Donica Lynn to Present 5th Annual TODAY'S A GOOD DAY - WALK WITH ME Benefit Concert

Donica Lynn announces the fifth annual benefit concert Today's a Good Day-Walk With Me at 8:00pm on Monday, June 26, 2017 at The Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Ave. All proceeds from tickets sales, donations, and raffle will be donated equally to the American Cancer Society and the American Brain Tumor Association.

The benefit features three-time cancer survivor Donica Lynn, Doug Pawlik, Dave Budrys, Billy Dawson, Aaron Benham, Kael Mboya, Michael Lockett, Kimberly Lawson, Curtis Fondren, Aaron Mitchell Reese, Taylor Iman Carter, Robin da Silva and Donica's children Aerial Dwyer, Sabastian, and Sidra. Special guests scheduled to perform are Jess Godwin, Caleb Baze, Leah Pawlik, Grant Thomas Zabielski, DC Ford, Doug Peck, Jim McCaffrey and a special guest from Artists Giving Back Chicago.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Tickets are available at Mercurytheaterchicago.com or 312-325-1700.

Benefit producer and performer Donica Lynn states, "Although this concert began five years ago as my personal testament through song of my journey and battle with the diagnosis, treatments and aftercare of brain cancer, Today's a Good Day-Walk With Me has now become a concert event that speaks to any medical journey, large or small. This concert brings together friends and family to celebrate the lives being lived through the journey, those that help along the way, as well as those that we've lost-during our Angels tribute. The concert is on the eve of my birthday, which is an ideal time to celebrate another year of my life and these organizations that help give life."

All involved in Today's a Good Day-Walk With Me are donating their time. Performances will include personal stories of Donica's medical journey and songs that have been meaningful to Donica and the other performers throughout the past year, including music by Jason Robert Brown, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and the musicals 13, Waitress and James and the Giant Peach.

Doncia Lynn was called The Person of the Year Theater in 2016 by The Chicago Tribune. Starring as Effie "Melody" White in Porchlight Music Theatre's critically-acclaimed production of Dreamgirls earned her the Best Actress in Musical Award by the Jeff Committee, BTAA, and Time Out Chicago. Donica's acting career began in 1995 with the now defunct Chicago Theatre Company (Train Is Comin) and she has since been seen in productions with Victory Gardens (Confessions of A P.I.M.P. w/ Tony nominee Andre De Shields, A Wonder In My Soul) Mercury Theater (Color Purple, Barnum) Porchlight Music Theater -Off the Porch (Gatecrashers) About Face Theater (When Last We Flew) Chicago Opera Theater (Queenie Pie) Barn Theatre-MI (Hair) Goodman Theatre (Lady In Denmark) Chicago Dramatist (Vee Jay Records) Drury Lane Oakbrook (Smokey Joe's Cafe, Hairspray, Aida, Thoroughly Modern Millie) Marriott Lincolnshire (Once on This Island, Suessical) Northlight (Saturday Night/Sunday Morning) Theatre at the Center-IND (Footloose, Winnie the Pooh Christmas) Paramount (Hair) Court Theatre (Caroline or Change) Timeline (Fiorello) Congo Square (Black Nativity, Sanctified), ETA Creative Arts (This Far By Faith, Runaway Home, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Good Black) Bailiwick Rep (Georgia Tom) Fleetwood Jourdain (Black Nativity) She's worked several children's theatre companies including Childrens' Theatre Fantasy Orchard, & Chocolate Chips, as well as vocal performances with Chicago Sings (Porchlight) Cabernet Cabaret (Arranmore Arts) Chicago Humanities Festival, Sarah Siddons Foundation, & Broadway Holidays (Paramount) RECORDINGS: Ramsey Lewis (Dance of the Soul CD) She's had two #1 solo dance club singles UK (Shout, Keep Rockin) Justin Roberts (Lullaby CD) Calvin Bridges (So Easy To Love CD) Cory Goodrich (W.O.M.A.N.) Female Lead Vocalist Ascendant Music Inc (Illuminate: Blue, Green) BACKGROUNDS: Rahsaan Patterson, Natalie Cole, New Kids on the Block, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder ALUMNA: Walt Whitman & the Soul Children of Chicago, All-City Youth Choir. A member of Christian Tabernacle Church since 6 months of age, Donica is honored to have been the recipient of two African American Arts Alliance nominations, as well as the Perseverance Award from Bibo (Beauty In Beauty Out) C.H.A.M.P. Community Project - Traci S. Campbell Founder. Donica holds a degree in medical science, and plans to receive her JD degree. She is a proud member of Actors Equity Association, American Guild of Musical Artists, SAG/AFTRA and proudly represented by Stewart Talent Agency.

Donica Lynn is a 3x Brain Tumor/Cancer Survivor Originally discovered as a benign tumor in 1987 at age 12, Donica had a full craniotomy to remove the lesion. Like many tumors often do, Donica's tumor reoccurred and she again found herself on the operating table April 21st 2010. It wasn't until later that same year, August 24, 2010 to be exact, when an MRI test showed another tumor that proved to me malignant that her diagnosis became cancer. In 2013 while undergoing another round of treatment, Donica began a mission to educate, & ignite open conversation about brain tumors/cancer and overall health awareness by telling HER story. Sparked by a simple question "how are you feeling today" asked of her by a dear lifelong friend, Donica's response took the form of a conversational concert entitled "TODAY'S A GOOD DAY" an annual benefit concert for anyone touched by cancer. During this conversational concert separated into four categories: diagnosis, treatment, aftercare, survival- with ALL proceeds split between the American Brain Tumor Association and the American Cancer Society, she shared not just her story, but the story of ANY medical journey in song. Now in its 5th yr., Today's A Good Day (2dagd) seeks to encourage anyone on ANY medical journey from the simplest cold/flu, to the most complex depression or terminal illness to actively listen to your body, recognize the signs and seek treatment. The annual benefit is hosted each year by Walter Sterns & Eugene Dizon owner operators of The Mercury Theater on Southport Ave in Chicago where 2dagd was birthed, has grown and ultimately with affection and love has found a home. Underscored every year by a different subtitle ["can't do it alone" or "walk with me"] Donica believes and seeks to impart through song the importance of knowing and understanding that it's not just the patients' journey alone. Along with the help of her friends and "family"--people she affectionately refers to as "The Village"--she shares hope, sadness, frustration, love, life and LIVING through her illness with their help, and the benefit of music. Her life hashtags are #familyismorethanblood #B.L.U. -which stands for Be Loved Unconditionally, also her Production Company's name SongbirdBLU and #ittakesavillage. She continues to fight daily for her beautiful children Aerial (21) Sabastian (16) Sidra (10) whom she affectionately refers to as "mini-me." She is engaged to THE LOVE of her life, Edward "Kippy" Tribue as they were college sweethearts; she believes love, music, and positive energy from her community help keep her healthy.

Photo credit: TIMESTOPS PHOTOGRAPHY

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