Born For This: The BeBe Winans Story

BENJAMIN BEBE WINANS

Book, Original Music and Lyrics

BENJAMIN “BEBE” WINANS (Book, Original Music and Lyrics), the inspirational R&B and gospel vocalist, songwriter and producer, was born into the legendary Winans family, the first family of gospel music. Over his distinguished career, he has amassed six Grammy Awards (three solo which includes Producer for Record of the Year for The Bodyguard Soundtrack, and three with his sister CeCe), ten Dove Awards, six Stellar Awards, four NAACP Award and three Soul Train Music Awards. BeBe is a multi-faceted artist with film, TV and Broadway credits and can be heard every Sunday on “The BeBe Experience” on Sirius XM’s Heart & Soul channel. His seven solo albums feature guest appearances from Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, David Foster, Anita Baker, Whitney Houston and members of the Winans family. Teaming with his younger sister Priscilla “CeCe,” the duo first began crossing lines as “adopted children” of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker on the television show Praise the Lord, and together they have nine successful gold and platinum recordings. Bebe is also ambassador for Metro World Child, a Christian humanitarian organization that reaches 150,000 children around the world, including the United States, every week. (www.Metroworldchild.org) Twitter: @TheBeBeWinans Instagram: @BeBeWinans Facebook: facebook.com/bebewinans www.BeBeWinans.net

CHARLES RANDOLPH-WRIGHT

Book, Director

CHARLES RANDOLPH-WRIGHT (Book, Director) is an inaugural resident playwright at Arena Stage where he premiered his plays Love in Afghanistan, Blue and Cuttin’ Up and directed Akeelah and the Bee; Sophisticated Ladies and Guys and Dolls (both starring Maurice Hines); Oak and Ivy; Anthems; Señor Discretion Himself; and Ruined. He directed Motown The Musical on Broadway, the national tour and in London. Additional directing credits include the opera Porgy and Bess, Love/Life (starring Brian Stokes Mitchell), Through the Night (starring Daniel Beaty) and They’re Playing Our Song (in Portuguese in Brazil). Charles also co-wrote Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends. He directed the award-winning film Preaching to the Choir and has written screenplays for HBO, Showtime, Disney and FOX. TV credits include directing the new series Greenleaf, Lincoln Heights, South of Nowhere, the “Freestyle” soccer campaign for Nike and BeBe Winans’ special America America. He produced and wrote the Showtime series Linc’s. www.divatamer.com

DONALD LAWRENCE

Music Supervisor

DONALD LAWRENCE (Music Supervisor) is one of the most influential figures in modern gospel music. Over the course of his career, he directed the Tri-City Singers, noted as one of the best choirs in the world. Donald trained in musical theater at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and started his career as the musical director for Stephanie Mills. He has since worked with many of music’s top names, including The Clark Sisters, Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans and Lalah Hathaway, among others. Donald is also a Grammy Award-winning producer and has won over 20 Stellar Awards and one Dove Award. He has written six Billboard number one hits and has had 12 songs chart in the top 10.

WARREN ADAMS

Choreographer

WARREN ADAMS (Choreographer)’s Broadway/West End credits include Motown The Musical (Fred Astaire Award). Off-Broadway credits include Ruined, How I Learned to Drive, Oroonoko and Baby Case, Additional credits include Julie & Julia, Bewitched and Africa Straight Up (film); Magdalena and Der Zwerg (opera); Toy Story The Musical and Lion King 20th Anniversary (Disney); BalletMet, Phoenix Dance Theatre and Ballet Theatre Afrikan; and Gilbert Bailey’s Bout to Blow (upcoming). He co-founded the production company WalkRunFly, which has produced The Hunger Games (London) and Broadway’s Whorl Inside a Loop, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Of Mice and Men. Warren was born and raised in South Africa and won the first Nelson Mandela/Sainsbury Scholarship and Rudolf Nureyev Award. He has danced with companies worldwide and serves as adjunct professor at NYU and Princeton University.

