The Marvin Gaye story comes to State Theatre in Cleveland, March 21-24, in Zeola Gaye's "My Brother Marvin, " cast members include Gaye's sister Zeola Gaye, Clifton Powell, Emmy Award Winner Lynn Whitfield, Keith Washington, Tony Grant and Lia Grant

     

ZEOLA GAYE'S THEATRICAL DRAMA "MY BROTHER MARVIN" IS AN ORIGINAL PRODUCTION BY PLAY-WRITE ANGELA BARROW DUNLAP THAT UNCOVERS THE UNTOLD, UNCUT STORY OFTHE LATE ICONIC SOUL SINGER MARVIN GAYE. IT IS TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ZEOLA GAYE , MARVIN GAYE'S BIOLOGICAL SISTER

Lynn Whitfield

Clifton Powell

ZEOLA GAYE'S STAGE PRODUCTION BY PLAY-WRITE ANGELA BORROW DUNLAP IS  DIRECTED BY COMEDIAN AND ACTOR CLIFTON POWELL WHO PLAYS GAYE'S FATHER AND  FEATURES  EMMY WINNING ACTRESS LYNN WHITFIELD AND ACTORS KEITH WASHINGTON, TONY GRANT AND LIA GRANT

THE STAGE SHOW HITS CLEVELAND MARCH 21st – 24th @ STATE THEATRE 1519 Euclid Ave #200, Cleveland,OH 44115, TICKETS ON SALE NOW

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Ticket prices range from $28.00 to $44.50, plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased online at Playhouse Square, by calling 216-241-6000 or 866-546-1353, and at the Playhouse Square Ticket Office (Inside the State Theatre, Mon – Sun from 11 AM – 6 PM)

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

All shows will take place at the State Theatre

The Cleveland performance schedule for My Brother Marvin is as follows:

Thursday, March 21st at 8 PM

Friday, March 22nd at 8 PM

Saturday, March 23rd at 3 PM and 8 PM

Sunday, March 24th at 3 PM and 7:30 PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio- His legacy has been marred with misconceptions of the life he truly lived and the family he dearly loved. He constantly walked a tightrope between being who the world expected him to be and who he felt God called him to be. He secretly suffered in silence from the scars that women in his life had inflicted on him and longed for the true love they never supplied.  He also inwardly battled to stay true to who he was as a person, safeguard his place in musical history and not succumb to an industry and music label that fought to turn him and his world upside down. He was Marvin Pentz Gaye and now a theatrical drama that focuses on the man behind the music reemerges on stages across the country--My Brother Marvin.

Brother Marvin is a gripping, riveting and dramatic account of the life of the man who transformed and revolutionized the landscape of soul music—Marvin Gaye.  Everything his label and lovers didn't want you to know, stories swept under the rug about him and his family and secrets once thought to be buried with him and his mother surface and are now revealed in  My Brother Marvin. It delves into the story that framed the life and engineered the tragic death of iconic soul legend Marvin Gaye. The play specifically focuses on Marvin’s relationship with his mother, father and siblings. The story is inspired by and told from the vantage point of Marvin’s sister Zeola “Sweetsie” Gaye. My Brother Marvin achieves what other offerings have previously failed to do—give the uncut, unadulterated, untainted truth about Marvin Gaye. The show also features original music inspired by Marvin Gaye and the musical era he influenced.

“Through the years, I became taken aback and disappointed with everything that had been written, said and published about my family, especially my brother Marvin that wasn’t accurate,” said Zeola Gaye. “In the play,  I simply wanted to set the record straight. I wanted to leave a true account about Marvin the man and our family. People need to know what really happened and Marvin would want his fans to really know what happened. We are finally bringing the truth the world needs and must know .”

My Brother Marvin the stage play was conceived by Zeola Gaye. It is directed by acclaimed actor Clifton Powell (Next Friday, Ray, Dead Presidents) who also stars as Marvin Gaye's father in the show and is being produced by Detroit Touring Group. My Brother Marvin is written and adapted for the stage by heralded urban theatre playwright—Angela Barrow-Dunlap. Undoubtedly, Barrow-Dunlap is the premiere and most acclaimed writer, director, producer in the urban theatre circuit to date.

My Brother Marvin is just one of many hit shows she's been at the helm of creatively. Her other works have included Real Men Pray, I Won’t Be The Other Woman, Why Do Good Girls Like Bad Boyz?, If These Hips Could Talk, Gossip, Lies & Secrets, My Sweet Potato Pie and Church Girl. Not only has Barrow-Dunlap launched and successfully toured hit shows, but she's also cast some of Hollywood's heaviest hitters and most loved African-American actors  in her shows including legendary actors Billy Dee Williams and the late Sherman Hemsley of The Jeffersons' fame,  actresses Robin Givens, LisaRaye and Tichina Arnold, actor Boris Kodjoe and singers Charlie Wilson of The Gap Band, Angie Stone and Ginuwine just to name a few.

My Brother Marvin stars Grammy nominated R&B singer, actor and radio host Keith Washington ("Kissing You" and "Make Time for Love"), who plays Marvin Gaye in his latter years. Also bringing Marvin Gaye to life during his early years is veteran urban theatre actor and singer Tony Grant and child protégé Havier Hill-Roller who plays Marvin Gaye as a child. Also starring in the show is Emmy Award winning actress Lynn Whitfield (Josephine Baker Story, Eve’s Bayou, Head of State, Madea’s Family Reunion) who plays Marvin’s mother, Alberta and Image Award winning actor Clifton Powell who plays Marvin Gaye, Sr.

My Brother Marvin made its’ off Broadway theatrical premiere in Detroit, Michigan in 2006 during the Christmas Holiday. It received rave reviews and would go on to play a limited engagement tour in theatres in  Philly, Chicago, Oakland, Memphis, Oklahoma, Kansas City and Little Rock. During the 2006-2007 season, the play’s storyline was told from the sole perspective of Zeola Gaye and her book. Recently, Zeola discovered the private memoirs of their mother and letters of their father, adding some very integral elements and scenes to the original storyline presented in the play. It was believed that Marvin's mother, Alberta Gaye took her secrets to her grave, until the recent discovery of her hidden journals, in which she writes candidly about her husband, her family and of course her superstar son. Now, the world will hear and see it all.