Brown Broadway: The Musical at The Assistance League Theatre

The story of a group performer’s relentless pursuit of success on Central Avenue in Los Angeles, fondly referred to as “Brown Broadway.”

The World Premiere Brown Broadway: The Musical, written & directed by acclaimed playwright, former platinum-selling music artist and bestselling author, Billie King​, Produced ​b​y C Evans Jr.​ & Billie King. Lyrics and Book​ ​by Billie King​, Choreography by Danielle Johnson, Music Director/Songwriter: Dani B JAIA​ and Co-Music Director/Score: Anthony Graham and the Stage Manager is Sir Anthony Kinniebrew.​ Brown Broadway: The Musical is presented by R.A.W Theater Group In conjunction with Program Rewrite, Inc. 

The award-winning cast is full of talent from the Broadway, Music, Film & TV worlds and includes Frank Lawson  (General Hospital, Marilyn the Musical), Grammy-Award Winning Singer-Songwriter and Def Jam recording artist, Susan Carol, Angie Fisher (Love Jones: The Musical, The Voice), Aubrey Fisher, Martin Harris (Superman, Stranger Things), Boise Holmes* (Jesus Christ Superstar, Big River), Tamara Jade (NBC’s The Voice, HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show), Keomah King (Sweetzer), Reina Shaunté Massard* (Dreamgirls, Dessa Rose), Reign Morton (General Hospital, Whitney) Jerrel O'Neil (Jitney, A Raisin in the Sun), Chaz Shepherd* (Chicago, The Color Purple), Rodney J. Richards (The Rub, Grace for a Gangster) and Guy D. Williams (Jesus On The Way, Suburgatory). 

Brown Broadway the musical is deeply rooted in personal history, Billie King’s inspiration for Brown Broadway stems from her father’s generation. Broadway was exclusionary, so many artists of color, especially Black musicians and performers, migrated west to Los Angeles in the 1920s-40s chasing dreams amid racial barriers. 

On Central Avenue, they created a thriving cultural hub of their own, with jazz clubs, theaters, and venues that welcomed their talent unapologetically. Central Avenue became known as the “Brown Broadway” a street where every note carried resistance, every club beat with life, and every step forward was fought for in song, sweat, and sacrifice. A place where Black performers could headline, innovate, and inspire without waiting for approval from New York’s Broadway. 

The Next Great Stage Experience

Brown Broadway is a breathtaking, rhythm-rich new musical that blends the raw pulse of jazz, gospel, the elegance of swing, and the unshakable truths of American history. Inspired by the real icons, hidden heroes, and unsung  stories that shaped a cultural revolution. With show-stopping tap numbers, live horns, split-stage drama, and cinematic storytelling, this isn’t just a musical, it’s a resurrection of a golden era that refuses to be forgotten.