RODNEY HICKS

The year is 2074. Four guides must fulfill their contract after a mysterious door opens leading them underground to finish their Understanding America Tour. Through a series of absurd, zany, laugh–out–loud, and sometimes moving vignettes; together they take us through today, yesterday, and tomorrow uncovering a town of people in need of connection in everywhere America.

PLAYBILL article April 19, 2024 – Due to Wayne Brady’s schedule with The Wiz he wasn’t able to act in it as planned, but I am so glad Wayne was able to attend the 3 pm reading to watch it. Michael Rishawn replaced Wayne. It was a spectacular day. Michael, Elizabeth, Crystal, and Christopher were brilliant and inspiring. I am very happy with where the play is and more excited about the new post-reading revisions. After six years of working on this play, I am looking forward to its future.

What a tremendous JOY it was to be able to sing and act on a New York City stage again with this fabulous group of artists in a fierce presentation of The Gorgeous Nothings presented by Life Jacket Theatre Company.

Looking forward to the continued journey ahead with this new musical.

grateful 🏳️‍🌈🩷💯

CAST: Rodney Hicks, Arnie Burton, Ken Barnett, Jose Llana, Allan K. Washington, John Cariani

Thank you to the friends, colleagues, and producers who showed up to last month’s reading in New York City.

The presentation was a success in many ways, but especially in showing us what we needed to see and hear. I am happy to write that we’ve continued our work to take this play to the next level.

We are excited about the revisions that have been made to this new American play and look forward to the road ahead.

grateful

An honor. I am very much looking forward to this.
🙌🏾🙌🏻🙌🏼🏳️‍🌈

Repost from @lifejacketnyc
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Catch a sneak preview of THE GORGEOUS NOTHINGS, our new musical investigating the 1930s era “Fag Ward” at NYC’s Penitentiary. CAST: Rodney Hicks, John Cariani, Arnie Burton, Jose Llana, Ken Barnett, Allan K. Washington.

FEB. 12 - SNEAK PREVIEW!
3PM (limited availability)
7PM (only a few tix left)
@nylivearts
🎟 Link in bio.

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After spending six years working on this project, I am incredibly grateful to the generous donors, and everyone, who helped to make this possible. Thank you!

Josh Rhodes will be directing our cast of four–Jeannette Bayardelle, Jessica Vosk, Christoper J. Hanke, and Michael James Scott will lead this NYC industry reading presentation of inhale-EXHALE.

I learned a lot from the March and November readings of last year–to revise, rewrite, to write more vignettes, to tighten and focus these characters to recur and coalesce in a hilarious, irreverent, and meaningful way–to take this play to the next level for this extraordinary team of artists to play in.

I am very much looking forward to being in the room rehearsing with these five brilliant artists and friends, and for people to see our presentation of this play on January 31st in New York City.

Never stop believing. Keep going!

love

Looking forward to this @PortlandPlayhouse ❤️

Our company of PASSING STRANGE

Director- Rodney Hicks

Choreographer/Intimacy Coordinator- Muffie Delgado Connelly

Musical director- Kennedy Verrett

Lighting design- Diane Ferry Williams

Scenic design- Gisela Estrada

Costume design- Wanda Walden

Sound design- Saibi Khalsa

Filmed sequences- Tamera Lyn

Production Stage Manager - Kimberly Harding

Production Manager– Thyra Hartshorn

Our BAND of actors and musicians:

Stew- Jasonica Moore

Youth- Charles Grant

Mother- LaRhonda Steele

Desi & others- Lauren “Lo” Steele

Mr. Franklin & others- Delphon “DJ” Curtis

Marianna & others- Andrea Vernae

Terry & others- Jelani Kee

Conductor/Keyboard/Heidi- Kennedy Verrett

Guitar- Daysmel "Dice" Muniz

Bass- Pierre Abbott

Drums- Alexandra "Zanny" Geffell

U/S- Anthony Michael Shephard

U/S- Jasmyn Tilford