Banks Brothers Productions to Present THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR HATTI SING!

Banks Brothers Productions will be presenting the satirical musical "They Don't Want to Hear Hattie Sing!" a timely production using Hattie McDaniel, the first African American to win an Academy Award, as the main character. Set dually in 1939 and 2009, the musical will explore old and new stereotypes of Blacks in the media by focusing on some of the most polarizing African American Actors in history such as Sleep N Eat, Steppin' Fetchit, Butterfly McQueen and Buckwheat Thomas.

The show will also feature characterizations of Hollywood legends Groucho Marx and Katharine Hepburn as well as other immortal African American entertainers Josephine Baker, Bessie Smith, Marian Anderson, and Billie Holliday.

This controversial play written by Houston playwright Vincent Victoria, and music composed by Sammie Ammons, aims to highlight the sometimes silly and ludicrous stereotypes of African Americans in media but also show how sometimes

necessary those stereotypes are for show business "survival'.

"They Don't Want to Hear Hattie Sing" the first productions in Houston to tackle the legendary "Gone with the Wind" Actress when it premiered here in 2008, will be feature a rotating cast of actors portraying the main characters, as Banks Brothers Productions continues its tradition of triple casting to give as many actors as possible a chance to perform.

They Don't Want To Hear Hattie Sing! Runs Saturday July 18- Sunday Aug.2, at Midtown Art Center 3414 La Branch at Holman. Show times are 8pm Saturdays, 3p.m on Sundays and 7:30 pm Sundays July 19 and July 26 only.

Tickets are $20 online and $25 at the door. Tickets are available online @ www.banksbrothersproductions.com. Information is also available on the Banks Brothers Productions Facebook page.