Mahalia Jackson a Gospel Musical at Black Box

Mia Ramsey

MIA IS FROM JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, AND IS THE ONLY CHILD OF JAMES AND VAL JEAN EASTERLING. AFTER HER MOTHER PASSED AWAY IN A CAR ACCIDENT WHEN MIA WAS 15, SHE WAS RAISED BY HER GRANDPARENTS AND A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY. SHE IS DEDICATED TO HER EDUCATION IN PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATION, REPRESENTING BISHOP HOGAN HIGH SCHOOL, PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SYSTEMS. MIA IS A MINISTER OF MUSIC AND ELDER AT KINGDOM WORD MINISTRIES, A GOSPEL RECORDING ARTIST, AND A FORMER RADIO TALK SHOW HOST. SHE LEADS A WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT GROUP CALLED SISTERS OF SUBSTANCE AND FOUNDED JWEAR APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES, CO-FOUNDING 2 PEAS IN A POD BRANDING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS COMPANY. MIA HAS ACTED IN THE COLOR PURPLE AT THE METROPOLITAN ENSEMBLE THEATRE IN KANSAS CITY. SHE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE KANSAS CITY BOYS CHOIR AND GIRLS' CHOIR, CONTINUING THE LEGACY OF FOUNDER AH'LEE ROBINSON WITH PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT YOUTH, INCLUDING MUSIC AND ART THERAPY, UNDER THE MOTTO WE ARE MORE THAN MUSIC. MIA IS ALSO AN AUTHOR OF 'OUT OF THE HARD PLACE- 50 THINGS I'VE LEARNED IN 50 YEARS,' AVAILABLE ON AMAZON, AND SHARES HER EXPERIENCES OF GROWTH THROUGH CHALLENGES.

Douglass Walker

DOUGLASS WALKER IS A NATIVE OF KANSAS CITY, MO AND HAS BEEN SINGING SINCE THE AGE OF 10. HE STARTED SINGING IN CHURCH AND HIS LOVE FOR SINGING GREW FROM THERE AND TRANSITIONED TO THE STAGE. THIS IS WHERE HIS LOVE OF ACTING BEGAN TO SHINE. PERFORMANCE CREDITS INCLUDE: MTH THEATER: MUSICAL THEATER HERITAGE: THE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR, RUBY ROOM SERIES-FOR THE CULTURE, STEVIE, IN THE HEIGHTS, PORGY AND BESS; RUBY ROOM SERIES- SONGS SUNG BLUE, RUBY ROOM SERIES- LET’S GET IT ON, R & H UNPLUGGED, IN THE HEIGHTS; KC MELTING POT THEATRE: THE AMEN CORNER; THE COTERIE THEATRE: ALICE’S WONDERLAND; SPINNING TREE THEATRE: CAROLINE OR CHANGE, BILLY ELLIOT, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND; THE BLACK REPERTORY THEATRE OF KANSAS CITY: 5 GUYS NAMED MOE, A SOLDIER’S PLAY, MEMPHIS (2018), OTHELLO: A HIP-HOP REMIX; THE BLACK REPERTORY THEATRE & THE WHITE THEATRE AT THE J; MEMPHIS (2022); LEAD TO READ; READ FOR 15 READING RALLY- HOST/EMCEE (2023 & 2024); SANTA CLAUSE.

LeShea W Wright

SINGING SINCE AGE 3, LESHEA CULTIVATED HER TALENT IN CHURCH AND RIGHT AT HOME. GROWING UP IN A MUSICAL FAMILY, SHE TOOK HER INFLUENCES STRAIGHT FROM HER IMMEDIATE FAMILY. SHE BEGAN HER PROFESSIONAL CAREER AT QUALITYHILL PLAYHOUSE IN THE 2006 PRODUCTION OF CHRISTMAS IN SONG AND HAS BECOME A STAPLE AT THE Q. SHE ALSO HAS APPEARED AT MUSICAL THEATER HERITAGE IN VARIOUS PRODUCTIONS AND RUBY ROOM SERIES. LESHEA HAD THE HONOR OF BEING “DEENA JONES” IN THE INAUGURAL PRODUCTION OF DREAMGIRLS WITH THE BLACK REPERTOIRE THEATER OF KANSAS CITY. SHE HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SING WITH MANY LOCAL CHOIRS, ISAAC CATES & ORDAINED AND ALSO WITH GRAMMY NOMINATED CORTEZ VAUGHN & WORSHIP CULTURE! SHE HAS PROVIDED BACKGROUND VOCALS FOR ARTISTS SUCH AS A JANELLE MONAE, CHRISETTE MICHELE, TRACE ADKINS, E. JASON SIMS, AND FRED HAMMOND. ALL WHILE CONTINUING TO BE THE LEADER OF HER OWN BAND “LESHEA & THE FELLAS” AND BEING A PRAISE AND WORSHIP LEADER AT HER CHURCH, MT. CARMEL C.O.G.I.C.

