Review: OFFSPRING: THE LEGACY OF DANCE at The Actors Company
Part of the Fringe Festival/One last performance left, Saturday, June 28, 2025 @ 8:00PM. A Labor of Love: Produced, written, directed and performed by Adia Joelle ~
By: Valerie-Jean Miller Jun. 26, 2025
A Labor of Love: Produced, written, directed and performed by Adia Joelle. An homage to talent, hard work, discipline, success and mutual love and respect, shown through the eyes, ears and heart of the offspring of such.
Adia is the daughter of two amazing, accomplished and seasoned performers, Gary Chapman and Frances Morgan Chapman. She has compiled, through her memories, photos and film clips, and shares their story to honor their history and the multifaceted contributions they made to the Entertainment industry, and to give us an inside look at how her life has been shaped and influenced, molded and inspired by them.
Introduced to the stage by Phillip Brandon, Adia’s longtime friend and coworker, she stands, center stage, to begin her tale. She is upbeat, assured and very proud to be relating these precious and special remembrances. Growing up in Los Angeles, she assumed she had a “normal working family,“ although how many people go to private school with offspring of music royalty such as the Pointer Sisters or the Jacksons? Or being dropped off after school at Paramount Pictures or CBS because your mom was working there? Or have you ever seen your own name listed in a Broadway Playbill?
Here’s how their story began: Her parents both grew up in Queens, N.Y. (photos shown) They met when they were both three years old when they began studying Dance with a quite notable and legendary dance teacher, Bernice Johnson.
It was love at first sight for Frances when she met Gary. Bernice, or “BJ,” as she was affectionately called, was a phenomenal teacher that not only taught them to dance expertly but instilled valuable life lessons in them, both professionally and personally. She had a wealth of knowledge to impart, and in her passionate way, never sugarcoating anything, caringly gave them tools they could always depend on. From years of devoted study, they were both able to establish meaningful, varied, long-lasting careers as singers, dancers, actors and choreographers in film, television, and on many stages, including Broadway; all over the world.
Gary Chapman: “Papa”
He was born in Queens, the youngest of four, youngest son of five, and from the start, he loved to entertain; the class clown, charming, demonstrative, he had big ambitions. (photos shown) Wanting to be more than a dancer, and often called “Mr. Showbiz” by his peers, he went on to attend The High School of Performing Arts, where he studied voraciously, along with his best friend, (photos shown) Bruce Heath.
They graduated a year after life-long friends Lorraine Fields (who would become Adia’s Godmother) and Michele Simmons, besties, who had both started working as professional dancers after graduating, and helped Gary and Bruce garner their first few “gigs.”
And from there, their careers took off with a bang. They both decided to move to Los Angeles, working constantly, which afforded them both to be able to buy houses AND send money home to their moms back in New York. Bruce would later become Adia’s Godfather. He, Lorraine and Michele were also top-notch, always working, professional dancers for many decades to come.
Gary worked on so many fabulous shows and films early in his career, which Adia rattled off one after another, showing photos and sometimes films of the performances… which will knock your socks off. And man, could he DANCE❣️
(photos shown) Gary performed in the film Funny Lady; The incredible musical conceived, directed and choreographed by Lester Wilson in 1973, $600 and a Mule, which Gary, Bruce Heath, Lorraine Fields and Michele Simmons all starred in, among other performers of note, Michael Peters, Winston Dewitt Hemsley, Trina Parks, Myrna White, Gerri Reddick, Reggie Jackson;
Lola Falana’s Nightclub Act (film shown); Sylvie Vartan’s Nightclub Act, which toured Europe, Asia, and Africa, where Gary was able to use his passion for French, mixed with dancing and singing, as her lead dancer and MC, choreographed by Claude Thompson, which Gary and Adia’s uncle, Peter Newton, performed in all over the world, singing, dancing and partnering her (film shown);
Gary dancing a moving solo to Ol’ Man River from a TV Special. (film shown); Countless TV specials, industrial shows, awards shows, such as the Academy Awards, to name but a few.
His work in musical theatre was where he truly shined. He performed in the production Sophisticated Ladies; (photos shown) Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, (photos shown) Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, working with Dolly Parton in the movie, doing a sassy duet with none other than his friend Lorraine Fields
and where he stood out in the Texas Aggies famous energetic production number in their locker room, not only for his dance ability, but for a great shot of his backside caught on film for all posterity! (photos and film shown)
To top off this amazing list, Gary was one of the prominent dancers in Michael Jackson’s Thriller, (Photos shown) and Beat It, both choreographed by Michael Peters.
Frances Morgan. “Mom”
She was Born in Pass Christian, Mississippi. Adia affectionately called her “a little Creole firecracker,” and at 5’1”, with hot, fast feet and a photocopy mind for remembering dance steps, she certainly embodied that description. (photos shown) These traits were useful later in her career when assisting and choreographing with Otis Sallid, Michael Peters and Debbie Allen.
