enjoyed a sold out world-premiere limited engagement The Actor's Temple Theatre this past January. The musical takes place during Ms. Hyman's final performance in Philadelphia, the night before her scheduled Apollo performance on the day she took her life. The intimate show brings to life the untold story of the life, career and music of the singer/songwriter and actress in her own words. With her sultry vocals, Ms. Arnold channels Hyman, taking the audience on an inspirational evening of joy and pain with no regrets.

For more information on both musicals, visit www.AnthonyKen.com.

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