Displaying items by tag: Mr Hathaway
More Than You’ll Ever Know: Twisted Melodies Resound at Northlight Theatre
Do we ever really know what someone is going through? We devour what people create, savoring the beauty in their art; we read the words they write, feel the emotions they convey, listen to the music they play, but do we really know what is just beneath the surface? One is left asking this question after viewing the masterpiece that is Twisted Melodies now playing at Northlight Theatre.
Flashback to 1979, when singer and composer Donny Hathaway was a soul music icon, known for R&B hits and his duets with Roberta Flack. Twisted Melodies is a mesmerizing one-man show that immerses us in a day with the brilliant artist, who seeks solace in the music that has always been his salvation. Powerful renditions of songs like “More Than You’ll Ever Know,” “The Ghetto,” and “The Closer I Get to You,” illuminate the enduring power of this talent. Torn between inspiration and his ongoing inner struggle, Hathaway grapples with his life in a gripping performance by Kelvin Roston Jr.
Unlike jukebox musicals that celebrate the life and music of the artist it portrays (think Jersey Boys about the Four Seasons or Just In Time about Bobby Darin), Twisted Melodies offers a new approach to viewing Hathaway’s life and career. We’re with Donny as he isolates in a hotel room, recording music. We learn about his life through captivating stories told from the first-person perspective. We hear his music sung by Hathaway as he recalls the people or events in his life that inspired the songs. We experience, even momentarily, what Donny must have experienced in his life, living with schizophrenia with visual distortions and haunting voices. The first-person storytelling of Hathaway’s life reveals the man behind the artist we know, his personality, his solace, and his demons. The play is not only an homage to the singer-songwriter’s life. “Twisted Melodies is a labor of love,” says playwright and performer Kelvin Roston Jr. “It’s much more than a solo jukebox musical. I chose Donny Hathaway as my muse for his amazing music and musicianship, yes, but also because of his struggle with paranoid schizophrenia. We generally ignore, make excuses for, hide, or even make fun of those dealing with mental illness. Donny Hathaway left an incredible amount of himself and his struggles in the lyrics he wrote, the notes he played, and the tones he bent and swelled with as he sang.”
Twisted Melodies perfectly captures the beauty and struggle of the late artist, and Roston Jr. belts Hathaway’s ballads with such reverence and respect, creating beautiful harmonies and scales that tickle your brain as beautifully as Roston Jr. tickles the ivory, playing throughout the one-man show. Roston Jr.’s tones and range capture the fire and the fury of Hathaway’s genius, challenging the audience to see beyond the notes and see what the artist was going through on that fateful night in 1979. Donny Hathaway tragically passed away at only 33 years old in a rumored solo exit performance of his own. The Chicago-born artist left behind a legacy that influenced or inspired dozens of modern-day artists, including Elton John and Amy Winehouse. Hathaway was even named the 49th-greatest singer of all time in a 2010 list published by Rolling Stone Magazine.
It's tragic how we often don’t know what someone is going through until after the person is no longer with us, particularly when it comes to something like mental health. But what a blessing it is to know that a story like Twisted Melodies can help to remind us that we’re all going through something. Like Donny Hathaway, we can find our solace, our stories, and ourselves in the things we create, using our art to help others understand what we are going through. Twisted Melodies runs through August 10th at Northlight Theatre (9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie). Tickets for Twisted Melodies are available at www.northlight.org
Divergent Viewpoints Distract: The Birth of the Pill at Timeline Theatre
11 September 2026 in TheatreThere are always two sides to every story. The writer or playwright will tell a story offering key details and…
GDC Premieres New Work by Al Blackstone in "untamed passion" at the North Shore Center November 6th and 7th
10 September 2026 in Upcoming DanceGiordano Dance Chicago (GDC), America's original jazz dance company, returns to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501…
Dance Theatre of Harlem returns to Chicago for first time in 10 years at The Auditorium October 17th
10 September 2026 in Upcoming DanceThe Auditorium (Chicago's landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) begins its 2026-27 Dance Season titled North American Dance…
The Gift Theatre announces casting for Netta Walker's Hayward
09 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe Gift Theatre, led by Artistic Directors Brittany Burch and Jennifer Glasse, continues its 25th Anniversary Season with the world premiere…
Steep Opens New Home with Simon Stephens' U.S. Premiere A Slow Fire
09 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreSteep Theatre will open its new theater this coming January with the U.S. Premiere of playwright Simon Stephens' A Slow…
2027 Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards School Applications Now Available
09 September 2026 in Theatre BuzzBroadway In Chicago is delighted to invite high schools across the State of Illinois to participate in the 16th Annual Illinois High…
Full Casting Announced for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's ADIRONDACK CHAIR CIRCLE – October 22 – December 6, 2026 – World Premiere!
08 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreSteppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to announce full casting for its world premiere of…
Porchlight Announces "Little Shop of Horrors" Cast & Creative Team
08 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the cast and creative team of the first mainstage production of…
Chicago Premiere of Tin Drum Theatre's A DARK WOOD to be performed at Greenhouse Theater Center, Oct 15 - Nov 1
08 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreTin Drum Theatre Company is proud to announce that tickets are now on sale for the Chicago premiere of A Dark Wood, October…
Embrace The Change: Menopause the Musical® 25th Anniversary Tour to play Aurora’s Paramount Theatre Saturday, October 17 at 3 p.m.
