People's Light Announces World Premiere Of PERSONALITY: THE LLOYD PRICE MUSICAL, March 9-April 3

Before Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus, before Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired a movement, Lloyd Price's music brought Black and white youth together. From his obscure beginnings to overnight teen sensation, from unsung trailblazer to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the story of Lloyd Price has never been told onstage - until now.

Featuring a stellar ensemble of singers and dancers performing the singer/songwriter's iconic hits "Lawdy Miss Clawdy," "Stagger Lee," and the legendary song that became his namesake, "Personality," this world premiere musical celebrates one of the most resilient and influential entertainers of the 20th Century. With a script written by B. Jeffrey Madoff in collaboration with Price himself, a team of American theatre titans helmed by Director Sheldon Epps (Broadway: Play On! and Blues in the Night) will bring Price's story and everlasting legacy to the People's Light stage.

Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical runs March 9 - April 3 on the Leonard C. Haas Stage. Single tickets are $45. To purchase, call 610.644.3500 or visit peopleslight.org. People's Light is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern PA 19355.

After the sold-out run of our adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, People's Light is thrilled to continue bringing audiences together by celebrating Lloyd Price. Though Price ranks as one of the most significant musical artists of the mid-twentieth century, his multi-generational impact on the industry has remained covered in relative obscurity for too long. Says Director Sheldon Epps, "I have always been attracted to stories about what I call unsung heroes in our history. Lloyd Price is certainly worthy of our attention as he was a great showman, a trailblazer and a true pioneer. It's a great honor to bring his story and his music to life for audiences who may know him and especially to those who should know him."

Price came from humble beginnings in his hometown of Kenner, Louisiana, where he faced incredible obstacles to a thriving musical career-especially as a young black man coming of age in a pre-Civil Rights Movement America. Armed with fierce determination and a soulful sound, Price skyrocketed to stardom in 1952 when his R&B single "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" was recorded by Specialty Records and released to acclaim, hitting No. 1 on the R&B charts and selling over a million copies. His originality and dynamite personality captured the hearts of American youth, helping to bridge racial divides and encourage coming together through a love of rock 'n roll. But the path to the Hall of Fame was a winding one: immediately after the success of his first record, he was drafted to fight in the Korean War in 1953. Yet Price was a master of reinvention, finding his footing time and again, creating his own record label, and developing the bridge between R&B and Pop music scenes.

Recent highly successful productions at People's Light, like Nina Simone: Four Women and Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole, explored an iconic cultural figure in an intimate way. This production celebrates Price with a true "song and dance" musical, larger in scale than anything on the People's Light stage in over a decade. Music Supervisor Shelton Becton (Broadway's The Color Purple, Shuffle Along..., and more) will highlight Price's iconic musical flair and will have audiences dancing in their seats. Edgar Godineaux (Broadway's Ain't Too Proud), whose choreography was last seen in Lights Out, makes his return to People's Light to create the high-energy dance numbers for the cast of thirteen.

Setting the production apart from other biographical or jukebox musicals is Price's involvement in the creation of Personality. Not only did he contribute the music and lyrics that serve as the scaffolding for Madoff's narrative, but he worked directly with Madoff on the story of his life. Sadly, Lloyd passed away in May of 2021 before he could see his efforts fully realized in the premiere. Personality will be a fitting tribute to Price, his tireless efforts, and the legacy he created. "People's Light has been wanting to bring this story to our audiences for some time," reveals People's Light Producing Director Zak Berkman. "We're sad the pandemic prevented us from staging Personality before Price's passing, but we are overjoyed audiences will get to witness his journey and discover more about a truly groundbreaking artist."

In addition to Epps (former Artistic Director of Pasadena Playhouse) Becton, and Godineaux, the prestigious creative team of Broadway veterans includes Scenic and Projection Designer David Gallo (Tony Award winner for Broadway's The Drowsy Chaperone), Lucille Lortel nominated Costume Designer Karen Perry, Lighting Designer Jeff Croiter (Tony Award winner for Broadway's Peter and the Starcatcher), Video Designer Steve Channon (The Mountaintop), and Rob Kaplowitz (Tony Award winner for Broadway's Fela!) returns to People's Light as Sound Designer. Viveca Gardiner assists Scenic and Video Design. Gwendolyn M. Gilliam stage manages, assisted by Molly Norris. Saladin White II serves as COVID Compliance Manager. Presented in partnership with the Hard Kill LLC, and Eric Cornell, Executive Producer. Cast to be announced.

Masks are required indoors for everyone who visits People's Light, regardless of vaccination status. Ticket holders must show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test, along with a valid photo ID, for entry into the theatre. To be considered fully vaccinated, your performance date must be at least 14 days after your second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or at least 14 days after a single-dose vaccine. Unvaccinated audience members must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance start time or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within 6 hours of the performance start time. Home tests will be accepted. For more information on policies at People's Light, including new seating arrangements, audience capacity, and artist and staff safety, visit the Health and Safety page. Recommended protocols may shift with evolving local and national guidelines, so please continue to check this page for the most up-to-date information when planning your visit to People's Light.

People's Light will be offering socially distanced performances of Personality, limited to 50% capacity, on the following dates: March 11th, March 18th, March 20th (Relaxed Performance), March 22nd, March 25th, March 29th, and April 1st. The Relaxed Performance on 3/20 is at 2pm; all other socially distanced performances are at 7:30pm.

Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical previews Wednesday, March 9th, Thursday, March 10th, Friday, March 11th and Saturday, March 12th. The play opens on Sunday, March 13th and runs through Sunday, April 3rd. Single tickets are $45. People's Light also offers a range of ticket discounts, like a 50%-off Access Night on Thursday, March 24th at 7:30pm, 25% off for educators and military, and families and youth tickets which are 10% off the regular ticket price for groups of 6, 7, 8, or 9. Learn more about available ticket discounts here.

Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information, or to purchase group tickets, call Kelly Benedict at 610.647.1900, x111, or email benedict@peopleslight.org .

3, 4, and 5-Play subscription packages are still available for the 2021/2022 Season at People's Light. Productions include Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical (March 9 - April 3); Hold These Truths (April 6 - May 1); Bayard Rustin Inside Ashland (May 18 - June 12); The Vinegar Tree (June 29 - July 24); and Grand Horizons (August 3 - 28).

To order single tickets or subscriptions, visit peopleslight.org or call the Box Office at 610.644.3500.

Actors, prices, productions, performance dates and times are subject to change. Additional service charges will apply.

Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical Open Caption (OC) performances run March 23rd through March 27th and feature an LED screen near the stage that displays text simultaneously with live speech and action, for individuals with hearing impairment and English language learners. No other elements of the performance change.

People's Light offers a Relaxed Performance of Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical on Sunday, March 20th at 2pm. Relaxed Performances offer a judgment-free environment that invites individuals with autism, ADD, ADHD, dementia, and other sensory sensitivities to enjoy theatre in a relaxed, "shush-free" zone-a great option for parents with young children, too. This performance features audio description provided by Nicole Sardella, which is available upon request. Tickets to Relaxed Performances are $30, including fees. For more information, contact the Box Office at 610.644.3500.

Service animals are welcome at all performances at People's Light. The theatre offers a designated relief area and water bowl for their comfort.

People's Light offers a range of Audio and Visual Aids freely available to patrons, including audio headsets, T-Coil "induction" loops, large sensory supports like fidgets, noise-canceling headphones, and more. These supports are available on a first-come, first-served basis, no reservations required. Please pick them up from the House Manager in the theatre lobbies. Learn more about accessibility at People's Light here.

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