Bryonn Bain's One-Man Show LYRICS FROM LOCKDOWN Returns To LA This Month

LYRICS FROM LOCKDOWN returns to Los Angeles this month for a one-night-only performance.

The internationally-acclaimed, multimedia theatrical event created by Tony Award–nominated theater maker, activist and author Bryonn Bain, brings to life the humor, heartbreak and resilience of those impacted by mass incarceration, through hip-hop theater, spoken word poetry, comedy, calypso, classical, blues, breathtaking visuals and music.

Executive produced by Gina Belafonte (BlacKkKlansman), Rob Reiner (Spinal Tap II), and Delroy Lindo (Sinners), the one-night-only performance will take place on Friday, December 12, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at 6067 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. A talkback featuring Bryonn Bain, Gina Belafonte and a special surprise VIP guest will follow. Tickets are complimentary thanks to a generous donation, but seating is limited. 

LYRICS FROM LOCKDOWN is a one-man show bringing 40 characters to life, telling two unbelievable true stories using hip-hop theater, spoken word, blues, calypso, comedy, and a video DJ. 

“It's been over a decade since our world premiere at the National Black Theatre in Harlem, after shaping this story in prisons across more than 25 states and sharing it as far as Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, and the United Kingdom,” shared actor and writer Bryonn Bain. “What keeps me remixing and restaging LYRICS FROM LOCKDOWN is that Nanon Williams is still in prison for a crime he did not commit—after over 33 years. We can't stop, and won't stop, until our brother is free!” 

"Art and culture are powerful tools to educate, organize, and mobilize a movement. The criminal justice system has reached pandemic proportions, and our level of community engagement is vital to creating solutions and alternatives to this crisis," said executive producer Gina Belafonte. "Bryonn Bain's play is an excellent example of how art can drive activism and offer a vision for a more equitable, transformative world." 

Developed in prisons across 25 states before world premiering at Harlem's National Black Theatre in 2013, LYRICS FROM LOCKDOWN has since traversed the globe. First incubated through the Blackout Arts Collective's Lyrics on Lockdown Tour (2001–2005), the work reached more than 250 colleges and universities, as well as prisons, schools, and theaters throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe. Featuring music from Bain's Problem Child album (2005) and his mixtapes Don't Be Scared (2008) and Life After Lockdown (2013), the show was first performed for incarcerated audiences at Rikers Island, Sing Sing, and Ironwood State Prison. 

Along its evolution, LYRICS FROM LOCKDOWN has been shaped by a distinguished creative team including Mei Ann Teo, Harry Belafonte, Gina Belafonte, Jamal Joseph, and Ron Simons, amongst others. The production has broken records with a sold-out run at The Actors' Gang in Los Angeles (2017), performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2019), played to capacity audiences with the LA Philharmonic at the Skirball Cultural Center (2022), and most recently took the stage at Lincoln Center (2024). Along the way, it has earned honors such as the LA Weekly Award and the NAACP Award for Best Solo Performance. 

The creative team for this production of LYRICS FROM LOCKDOWN includes: Chris Celiz (beat box/saxophone), Isaiah Gage (cello/beat box), Jachary! (bass/guitar/vocals), CelloJoe (cello), Immanuel Bain (guitar/bass), and Idries Bain (piano/melodica), music direction by Brian Satz, music supervision by Tom Kitt, projections by Video DJ Omo Abode, lighting by Spencer Doughtie, production stage manager Leia Squillace, associate producer Briana Morris, associate producer and legal Rosie Ríos, and producers Claudia Peña and Lucía Serrano.