After she graduated from the High School of Performing Arts also, Frances’s very first professional gig was in the original Broadway cast of The Wiz, starring Stephanie Mills, Hinton Battle and Andre De Shields. (photos shown) Later on, she would dance in the film version of The Wiz.
She then moved to Los Angeles, and began working in television on variety series and awards shows. She danced on the very first season of the TV series Fame with Debbie Allen; On the Jerry Lewis Telethon; with Lola Falana; tap danced with Sammy Davis, Jr.; danced in the movie Stayin’ Alive; danced in Ann Jillian’s Nightclub Act in Atlantic City, and performed a high-energy, intricate duet with another of Adia’s godfathers, the esteemed Award winning choreographer Michael Peters. (film shown)
Francis and Gary also danced together as partners in Comin’ Uptown in a Cab Callaway tribute choreographed by Donald McKayle. (film and photos shown)
During this time they managed to date, get engaged and marry. A match made long ago, their wedding was held in the hills of Burbank, California, to the delight of their many talented friends they’d met and worked with on both coasts. (photos shown)
One year later, Adia was born!
Their pride and joy, whom they smothered with love… and family makes three!
Both Frances and Gary were still working all the time, so growing up, Adia was able to enjoy a great and educational backstage view of what show business was all about, and saw what hard work and dedication can manifest.
One of Gary’s most terrific performances was when he was cast in Bob Fosse’s final Broadway show, Big Deal, (photos shown) where he played two characters: Kokomo, and the supporting role of Dancin’ Dan, the safe crackin’ man, highlighted in the song and dance number Me and My Shadow, as Dancin’ Dan alongside his two shadows, Valarie Pettiford and Barbara Yeager.
He also did one last TV special in the late ‘80s, entitled Happy Birthday, Hollywood, choreographed by Walter Painter.
When Big Deal closed after only 69 performances, Gary made a tough decision. He put his dancing shoes away and got a 9-to-5 job that provided health benefits for their family. The sacrifice was not in vain; he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a short time later.
Adia speaks with adoration when she explains how fortunate and loved she and her mom felt that her dad put their futures first, even though it meant never to dance again.
Adia’s devastation after her dad passed, was understandably very deeply felt, and she cried for what seemed like an eternity to her. She felt cheated losing him so young; she was only 7 years old at the time.
Her grandfather, James Morgan, after Gary’s passing, decided to move in with she and Frances, to help and take care of them. Frances was now their only source of income, so she could not afford to stop working, and hustled to work, dancing and assistant-choreographing as much as was possible, working on Disney’s Polly; A Different World; School Daze; the Oscars, and Sister, Sister, among others. (photos shown)
Adia came to realize the best part of this point in time was that Frances never stopped using her many honed talents. Frances‘s faith was strong and helped guide her after losing Gary. She found a lot of comfort in the church, and as a gift back to the church and alongside Dr. Leah Bass-Bayliss, formed the dance troupe Radiant Dance, performing their original modern choreography for their church functions. (film shown)
Frances also got to fulfill one of her main ambitions: starring in a film alongside her dear friend Lorraine Fields, entitled Harlem Shake!
When she finished working on the show, Sister, Sister, she started teaching dance at Crenshaw High. Frances was always a get-things-done kind of gal, and she never wavered from any responsibility. Determination, fierce loyalty, and deep faith were but a few of Frances’s qualities. You could see all of that when you watched her dance.
She taught at Crenshaw High until she was ordered to stop by her doctors, who gave her six months to live. Adia did not know of this at the time.
Frances fought hard with all her might, which was a lot. She used her time to instill values and beliefs in Adia with only a love a mother can give. Adia took Frances to see a live performance of Beauty and the Beast, discussing and sharing the lessons found in the script, demonstrated through the characters actions. She wanted Adia to grasp what’s important in life. Through this realization, Frances helped fortify the relationships Adia now has and will always have, because of her mom.
Quoting Adia, “Surrounded by a room full of my friends and loved ones, and those that have become my friends, my family, my community; six months later, my mom took her last breath. For me, this time it felt different. I watched my mothers decline, and though I never thought she would die, I was unconsciously glad she was free of pain. My reaction to life from then on was to remain strong; and I used my strength when representing my family.“
Adia then moved to Florida with her mother’s aunt and family. She made some wonderful friends there that she still keeps in touch with, and in her own way, began following in her parents’ footsteps. She became drawn to dance, and auditioned for the Cougarettes, who are the cheerleaders that perform at halftime for the Cougars. (photos shown) She relates that when she started dancing the combination she decided to turn around and wave at the audition panel. (It always helps to get their attention in some subtle way), and... she got the gig! She also began dancing with the worship team at her great-aunt’s church. Doing these activities, they brought her closer to her mom and dad.
She explains it has been difficult walking her own path. If you put together all of her parents’ resume credits, awards and accolades, it’s definitely a lot to live up to! Not everybody knows what their path is right away… it usually takes some much-warranted time. She says maybe that’s why she was one of the oldest graduates in her years at the Performing Arts University in England, which was next on her agenda. She knew she had always wanted to work in the entertainment industry, but not as a dancer, because she wanted her journey to be her own.
