Posted by | Ray Cornelius
The story of 70’s disco diva, Sylvester, is coming to life this Labor Day Weekend at Atlanta’s famed Variety Playhouse. “Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Story” is a musical based on the life and times of drag superstar Sylvester James Jr. Inspired by music divas Billie Holiday, Josephine Baker and Diana Ross, Sylvester became one of the industry’s most unforgettable performers and mesmerized audiences with his soaring falsetto voice on such hit records as “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real),” “Dance (Disco Heat),” “Do Ya Wanna Funk,” and “Can’t Stop Dancing.”
The show, which was inspired by a 2010 episode of TV One’s “Unsung,” stars Broadway actor, Anthony Wayne as the fabulous Sylvester along with Anastacia McCleskey and Jacqueline B. Arnold as Sylvester’s voluptuous background singers, Izora Armstead and Martha Wash aka Two Tons of Fun/Weather Girls. The show is co-directed by Wayne’s partner and celebrity stylist, Kendrell Bowman and co-produced by television, film and stage actress, Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Mighty Real…premiered Off-Broadway in September of 2014 and has played to soul out venues in Washington D.C., San Francisco and Philadelphia. The musical was nominated for a 2015 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Musical and Wayne was featured in OUT Magazines’ “Out 100.” The show was most recently recognized on a special edition of TV One’s “Unsung Revisited” in July.
Check out photos below from the show along with a sneak peek of Wayne in action. Click here to purchase tickets for the Atlanta engagement!
[vimeo id=”94028762″ width=”600″ height=”350″]
Anthony Wayne has also appeared in Broadway’s “Pippin,” “Priscilla,” and “Anything Goes”
Mighty Real Cast
Anastacia McCleskey and Jacqueline B. Arnold as Izora Armstead and Martha Wash
“Mighty Real” cast with Sylvester’s background singer and house music legend, Martha Wash
