Mary Wells News

Internationally Acclaimed and Award Winning Singer N'Kenge joins the All Star Cast at the Asbury Hotel which will host a Funk-Raising evening to benefit the development of 54: the musical. The evening, featuring selections from 54, will be held August 11th at 8 PM in Asbury Park, NJ featuring a book by playwright and actress Renee Bang Allen.

The Flat Rock Playhouse Music on the Rock Series continues with the sounds of the 60s and 70s straight from Motor City! Fulfill all of your musical Temptations with the top tunes from Motown artists including The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye and more! Running August 3rd - 13th at the Playhouse Downtown on Main Street in Hendersonville, NC, Music on the Rock: Motown Summer Nights promises an evening that will make you want sing along and leave you dancing in the street!

Motown the Musical has just released 500,000 new tickets for sale, taking bookings for the hit West End production into 2019 when the show will celebrate its third year in London and Motown will celebrate sixty years since the record company was founded. 

This summer season, Alpine Theater Project (ATP) brings Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness to the Whitefish Performing Arts Center July 13th, 14th, 15th/ 20th, 21st, 22nd/ and 27th, 28th, 29th.

Helen Hayes nominee N'Kenge (Motown: The Musical, Sondheim and Sondheim) will play the title role of a presentation of a new musical DOROTHY, produced by Richard Bell (Bubbling Brown Sugar) with book, music & lyrics by award-winning playwright/composer Robert Mitchell (Vincent, Frankenstein), featuring musical direction by Josh Kight. The presentation will be held tomorrow, June 9th, 2017 at 11:00AM at the private club The Players for industry guests.

Motown The Musical, which recently celebrated its first birthday in London, is currently booking at the Shaftesbury Theatre to 24 February 2018. With music and lyrics from the Motown catalogue and book by Motown founder Berry Gordy, the production features a sixteen-piece orchestra playing 50 Motown tracks including Ain't No Mountain High Enough, I'll Be There, Dancing In The Street, Stop! In The Name Of Love, My Girl and I Heard It through the Grapevine. Charles Randolph-Wright's production tells the story behind the classic hits. Check out brand-new production shots below!

The much-beloved musical DREAMGIRLS, which delves into the backstage drama of fictional girl group The Dreams, is coming to the Hobby, with Zonya Love tackling the role of Effie White, this April.

Known for her powerful and riveting vocals, Broadway Diva N'Kenge (Motown: The Musical and Sondheim and Sondheim) will grace the stage at Classic FM's Four Decades of Radio Hits show with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, under the baton, Joel Levine for three concerts.

Tonight, March 10, at 7:30 PM, Schimmel Center will continue its American Showstoppers series. This time orchestrator and conductor Fred Barton leads his 14-piece orchestra and cast of Broadway singers and dancers in a tribute to one of the most prolific song writing duos of the 20th century, John Kander and Fred Ebb.

On Friday, March 10 at 7:30 PM, Schimmel Center will continue its American Showstoppers series. This time orchestrator and conductor Fred Barton leads his 14-piece orchestra and cast of Broadway singers and dancers in a tribute to one of the most prolific song writing duos of the 20th century, John Kander and Fred Ebb.

A Communication Forum, sponsored by the Westcoast Black Theatre titled WBTT Voices, recently spotlighted Brenda Watty, fifteen-year member of The Marvelettes. Watty spent five years in the 60's girl group, The Toys, singing lead vocals on the hit, Lovers Concerto. As a member of Musique she scored another hit titled, Push Push in the Bush. Her management company, Banner Talent, then secured an audition for her as lead vocalist with the Marvelettes, and for the next 15 years she stayed and toured with the group.

This weekend N'Kenge will join Grammy-nominated singer Ryan Shaw, Steven Reineke and the Houston Symphony for R&B MIXTAPE, a concert spanning decades of R&B hits from the U.S. to the U.K., including numbers from Stevie, Michael and Whitney, all the way to Amy, Adele and Beyonce.

The Houston Symphony will celebrate more than 50 years of soul influence Feb. 17-19 with a brand-new show featuring the best of Motown legends as well as today's hottest R&B entertainers.

The hit West End production of Motown the Musical today (10 February 2017) releases over 200,000 new tickets for sale with the show now booking at the Shaftesbury Theatre to 24 February 2018 as the production celebrates its first birthday in London.

The Houston Symphony will celebrate more than 50 years of soul influence Feb. 17-19 with a brand-new show featuring the best of Motown legends as well as today's hottest R&B entertainers.

Known for her powerful and riveting vocals, Broadway's Darling N'Kenge (Motown: The Musical and Sondheim and Sondheim) will grace the stage in a Broadway Diva's collaboration with Naples Philharmonic, under the direction of conductor, Jack Everly for six concerts. Performances at the Francis Pew Hayes Hall in Artis-Naples will be Today January 10-13th at 8:00PM and January 14th at 2:00PM and 8:00PM located at 5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard Naples, FL 34108.

Known for her powerful and riveting vocals, Broadway's Darling N'Kenge (Motown: The Musical and Sondheim and Sondheim) will grace the stage in a Broadway Diva's collaboration with Naples Philharmonic, under the direction of conductor, Jack Everly for six concerts. Performances at the Francis Pew Hayes Hall in Artis-Naples will be Tuesday January 10-13th at 8:00PM and January 14th at 2:00PM and 8:00PM located at 5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard Naples, FL 34108.

Bergen Performing Arts Center located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey presents So Good For The Soul: A Tribute to the Music of Motown-Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 8PM.

Known for her powerful and riveting vocals, Broadway diva N'Kenge (Motown: The Musical and Sondheim and Sondheim) will grace the stage at ISO's 31st edition of Yuletide Celebration under the direction of conductor Jack Everly for 31 performances, with opening night tonight, December 2nd, continuing through December 23, 2016.

Opening his 2016 12- city tour in Philadelphia he's about to "Get Ready"