Photos: First Look Inside Rehearsals for PERSONALITY: THE LLOYD PRICE MUSICAL in Chicago

Rehearsals are underway for the Chicago premiere of Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical. The critically acclaimed new musical celebrating the life, career, and unforgettable songs of Lloyd Price, including “Stagger Lee,” “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” and his trademark song, “Personality,” begins performances on June 2, 2023 at the beautifully renovated Studebaker Theater at the historic Fine Arts Building (410 South Michigan Avenue). Opening night is Wednesday, June 14. Tickets are available at PersonalityMusical.com. 

Get a first look at photos below!

The cast features Saint Aubyn (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway, original cast of Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations) and Stanley Wayne Mathis (Jelly’s Last Jam, The Lion King, Kiss Me, Kate) who created the roles of Lloyd Price and Harold Logan, respectively. The cast also includes Darian Peer (Choir Boy at Yale Rep, Part of the Plan at Tennessee Performing Arts Center) as Young Lloyd Price, Alexandria Reese (Intimate Apparel at Weathervane Theatre and Raisin at Axelrod Performing Arts Center) as Emma Price, Miles Boone as Little Richard/Sam Cooke/Olisaemeka, Brian Grey as Art Rupe, Donnie Hammond as Rosetta Tharpe/Ma Nora, Donterrio as Dave, Alanna Lovely as Ma Naan, DeMone Seraphin as Mr. Price/Don Robey, Karl Hamilton.as Levy, and Uria Bennett, Christian Denzel Bufford, Sabrina Edwards, Marcus Hardy, Josh Houghton, Nissi Shalome, Whitney Wandland, and Christopher Henry Young.

Book is by B. Jeffrey Madoff, based on extensive conversations with Price. Personality is directed by Sheldon Epps (the Tony and Olivier-nominated Blues in the Night), choreographed by Edgar Godineaux (Associate Choreographer for Broadway’s Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, Memphis), and musically directed by Shelton Becton (Broadway and HBO’s Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill with Audra McDonald). 

The World Premiere of Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical played last year at People’s Light in Malvern, PA, where the Philadelphia Inquirer cheered, “Personality beautifully recalls Lloyd Price’s life and legacy,” and The Broad Street Review raved, “Personality is visually captivating and musically joyous. Madoff chronicles Price’s travails and triumphs in a thought-provoking look at the music industry and the challenges of being a Black American.” 

From humble beginnings in his hometown of Kenner, Louisiana, Lloyd Price overcame incredible obstacles on his way to a revolutionary musical career. As a young Black rec0rding artist in the segregated Deep South of the pre-Civil Rights Era, Price’s success was even more remarkable. Armed with determination and a soulful sound, Price skyrocketed to stardom in 1952 when his single “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” hit No. 1 on the R&B charts, making him the first teenager to sell over a million records and to earn a Gold Record. Price became a crossover hit, popular with both Black and white kids, shattering the “race records” barrier. However, the path to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was a winding one: immediately after the success of his first record, he was drafted to fight in the Korean War in 1953. But Price, a master of reinvention, would find his footing time and again. He became the first Black man to open a nightclub below Harlem in New York City, and the first recording artist of any color to create his own record label, generating more hits like “Stagger Lee” and “Personality,” and spreading the New Orleans R&B sound throughout the world.  

Scenic design is by Tony Award winner David Gallo (The Drowsy Chaperone) and Viveca Gardiner (Miss Maude, Big Apple Circus), costume design is by Raquel Adorno (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Writers Theatre), lighting design is by Tony Award winner Jeff Croiter (Peter and the Starcatcher), sound design is by Tony Award winner Rob Kaplowitz (Fela!) and Jordan Tani, projections are by David Gallo and Steve Channon (Memphis, The Mountaintop), and hair, wig and make-up design is by J. Jared Janas (Good Night, Oscar, &Juliet). Production Stage Manager is Shawn Pryby.  

Personality is produced by The Hard Kill LLC. Adam Hess serves as Executive Producer.