Further casting announced for PERSONALITY: THE LLOYD PRICE MUSICAL at Southbank Centre
Further casting has been announced for Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical, which will be staged for two concert performances on 11 October at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Joining the previously announced Cedric Neal as Lloyd Price will be Craig Armstrong (Hello, Dolly!, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical) as Levy, Zoe Birkett (Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, Pop Idol) as Rosetta Tharpe/Ma Nora/Erma Franklin, Marcus Collins (Kinky Boots, X Factor) as Little Richard/Sam Cooke, Matthew Goodgame (Mrs Doubtfire, BLITZ) as Art Rupe, Shem Omari James (Jesus Chris Superstar, Dreamgirls) as Young Lloyd, Aaron Lee Lambert (Evita, Hamilton) as Don Roby, Clive Rowe (Guys and Dolls, The Addams Family) as Harold Logan, and Vanessa Ela Young (Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Drifters Girl) as Emma.
The ensemble cast is completed by Gibsa Bah (Disney’s The Lion King), Alishia-Marie Blake (Hamilton), Darnell Mathew-James (MJ The Musical), Jamel Matthias (The Great Gatsby), Kenedy Small (SIX) as Na Naan/Ensemble, Christopher Tendai (Matilda: The Musical), Grace Wylde (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and Pelé Yearwood (Disney’s Hercules).
Following a critically acclaimed run in Chicago and showcase in London last year Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical makes its much-anticipated London stage debut.
The musical celebrates the life and career of Lloyd Price, known for hits like ‘Personality’, ‘Lawdy Miss Clawdy’, and ‘Stagger Lee’. Price was a pioneering figure in rock 'n' roll, becoming the first teenager to sell over a million records and founding his own label. His music and influence transcended race, inspired generations, and reshaped popular culture, with legends like Amy Winehouse, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney recording his work.
Director Sheldon Epps said: “Almost everybody knows his music, but very few know his name. And even fewer know his story. PERSONALITY brings both to the stage, introducing the man who changed the world through his songs. He is a true unsung hero who influenced many generations on his own and touched the lives of many other great entertainers during his remarkable decades long career. It has been a great honor to bring his story to the stage, and audiences have responded with gratitude, enthusiasm and the desire to know even more about this wonderful artist.”
B. Jeffrey Madoff (book writer and lead producer), with music & lyrics by Lloyd Price, and Sheldon Epps (director) are joined on the creative team by choreographer Edgar Godineaux, musical supervisor Shelton Becton, and UK Casting by Pearson Casting.
