REMEMBERING JAMES- The Life And Music Of James Brown Returns To Sacramento

One of Bay Area's favorite Actors , finds himself re-living a reality while bringing others along on the ride to mass exposure. Dedrick Weathersby, continues his National Tour of Remembering James- The Life and Music of James Brown.

This stop will lead him and the cast returning up North to the States Capital, Sacramento, CA. Dedrick and The Cast were welcomed to Sacramento's Guild Theater with a SOLD OUT audience in Nov 2019. The show was so successful that patrons were turned away at the door. Patrons who saw the show previously, uttered, "I'm so glad they're returning to Sacramento", "My whole family is vaccinated and We're ready for some James Brown" and "This is how i'm spending my 70th Birthday".

Sacramento has an array of talented musicians and entertainers who graced the revitalized Guild Theater stage; none would live up to the hype of Remembering James.

James Brown was "The Godfather of Soul" and the "Hardest Working Man In Show Business." He's also the man who saved Boston.

A second night of riots were anticipated throughout a nation in a State of Emergency on April 5, 1968, the day after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. But in Boston there was dancing instead, when James Brown performed in the Boston Garden. The concert was broadcast throughout the city, and people who did not attend the show stayed home and watched it on television.

Dedrick Weathersby emulates James Brown and plays with a seven-piece band. "I am not an impersonator," Weathersby said. "I'm Dedrick. I can't be James Brown, but I want to embody the essence, where if you closed your eyes you felt like you were there, you felt like he was onstage. He's not a character. He's a real person who walked this earth and impacted real people that are living to tell the story."

Weathersby wrote and stars in, "Remembering James- The Life and Music of James Brown," which opened with a six-month residency at the Box Car Theater in San Francisco's North Beach district in early January 2019.

Like The Godfather of Soul, Weathersby is a strict bandleader who levels $5 fines.

"It's structure," he said. "We run a tight ship. We will never be perfect, but if you strive for perfection you will always be great. That's what I live by, and I got that from Mr. James Brown himself. That's why he was the baddest man in the land."

Weathersby also toured nationally in "Dreamgirls The Broadway Musical," as a James Brown-like character. To prepare, he studied the R&B pioneers. A review described his performance as "a smooth James Brown with a splash of Jackie Wilson and a sprinkling of Little Richard."

"I thought, maybe I am on to something," said Weathersby, who covered James Brown for the first time in a karaoke bar, Mel-O-Dee in El Cerrito, California. He sang "I Feel Good."

"I felt I did horrible but the audience - I don't know if it was alcohol or that they were just being generous -they loved it."

Weathersby continued to hone his inner James Brown in karaoke bars, recording and studying his performances.

"What I was missing was soul," he said. "I started researching him, watching videos, documentaries and listening to the collection of songs. "It's quite underwhelming when a single artist has over 50 years of material to listen to, but I was up for the challenge".

He eventually wrote a stage play. He even consulted with Brown's oldest daughter, Venisha Brown who passed 6 months afterwards, seeking her approval on the depiction. The 90-minute musical has 14 songs. Weathersby said "Remembering James' ' had to have an authentic delivery because many of the people who attend the shows are Brown's devout fans, friends and co-workers.

"I am being true to the people who saw him and being consistent because James Brown was consistent," he said. "There's a reason why he's the hardest working man in show business. Anytime I get lackadaisical or I feel content, I go back and get that chip on my shoulder."

Early in his career, Brown and other performers would play to black and white audiences that were separated with a rope. The musical's songs are connecting points to historical events, including "Bloody Sunday '' in Selma, Alabama, the 1964 passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King".

"To perform during this time is a true blessing and I'm thankful for every moment'. Weathersby was referencing the strict mass gatherings that were imposed in March 2020 across the Nation to prevent the spread of The Covid-19 virus. This mandate forced theatrical venues, even Broadway, to close their doors for over 16 months. We are not done with the pandemic but things are looking a little better for the Theater Community.

Production Cast and Staff Includes:

Dedrick Weathersby- James Brown, E'tian Larue- Bobby Byrd, Jordan Burns- Famous Flame, Isaiah Valbrun- Famous Flame, Du' Sharme Davis- SuperBad Girl, Ashanti Watson- SuperBad Girl, Willam "Will Roc" Griffin- Musical Director/Keys, Oliver Aden- Drums, George Pfiefer- Guitar, Mark Marsh- Bass ,Garry Jones- Tenor Saxophone, Benjamin "Ben" Ball- Alto Saxophone

___________________________________________________

Morgan Becker- Production Manager/Stage Manager, EK Bonner- Managing Director, Candace Green- Stage Manager/Production Assistant, Adrianne Hall- The Guild Theater/ST. Hope Foundation

Date: September 25, 2021

Time: 3:00PM and 7:30PM

Place: The Guild Theater

Address: 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA 95817

Learn more at www.rememberingjamesthemusical.com.

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