ASHWA - A New Musical Concert to be Presented by The York Theatre

The York Theatre will present a concert presentation of ASHWA a new musical by Dahlak Brathwaite and Mikey Rosenbaum. Mr. Brathwaite is the inaugural recipient of York Theatre’s Micki Grant Artist-in-Residence Program. The presentation - by invitation only - will take place on Friday, June 13.

ASHWA is a new musical theater experience in episodic form. It’s a superhero origin story inside a legend inside a legend inside the history of race in America inside a…Waffle House. Got it?

For Thelonious, all signs were pointing him back to ASHWA (the American Southern House of Waffles and Apple-pies) - the site of his trauma; the host of his lost memories. Against the backdrop of cyclical violence and outrage, Thelonious finds himself stuck inside the despairing loop of ASHWA...until a breakthrough discovery interrupts the continuum and launches Thelonious on a revelatory journey through time and the evolution of Black American music.

“We began developing this piece about 5 years ago and this is the first workshop opportunity we’ve had,” says Mr. Brathwaite. “To be in the room and figure this thing out with such a talented group of people is a dream come true. I’m so grateful to the York Theatre and the Micki Grant Residency for helping us realize this vision. I’m humbled by the York Theatre’s investment in me as a creator and honored to be part of Micki Grant’s legacy in this way.”

The cast for ASHWA is Tony nominee Crystal Lucas-Perry, Cheryse Dyllan, Chibueze Ihuoma, Keziah John-Paul,  Aaron Michael Ray, Mikey Rosenbaum, Sis Thee Doll, and Garrett Turner. The Music Director is Darnell White. Stage Directions will be read by Bill DeMeritt. The stage manager is Leonor Perea.