08 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe hilarious musical parody Menopause the Musical® is on a 25th Anniversary National Tour this fall, and Aurora’s Paramount Theatre is the…
Paramount’s Mean Girls Delivers a Fierce, Fetch Night Out
07 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewThis new staging of Mean Girls the Musical, now playing at Paramount Theatre in Aurora’s downtown theatre district, brings Tina…
The Man Who Fell - Trap Door Theatre - Through September 19th
07 September 2026 in Now PlayingTrap Door Theatre is thrilled to begin its 33rd season with the World Premiere of The Man Who Fell with…
Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Dark Children’s Tale Translates to Stellar Show in ’The Man Who Fell with the Rain’
06 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewAn exceptionally good show is now on stage at Chicago’s Trap Door Theatre. This wonder—The Man Who Fell with the…
'The Snow Queen' presented by The Impostors Theatre Co. November 6th through November 21st
04 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreAfter their award winning year, The Impostors Theatre Company (ITC) opens Season Eight with the highly anticipated world-premiere of The…
City Lit announces August Wilson's KING HEDLEY II October 16 through November 29 - here the cast
04 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreFull cast and production team have been announced for City Lit's production of August Wilson's KING HEDLEY II, to play…
Standing Room Only Crowd for Chicago’s Leading Theater Artistic Directors
04 September 2026 in Theatre BuzzIt must have been heavenly for the creative leaders of Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare and Court, Chicago’s top regional theaters,…
Joffrey Ballet announces planned leadership transition: President and CEO Greg Cameron to depart in December 2027
04 September 2026 in Theatre BuzzThe Joffrey Ballet today announced that President and CEO Greg Cameron will depart in December 2027, concluding a 15-year tenure that transformed the…
The Best of Us: Marriott Theatre’s Come From Away
03 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewCome From Away begins from a place of deep uncertainty, yet what emerges is a story grounded in the steady,…
Steppenwolf Theatre Presents Revival of TOPDOG/UNDERDOG September 17 – November 1 / Rehearsals Underway
02 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreSteppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to launch its 51st Season with Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Topdog/Underdog, helmed by Tony Award-winning…
Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project Gala: Radiant & Sumptuous at the Harris
01 September 2026 in Dance in ReviewThe first thing you notice about the meticulously curated Black dance performance held at the Harris Theater over the weekend…
Vape! The Grease Parody Is High-Energy Fluff
01 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewVape! The Grease Parody, currently running at Chicago’s Apollo Theater through January, takes a satirical swing at the iconic 1978…
BrightSide Theatre Announces "Monte Carlo Night" 15th Anniversary Gala and Fundraiser on September 25
01 September 2026 in Theatre BuzzBrightSide Theatre will celebrate its 15th anniversary with "Monte Carlo Night," a gala and fundraiser, on Friday, September 25, 2026,…
GDC Hosts 19th Anniversary “Dancing With The Giordano Stars” Ballroom Dance Competition October 8th
01 September 2026 in Upcoming DanceGiordano Dance Chicago (GDC) hosts its highly anticipated 19th Anniversary "Dancing With The Giordano Stars" ballroom dance competition 7-11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8…
A Loving, Delight‑Packed Celebration: Joan Crawford Goes to Hell Marks 25 Years of Handbag
31 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewHell in a Handbag Productions celebrates its 25th year with a revival of Joan Crawford Goes to Hell, a sharp,…
An Immersive Sunday in the Park with George at Kokandy Productions
31 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewComposition, tension, balance, light, and harmony come together seamlessly in Kokandy Productions’ revival of Sondheim’s opus, ‘Sunday in the Park…
Robert Falls to Direct the World Premiere of FLYING MONKEYS, by L.C. Bernadine, at Redtwist Theatre, Dec 6 - Jan 17
31 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatreAward-winning Redtwist Theatre, launching its 22nd season with Prayer Circle, September 17 - November 8, by Erik Gernand and directed by Executive Artistic Director Dusty Brown, announces today…
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble Names Daniel Millhouse as New Managing Artistic Director
31 August 2026 in Theatre BuzzBuffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE), the professional theater company in residence at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC), is pleased to announce that, in keeping…
Blood of the Lamb - The Den Theatre - Through October 3rd
31 August 2026 in Now PlayingPromethean Theatre Ensemble announced today it will offer post-show audience talkbacks following two performances of their Chicago premiere of BLOOD OF…
City Lit’s Shane Saddles Up a Classic Western With Fresh Heart
30 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewCity Lit Theatre’s world premiere of Shane, adapted for the stage and directed by Mark Pracht, brings a fresh, nostalgic…
In Sisters, Barrie Turns an AI Fable into an Impressive Character Study
29 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewThe rise of artificial intelligence raises many questions about its effect on humanity. What does it mean if we become…
Latest Articles
-
Divergent Viewpoints Distract: The Birth of the Pill at Timeline Theatre
Written by Kendall RoyzenThere are always two sides to every story. The writer or playwright will tell a story offering key details and scenes that move the story forward in the way that leads the audience to a message or conclusion the writer… -
GDC Premieres New Work by Al Blackstone in "untamed passion" at the North Shore Center November 6th and 7th
Written by Buzz Center StageGiordano Dance Chicago (GDC), America's original jazz dance company, returns to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd. at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday Nov. 7. The engagement, part of GDC's 64th season, features the… -
Dance Theatre of Harlem returns to Chicago for first time in 10 years at The Auditorium October 17th
Written by Buzz Center StageThe Auditorium (Chicago's landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) begins its 2026-27 Dance Season titled North American Dance with a highly anticipated performance by the acclaimed American ballet company Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH). The evening marks the company's first…
-
The Gift Theatre announces casting for Netta Walker's Hayward
Written by Buzz Center StageThe Gift Theatre, led by Artistic Directors Brittany Burch and Jennifer Glasse, continues its 25th Anniversary Season with the world premiere of Hayward by Gift ensemble member Netta Walker, directed by AmBer Montgomery. Presented in Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre, 1700 N Halsted St in Chicago, Hayward runs October 14 – November 15,…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.