Damron Russel Armstrong

IS THE FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE BLACK REPPERTORY THEATRE OF KANSAS CITY. FORMERLY, AS A PERFORMER, DAMRON HAS BEEN SEEN INTERNATIONALLY, NATIONALLY, AND LOCALLY ON MOST STAGES OF KANSAS CITY'S OFFERINGS. WITH OVER 30 SHOWS UNDER HIS BELT, DAMRON’S DIRECTING PROWESS HAS BECOME GREATLY APPRECIATED THROUGHOUT THE GREATER KANSAS CITY AREA.

Victoria Barbee

VICTORIA LYNNE BARBEE HAS BEEN SINGING IN HER FATHER'S CHURCH FOR OVER 55 YEARS AND HAS OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS AN ACTOR AND SINGER ACROSS KANSAS CITY, NEW ORLEANS, AND LAS VEGAS. IN 2022, SHE WON THE CRESCENDO AWARD FOR HER ONE- WOMAN SHOW, THE REAL BARBEE UNMASKED, REVIVED IN NOVEMBER 2023 BY KC PUBLIC THEATER. SHE FOUNDED JAB JEWELS, A CHILDREN'S THEATER COMPANY EMPOWERING URBAN YOUTH THROUGH STORYTELLING, AND AUTHORED VICTORIA WEARS A MASK, A PERSONAL JOURNEY ABOUT COPING WITH ALOPECIA.

Desmond Mason

IS PLEASED TO BE MAKING HIS BLACK REPERTORY THEATRE DEBUT! OTHER APPEARANCES AS A MUSICIAN AND/OR MUSIC DIRECTOR INCLUDE: STEVIE: SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED (2022), AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’: THE FATS WALLER MUSICAL SHOW (2024), THE GLASS MENAGERIE (2024), THE GERSHWIN'S PORGY AND BESS (2024), AND THE RUBY ROOM SERIES (2022- 2024), ALL WITH MUSIC THEATRE HERITAGE IN KANSAS CITY, MO. FOLLOW ME ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA @DDOTPROFESSOR.

Alexa Cioffi-Abt

IS A STAGE MANAGER IN THE KC AREA. SHE IS THRILLED TO BE BACK WORKING WITH THE BLACK REPERTORY THEATRE OF KANSAS CITY. PREVIOUS SHOWS INCLUDE NOISES OFF! AT CTI. HER NEXT PROJECT IS PROPS FOR HAIRSPRAY AT THE WHITE THEATER. SHE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CAST AND CREW FOR THEIR TIME, ENERGY, AND PASSION!

Whitney Manney

A KANSAS CITY, MO NATIVE, AWARD-WINNING FASHION & TEXTILE DESIGNER WHITNEY MANNEY, GRADUATED FROM THE KANSAS CITY ART INSTITUTE WITH A BFA IN FIBERS AND FOUNDED HER EPONYMOUS LABEL, WHITNEYMANNEY, IN 2014. HER WORK HAS BEEN FEATURED IN MAJOR OUTLETS AND PLATFORMS SUCH AS THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS, PBS, RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE ALL-STARS, AND THE PEACOCK SERIES BEL-AIR. AS A RECIPIENT OF THE JOANN MINORITY CREATIVE GRANT AND A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL EMERGING ARTISTS COHORT, SHE IS KNOWN FOR PUSHING BOUNDARIES AND EMBRACING INNOVATION. CREATING A NARRATIVE BETWEEN COLOR AND PATTERN IS A SIGNATURE OF MANNEY'S WORK, "MY JOB ISN'T DONE UNTIL EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD BELIEVES FASHION IS ART"

Jeff Eubank

HAS BEEN DESIGNING SOUND FOR OVER 20 YEARS IN KANSAS CITY WITH MORE THAN 40 MUSICALS TO HIS CREDIT. THIS WILL BE HIS 10TH SHOW WITH THE BLACK REPERTORY THEATER OF KANSAS CITY.

Asher O'Conner

IS A LIGHTING DESIGNER AND PROFESSIONAL BEATBOXER WITH 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE AUDIO VISUAL LIVE PRODUCTION INDUSTRY. FOUNDER OF KANSAS CITY BEATBOX AND THE CROSSROADS BEATBOX BATTLE.