SELMA THE MUSICAL: THE UNTOLD STORIES Launches 10-Year Anniversary Initiative With National Tour and Expanded Programming

Award-winning Off-Broadway production Selma the Musical: The Untold Stories has announced the launch of its 10-Year Anniversary Initiative, celebrating a decade of preserving the untold stories surrounding the 1965 Selma Voting Rights Movement through the transformative power of live theatre.

The anniversary initiative marks the production's most ambitious chapter to date, featuring a commemorative national tour, expanded educational programming, new creative collaborators, producing partners, strategic partnerships, and company casting as Selma continues its mission of inspiring audiences through history, faith, music, and hope.

Created by playwright, producer, entrepreneur, and creative visionary J.P. Haynes, Selma the Musical premiered in Selma, Alabama, in 2017 before a modest audience over two evenings. What appeared to be the end of the production instead became the beginning of an extraordinary journey.

Following a life-changing automobile accident, Haynes returned to the work with renewed purpose, reimagining and expanding the production into a theatrical experience that would tour throughout the United States from 2018 through early 2020, reaching audiences from Mississippi and Alabama to Atlanta, New York, and beyond before expanding internationally aboard Royal Caribbean.

Along the way, Selma earned recognition as Best Theatre Production and was featured on Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, Sway in the Morning, SiriusXM, and numerous television, radio, and print media outlets nationwide.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought live theatre to a halt, Haynes continued building rather than standing still. While continuing to refine Selma, she expanded her work across theatre, television, film, and live entertainment, collaborating with major television networks, studios, corporations, independent productions, and creatives as a writer, producer, creative consultant, and strategist. Her work still includes ghostwriting, script development, production and budget consulting, funding strategy, business development, and organizational planning for a wide range of creative projects.

Haynes also continued expanding the Infecting Change Ecosystem, the multidisciplinary creative enterprise she founded in 2016, which includes Infecting Change Productions, IC Theatre Co., ICTV, and additional ventures dedicated to developing original intellectual property and creating opportunities across theatre, film, television, and digital media. During this period, she also worked with the 2024 Broadway revival of The Wiz, served as Assistant Director for the 2022 regional production of The Color Purple, and continued developing new theatrical works while preparing Selma for its return.

In 2023, Selma re-emerged through a series of special presentations, including a staged reading and concert at Morehouse College, a Juneteenth collaboration with Malcolm X: The Musical at 54 Below in New York, and a staged reading and concert at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in Arizona. During that visit, members of the company also had the honor of performing the National Anthem for the Phoenix Suns alongside Mother Viola Ford Fletcher, the oldest living survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. By 2024, Selma the Musical had fully returned to the stage and has continued to evolve ever since.

Over the past decade, Haynes has received various recognitions including Entrepreneur of the Year honors in 2019 and most recently, the NAACP Trailblazer Award in 2026. The success of Selma has also led to commissions for Black Wall Street The Musical and Juneteenth The Musical, with additional original theatrical works currently in development.

The production has also drawn national praise for its innovative approach to historical storytelling. One journalist and civil rights activist described Selma the Musical as 'the Hamilton of Civil Rights stories,' recognizing its unique ability to illuminate one of America's defining movements through contemporary musical theatre.

Reflecting on the production's remarkable journey, Haynes credits its continued evolution to the people who believed in the story when she nearly walked away.

'I've tried to stop doing this show so many times,' said Haynes. 'I've looked at my team and said, 'Guys, I think it's time to move on.' But every single time, someone reminds me why we started. Whether it's Melissa, members of our creative team, producers, friends, family, or audience members, they remind me that this work is still necessary. They simply won't let this story go.

Not a week passes without someone reaching out to tell me how impactful Selma has been, and continues to be. Sometimes it's former cast members. Sometimes it's producers. Sometimes it's audience members. Every week for 10 years, someone reminds me that this story still matters. That in itself is powerful. There are times when I can't see it myself, but I've come to believe that if Selma still has something to give its audiences, then I still have something to give as well.'

One of those constants has been Melissa Davidson, who originated the role of Connie and continues to portray the character ten years later, an extraordinary milestone in today's theatre landscape.

'Selma is and always will be one of my greatest loves and accomplishments in life,' said Davidson. 'It saved my life, and it's an honor to continue carrying the legacy of the unnamed heroes of the movement. Returning for this anniversary for me isn't simply returning to a role, but it's continuing a mission that has shaped my life and reminds me every day why these stories matter.'

As the company enters its second decade, Selma the Musical is actively casting while welcoming new creative team members, producers, presenting organizations, and strategic partners to help shape its future. The 10-Year Anniversary Tour is expected to include engagements in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and New York, with additional cities, partnerships, and anniversary events to be announced.

TOUR DATES

Atlanta

Washington, D.C.

Chicago

Montgomery

Philadelphia

New York

For Haynes, however, the anniversary is about more than celebrating ten years.

'This anniversary belongs to every artist, musician, composer, lyricist, producer, director, choreographer, designer, stage manager, technician, volunteer, supporter, investor, presenter, educator, and audience member who has poured their heart into this production over the past decade,' Haynes said. 'Selma has never been my story alone. It belongs to everyone who has believed in its purpose.

The early days demanded immeasurable sacrifice. The story of how we came to be will always belong to the people who dared to believe in a 34-year-old girl from Mississippi who had no idea what this could become. They saw something in me before I could see it in myself.

So many people laid the bricks that built this house. They gave their time, their talents, and their unwavering faith to this work, often without knowing where the journey would lead. The fact that we're still here 10 years later is a testament to every one of them.

This tour is our way of honoring those who carried this vision from the very beginning. As we step into this next chapter, we do so with deep gratitude, carrying every one of those voices with us.'

As Selma the Musical: The Untold Stories enters its second decade, the production remains committed to honoring the ordinary men, women, and children whose extraordinary courage helped change America and to ensuring their stories continue to educate, inspire, and unite generations to come.

ABOUT SELMA THE MUSICAL: THE UNTOLD STORIES

'History remembers the march. Selma the Musical: The Untold Stories remembers the people. Together, they tell the story history couldn't tell alone.'

Created by J.P. Haynes, Selma the Musical: The Untold Stories is an award-winning original Off-Broadway production that brings audiences beyond the iconic images of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights Movement and into the lives of the people who made history possible. Through the lens of the Wilson family, this powerful musical theatre experience explores the personal sacrifices, family struggles, faith, and unwavering courage of those who stood at the center of one of the most defining moments in the fight for equality.

Set in Selma, Alabama, the production reimagines the days leading up to the historic march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, revealing the untold stories of everyday citizens wrestling with fear, conviction, and the difficult choices that come with pursuing justice. While honoring the legacy of figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, Selma shines a light on the voices often left out of history, the families, community members, and individuals whose courage helped move a nation forward.

Featuring an original score inspired by the foundational sounds of Black culture, including Gospel, Jazz, and Hip Hop, alongside the storytelling traditions of musical theatre, Selma delivers a groundbreaking fusion of history and artistry. The result is a deeply human story about a bridge, a town, a family, and a movement that refused to surrender.

Since its premiere in 2017, Selma the Musical: The Untold Stories has grown from humble beginnings into a nationally touring theatrical production, captivating audiences across the United States and internationally. After overcoming early challenges and a hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the production returns with a renewed vision, new music, a new script, and a new generation of storytellers.

More than a musical, Selma is a reminder that history is not only shaped by the moments we remember, it is shaped by the people who dared to believe change was possible.

For more information, visit www.selmathemusical.com.

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