Justin Hicks' CROSS OVER Opens at JACK September 16

Remarkable theater artist and composer Justin Hicks shares a song cycle drawn from memories of Baptist church services and R&B club performances with a series of mantras, tantrums, spoken texts and responsive readings that embrace a convergence of the sacred and secular. Like the theatrical work of his band The HawtPlates (Waterboy and the Mighty World - Under the Radar Festival 2020), CROSS OVER promises majestic musicality within a mesmerizing environment.

Hicks explains, "This collection of songs is inspired by a conversation I had 10 years ago with my father - after he stopped preaching - in which he said that he would have reached more people or "done better" with art than with religion. It made me think about what it means to live a life compelled by inner conviction yet guided by an external power. The songs speak on perception, generational tension, limitation, acceptance, aspiration, and obligation."

JACK Co-Director Alec Duffy: "We could think of no better artist to welcome audiences back to our space. When I experience a piece by Justin Hicks, my heart rate slows, my skin tingles, and I leave feeling a great sense of awe. Although I may have been in a room with many others, it's a very private experience. Truly, Hicks is one of those extraordinary artists that make me thankful for living in a city like New York - it's worth all the hustle to know that I get to experience such exceptional artists like Justin on a regular basis."