Love Jones is coming to the stage!
With the 20th anniversary of the film coming next year, the cult-classic movie, starring Nia Long, Larenz Tate, Bill Bellamy, and more, is being adapted into a musical by writer/director Theodore Witcher.
The theatrical rendition will take a R&B approach featuring a cast of popular singers including, Musiq Soulchild, Marsha Ambrosius, Chrisette Michele, Raheem DeVaughn, Dave Hollister, and MC Lyte.
Slated to hit theaters this coming fall, The Daily Gazette claims the play is a “refreshing change in black theatre,” and New York Weekly calls it a, “Wonderful cross between concert, stage play, and a movie live on one stage.”
If you are too young to know it, or never saw it, check out the original film’s trailer below.
I plan to add my comment to any board announcing this musical.
I am pissed off!! I am THE LOVE JONES biggest fan! When this was announced on the radio here in Detroit I was beyond excited but I didn’t want to see it alone. I went to the internet and found it in Chicago – I telephoned my bestie and she and her daughters and I purchased out tickets. I drove Saturday (10/1) in the storming rain using the last of my pennies to see it. MC Lyte took the stage and ask for eveyone to turn off their cell phones – I was so excited that I had made sure that mine was turned off during the drive ( huge musical lover that I am) over to the venue. The MC Lyte let us know that none of the poetry from the original film would be in the musical – what? This was not expected but I thought what the hell, I am still excited to see what’s up.
TOTAL LET DOWN!
We left at intermission because this musical was so bad. The only thing that this musical has in common with the movie is some of the character names. Things happened in this musical that really made no sense – and the one huge thing that really angered me was – NO MUSIC SOULCHILD, NO CHRISETTE MICHELLE.
Having attended many, many stage musicals during my lifetime how do you have their names everywhere announcing that they will be on the show and not only were they not there, but MC Lyte didn’t announce that! There were no posters in the lobby announcing that – nothing!
My advice would be for everyone to save their money because of the 100.00 plus dollars that I spent to attend this, I could have saved.
By the way, I now understand why the single New York Weekly mention, “Wonderful cross between concert, stage play, and a movie live on one stage” is used in all of its advertisement. It’s probably the only decent one that they could dig up!