The wonderful thing is, she had so much fun moving forward, and finding her new destiny.
These are a few more remembrances of her journey:
Her godfather, Michael Peters, hosted parties when she was a kid, and there were always people she looked up to that would attend; naming Brooke Shields in particular…
She got to speak French with Céline Dion, which her father taught her when she was a tiny little girl, at a rehearsal for the Oscars.
She was an extra on the episode of A Different World: Save the Best for Last: Part 2, and in heaven to be in the presence of a diva of film and TV royalty, Diahann Carroll. (photos shown) She also worked as an extra on many of the jobs Frances was working on at the time, playing an orphan on A Different World, a child in Polly, and in Sister, Sister played a nerd at a school party. All the while, learning and growing, forging her own way forward.
The constant backdrop of her childhood was show business. It was her “after-school,” sometimes during school, child care. “Bring your child to work, day“ meant joining the rehearsal for whatever production her parents were working on. Her teachers were the actors, producers, choreographers and directors that she grew up with. Her “family” are the performers, actors, dancers, and singers she, her mom and dad have worked with. That was all normal for her because that’s the world she was born into, and her inspiration.
She states that even with her colorful childhood, there were some not-so-positive residual effects. She longs for recognition, to this day. While taking a dance class taught by an old friend of her parents with a friend, the teacher gave her friend a compliment on her beautiful dancing. When she spoke to Adia, the comments were not about the execution of dance, but rather about her parents and how much they were missed, which left her feeling overshadowed and unseen. That SHE doesn’t have a presence and is only worthy of her parents memory and not her own continuing journey.
But these are the feelings she is working to evolve with, and I’d say she’s done quite a superb job at it.
She is quite grateful that she’s had opportunities to work in the Industry. Although it is not yet her main source of income, it is one of her main sources of joy to connect with her parents and the memories. Each time she gets to be creative she feels reinforced with their love and uplifted by the people that they blessed her with while preparing her for life without them. They certainly, lovingly, created a very strong foundation for her.
After finishing three years studying at the Musical Theatre in England, Adia returned to Los Angeles and booked her first musical, (photos shown) which happened to be Beauty and the Beast, and a full circle moment, because this was the last show her mom and she saw together.
Adia has worked in all the mediums; stage, TV, music, videos, modeling and film. The King and I, My Fair Lady, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, etc. (photos shown)
When she performed in Hairspray, something made her feel connected to her mom again (I happened to see her perform in this, and she definitely shines like Frances did, performing on stage). She wanted to learn more about her mom so she connected with Frances‘s friends and family to get to “know the woman” better. She then made a movie, entitled “ To Her Own Rhythm,“ which won an award. Her favorite moment in the film was from her mom‘s memorial service when Gregory Hines performed a clever tap routine called “Frances Wouldn’t Worry.” (film shown)
Now, many years after her parents’ deaths, her mother is still sending her blessings. If it wasn’t for Frances, she, Adia, would not be a mother today. Her mother made it financially possible, and instilled the same fortitude in life, in her daughter.
Adia’s first birthday after becoming a mother, she turned the same age as her mom when she passed, and from receiving her gift from beyond, she spent that year, enjoying her life, her new life as a mother, and not focusing on death or her own mortality... (photo shown) She is living each day renewed, being taught resilence, caring for her daughter with the same care and nurturing her mom and dad gave her. They inspired her with their lives and their love.
She has always loved performing. As she’s grown, she’s noticed and felt that she wanted to see more roles that represented her. She also wanted to share her life experiences. In wanting to fulfill both desires, she began writing, producing directing and acting. (photos shown)
Her goals don’t end there. She has been working hard to create content in which strong women are featured. I have no doubt she will succeed.
The journey has been most satisfying and surprising to her.
Adia’s parting words:
As we grow, we see things in our parents that we wish we could do, or emulate. It could be in the arts, education or in business; they’ve done something we admire. Some of us find our own path in life and use their parents’ life as an example or a foundation. Others, like her, try to re-create a version of what they saw in their parents, to the best of their ability. She wants to encourage everyone to not lose yourself in your fight to be seen. Trust in your gifts, as they make you perfectly and uniquely you. This world would not be a great place without your authentic self in it.
What a beautiful tribute filled with love, adoration, fabulous photos and clips of just some of Gary Chapman and Frances Morgan’s’ incredible performances, and reverence to what has come before, and what, joyously, will be carried on.
A little side note; lovely that Adia's opening performance fell on Fathers Day!
There was a wonderful Q & A after the performance, which the entire audience stayed for. Many in the audience were dancers and friends of Gary and Frances that flew in to attend the opening performance, from near and far. Adia’s hard work was met with a standing ovation and many hugs, kisses, and unmitigated praise.
This performance is part of The Fringe Festival in Los Angeles, California. There have been two performances done, as of this writing and I am urging you to come and experience her last performance, this Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 8 PM at the Actors Company, 916 N. Formosa Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046. You won’t be sorry!
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