Fifty years on from the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr and 30 years since the first performance of the late Martin Smith’s musical, Hackney Empire joins forces with the London Musical Theatre Orchestra for performances on 30 June and 1 July 2018.
Cedric Neal (Motown the Musical, Chess) plays Martin Luther King Jr., Sharon D. Clarke (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Caroline, or Change) is Alberta King and Debbie Kurup (The Bodyguard, Girl From the North Country) takes on the role of Coretta King.
Martin Luther King Jr knew he would marry Coretta Scott from their very first meeting. Over the course of their marriage, alongside their brothers and sisters within the movement, they fought for the rights of African American people in a divided United States.KING tells the story of their life together, and the strides, successes
Freddie Tapner conducts the London Musical Theatre Orchestra, with Susie McKenna directing and new orchestrations penned by Simon Nathan. The concert will also feature Hackney Empire’s renowned Community Choir.
LMTO founder and conductor, Freddie Tapner, said:
“It is a great privilege to be partnering with Hackney Empire on this project. Now feels like just the right time to be presenting this astonishingly powerful work, and with brand new orchestrations by Simon Nathan, I cannot wait to hear Martin Smith’s score come to life again for the first time in 30 years.”
