Photo Flash: In Rehearsal with BORN FOR THIS: THE BEBE WINANS STORY at Arena Stage

Arena Stage presents BORN FOR THIS: THE BeBe Winans STORY, the heartwarming true story of six-time Grammy Award-winning icon BeBe Winans' journey to fame. BORN FOR THIS, directed by celebrated director and playwright Charles Randolph-Wright (Motown The Musical), is a co-production with the ALLIANCE THEATRE in Atlanta, Ga., where the production ran April 13-May 15, 2016 prior to the Arena Stage production. The new musical, which officially kicks off Arena Stage's 2016/17 season, features original songs and Winans family hits, with a book by Randolph-Wright and Winans. BORN FOR THIS runs July 1-August 28, 2016 in the Kreeger Theater. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the company in rehearsal below!

In BORN FOR THIS, Detroit natives BeBe and Cece Winans, youngest siblings of the Winans family dynasty, experience the ultimate in culture shocks when invited to join Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's television show Praise the Lord. The Winans teenagers become not only television celebrities, they also become like adopted children of the Bakkers, integrating TV evangelism. As BeBe and CeCe encounter fame, fortune and even a young Whitney Houston, BeBe must learn to balance his desire for success with his true calling.

As previously announced, leading the cast as BeBe and Cece Winans are Winans family members and accomplished performers Juan Winans and Deborah Joy Winans. Juan is a Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter and his sister Deborah Joy is currently filming Greenleaf, the OWN original TV series for which BeBe is an executive music producer.

Featured in the cast are Charlotte, N.C.-area favorite Chaz Pofahl as Jim Bakker and Kirsten Wyatt (Broadway's A Christmas Story The Musical) as Tammy Faye Bakker, as well as Kiandra Richardson as Whitney Houston, Nita Whitaker (Pasadena Playhouse's Breaking Through) as Mom Winans, Milton Craig Nealy(Broadway's Motown The Musical, Arena's Akeelah and the Bee) as Pop Winans, Dyllon Burnside (Broadway's Holler If Ya Hear Me) as Michael Winans and Howard,Desmond Sean Ellington as Carvin Winans and Alvin, Brad Raymond as Ronald Winans and Michael Stiggers as Marvin Winans. Also in the cast are Nick Morrett as Bob, Alison Whitehurst as Penny and D.C.-area performers Kurt Boehm (Arena's Fiddler on the Roof) asJimmy Ray and Gracie Jones (Signature Theatre's Beaches) as ensemble.

The creative team for BORN FOR THIS includes Choreographer Warren Adams, Music Supervisor Donald Lawrence, Music Director Steven Jamail, Set Designer Neil Patel, Tony Award-winning Costume Designer William Ivey Long, Lighting Designer Diane Ferry Williams,Sound Designer Jesse Stevens, Projection Designer John Narun, Copyist Britt Bonney, Stage Manager Kurt Hall and Assistant Stage Manager Kristen Mary Harris.

Tickets for BORN FOR THIS are $50-99, subject to change and based on availability, plus applicable fees. Tickets may be purchased online at arenastage.org, by phone at 202-488-3300 or at the Sales Office at 1101 Sixth St., SW, D.C.

Photos courtesy Arena Stage

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