STEVEN JAMAIL

Music Director / Orchestrations and Arrangements

STEVEN JAMAIL (Music Director / Orchestrations and Arrangements)’s original music and arrangements have been performed on Broadway and at New York City Center and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. TV work includes Rachel Ray’s 40th birthday special, Howard Stern’s 60th birthday show, The Martha Stewart Show, The Apprentice, The Rosie Show, 2014 Winter Olympics and NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center. He has conducted Broadway tribute concerts for Chita Rivera, Cyndi Lauper, Queen Latifah and Ian McKellan. His arrangement of “Fever” with Rosie O’Donnell and Bobby Pearce was heard on the final Oprah show. Steven music directs for O’Donnell, Andy Karl, Orfeh, Katie Rose Clarke, Rachelle Rak, Teal Wicks, Danielle Hope and Jeremy Abbott and is music supervisor for Rosie’s Theater Kids. Thanks to BeBe and Charles for this incredible ride and Orfeh for always opening doors.

NEIL PATEL

Set Designer

NEIL PATEL (Set Designer)’s recent New York credits include The Lion; Pretty Filthy; Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play; Stage Kiss; Indian Ink; and Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 and 3). Additional credits include The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and Pacific Overtures (Alliance Theatre) and production design for the Peabody Award-winning HBO sseries In Treatment, Neil LaBute’s DirecTV series Billy and Billie, Denis Leary’s FX series Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, and the feature films Some Velvet Morning (Tribeca Films), Loitering with Intent (Parts & Labor/The Orchard) and Little Boxes (2016 Tribeca Film Festival).

WILLIAM IVEY LONG

Costume Designer

WILLIAM IVEY LONG (Costume Designer)’s is thrilled to return to Arena Stage, where he designed the pre-Broadway engagement of The 1940’s Radio Hour. Broadway highlights include Chicago, now in its 20th year; On the Twentieth Century; Cabaret (2014 and 1998), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Grey Gardens; The Producers; The Boy from Oz; Hairspray; Crazy for You; Guys and Dolls; and Nine. Recent TV work includes Grease, Live! and the upcoming The Rocky Horror Picture Show. William has been nominated for 15 Tony Awards, winning six times. He was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 2005 and elected Chairman of The American Theatre Wing in June 2012. William grew up in Rock Hill, SC, a stone’s throw from both Charles Randolph-Wright in York, SC, and the PTL Headquarters in Pineville, NC. www.williamiveylong.com

JASON LYONS

Lighting Designer

JASON LYONS (Lighting Designer)’ D.C. credits include La Cage aux Folles, West Side Story, GirlStar and Cabaret at Signature Theatre. Jason has designed the Broadway productions of Hand to God, On the Town, Bronx Bombers, Let It Be, Bring It On: The Musical, Rock of Ages (including the Vegas, Toronto, Australia, London and national tours), The Threepenny Opera, Barefoot in the Park and Good Vibrations. Other recent credits include Dry Powder and Barbecue (The Public Theater); Smart People and Murder for Two (2nd Stage); Heathers: The Musical (New World Stages); The Commons of Pensacola (Manhattan Theatre Club); All in the Timing (Primary Stages); Uncle Vanya (Classic Stage Company); and Broke-ology (Lincoln Center Theater). Jason recently won the 2016 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design. www.jasonlyonsdesign.com

JESSE STEVENS

Sound Designer

JESSE STEVENS (Sound Designer)’s associate design credits include Invisible Thread with Jonathan Deans (Second Stage); New York Spring Spectacular with Keith Caggiano (Radio City Music Hall); Motown The Musical with Peter Hylenski (first national tour); After Midnight with Peter Hylenski (Broadway, Tony Award nomination); and Rock of Ages with Peter Hylenski (The Venetian, Las Vegas). His sound design/composer credits include The God Complex (in development), Mycelial Sketches (Fabbrica Europa, Florence) and SFX design for Twitter’s VideoNOW live event. As mixer, Blue Man Group (Monte Carlo, Las Vegas), Broadway’s Motown The Musical (Tony Award nomination), On a Clear Day… and Rock of Ages (Tony Award nomination). He received his B.F.A. in sound design from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Love forever to Savana.

JOHN NARUN

Projection Designer

JOHN NARUN (Projection Designer)’s theater credits include The Tallest Tree in the Forest and The Laramie Project (BAM); What I Did Last Summer (Signature Theatre); Blueprints for Freedom (Kansas City Repertory Theatre); The Darrell Hammond Project (La Jolla Playhouse); and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and New York Spring Spectacular. His visuals have shared the concert stage with Madonna, Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Britney Spears and the Spice Girls. John’s work has appeared on TV on The Oprah Show and ABC, CBS, NBC, HBO, FOX, Discovery, E!, HGTV and TV Guide. His broadcast work earned him an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Title Design in 2002.

BRIAN HARLAN BROOKS

Associate Choreographer

BRIAN HARLAN BROOKS (Associate Choreographer) was born in Pittsburgh, PA, and raised in Teaneck, NJ. He trained at the Dance Theater of Harlem, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Centre and the William Esper Studio. Performance credits include Philidanco, Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, the tour of Vinette Carole’s Your Arms Too Short to Box with God; Donald Byrd/The Group; Earl Moseley’s Diversity of Dance; and The Color Purple first National Tour (Dance Captain). TV/Film credits include Across the Universe, Lifted (a Fox Searchlight Film) and Boardwalk Empire. Additionally, he served as Missouri Site Director for Ailey Camp, a resident with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and choreographer for Motown the Musical and The First Noel.

TARA RUBIN

New York Casting Director

TARA RUBIN (New York Casting Director)’s Arena Stage credits include Sweat, Dear Evan Hansen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Other Desert Cities, Ruined and A Time to Kill. Selected Broadway/national tour credits include Dr. Zhivago; School of Rock; Gigi; It Shoulda Been You; Aladdin; Bullets over Broadway; Mothers and Sons; Les Misérables; Big Fish; The Heiress; Ghost; One Man, Two Guvnors (U.S. Casting); How to Succeed…; Promises, Promises; A Little Night Music; Billy Elliot; Shrek; Guys and Dolls; The Farnsworth Invention; Young Frankenstein; The Little Mermaid; Mary Poppins; My Fair Lady; Pirate Queen; Spamalot; Jersey Boys; …Spelling Bee; The Producers; Mamma Mia!; The Phantom of the Opera and Contact. Off-Broadway credits include Here Lies Love, Old Jews Telling Jokes and Love, Loss and What I Wore. Regional credits include work with Sundance Theatre Lab, Yale Repertory, Kennedy Center, Paper Mill Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse and The Old Globe.

KURT HALL

Stage Manager

KURT HALL (Stage Manager)’s favorite Arena Stage credits include All the Way, Sweat, Destiny of Desire, The Blood Quilt, Our War, The Shoplifters, Smokey Joe’s Café, Mother Courage and Her Children starring Kathleen Turner, Maurice Hines Is Tappin’ Thru Life, Good People, Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins starring Kathleen Turner, The Normal Heart, Red, Ruined, every tongue confess starring Phylicia Rashad, Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies, Looped starring Valerie Harper, Next to Normal starring Alice Ripley, Awake and Sing! and The Goat, or Who is Sylvia. Additional regional credits at the Kennedy Center, Roundabout Theatre Company, McCarter Theatre Center, Shakespeare Theatre Company and Signature Theatre. Thanks to his family for all their support.

KRISTEN MARY HARRIS

Assistant Stage Manager

KRISTEN MARY HARRIS (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be part of this production at Arena Stage. Favorite Arena Stage credits include Disgraced, The Blood Quilt, Fiddler on the Roof, Mother Courage and Her Children, Red, The Normal Heart and Oklahoma! (Helen Hayes Award). Additional D.C. credits include Road Show, The Threepenny Opera, Miss Saigon and the world premieres of Kid Victory and Crossing (Signature Theatre) and A Christmas Carol (Ford’s Theatre). Kristen holds a B.F.A. in theater production from the University of Arizona.

THE ALLIANCE THEATER

Co-Production

THE ALLIANCE THEATER, founded in 1968, is the leading producing theatre in the Southeast, reaching more than 165,000 patrons annually. Under the leadership of Susan V. Booth, Jennings Hertz Artistic Director, the Alliance received the Regional Theatre Tony Award for sustained excellence in programming, education and community engagement. The Alliance Theatre Acting Program and Education Department reaches 50,000 students annually through performances, classes, camps, and in-school initiatives including the Palefsky Collision Project and the Kathy & Ken Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young. The Alliance nurtures the careers of playwrights and artists through programs like the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition and the Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab, and has developed and premiered important American musicals with a strong track record of Broadway, touring and subsequent productions, including The Color Purple; Aida; Bring it On: The Musical; and Tuck Everlasting. www.alliancetheatre.org