Mosaic Theater Company Announces Co-Production with Baltimore Center Stage and Congo Square Theatre Company in Association with The Apollo Theater

The eighth and final production of Mosaic Theater Company's upcoming fourth season will be Twisted Melodies, a critically acclaimed one-man show about the life and music of troubled genius Donny Hathaway performed by the multi-talented Kelvin Roston Junior. Twisted Melodies is being produced by Baltimore Center Stage and Congo Square Theatre Company in association with The Apollo Theater and Mosaic in a unique three-city co-production.

When Twisted Melodies played at Baltimore Center Stage in the spring of 2017, it was a critically acclaimed box office smash and was extended to popular demand. "We've worked very passionately to bring Twisted Melodies back to Baltimore," said Michael Ross, Baltimore Center Stage Executive Director. "In its first run here, it was not just a box office hit, but one of our most impactful and talked about shows, because it really touched people both musically and emotionally."

"We are thrilled to be closing out the Mosaic season with such a gripping production about Donny Hathaway, who is deeply loved here in DC due to his time at Howard University, where he met his close friend and frequent collaborator Roberta Flack," said Ari Roth, Producing Artistic Director of Mosaic Theater Company. "This production pays homage to an incredible artist while simultaneously not shying away from depicting the mental illness that tormented him. In keeping with our season theme, 'How Hope Happens,' this play shows how hope lives on in the art we make and leave behind, and no matter our struggles, how our best light can change the world."

"Donny's level of genius was beyond compare," said Roston, Jr, who also serves as the playwright and musical director for the production. "He could orchestrate an entire musical work in his head. I wrote this show to showcase some of the genius of Donny Hathaway, but also to shed light on a subject that we have held as taboo: mental illness. I want those suffering to know they're not alone, and of course I want us all to be touched by the music, the man, the genius that is Donny Hathaway."

Subscriptions are currently on sale for Mosaic's fourth season, and single tickets will become available to the public in mid-July. For more information on Season Four, visit: http://www.mosaictheater.org/announcing-season-four

About Mosaic Theater Company of DC

Independent, intercultural, entertaining, and uncensored, Mosaic Theater Company of DC is committed to making transformational, socially-relevant art, producing plays by authors on the front lines of conflict zones, and building a fusion community to address some of the most pressing issues of our times. Dedicated to making our theater a model of diversity and inclusion at every strata, on stage and off, Mosaic invests in the new as we keep abreast of our changing and challenging times to ensure that our theater is a responsive gathering space, all the while nurturing and producing art of the highest order. Visit us at mosaictheater.org.

About Baltimore Center Stage

Baltimore Center Stage is a theater committed to artistic excellence. We engage, enrich, and broaden the perspectives of diverse audiences through entertaining and thought-provoking work and educational programs. Named the State Theater of Maryland in 1978, Baltimore Center Stage has steadily grown as a leader in the national regional theater scene. Under Executive Director Michael Ross, Baltimore Center Stage is committed to creating and presenting a diverse array of world premieres and exhilarating interpretations of established works. Baltimore Center Stage believes in access for all-creating a welcoming environment for everyone who enters its doors and, at the same time, striving to meet audiences where they are. In addition to Mainstage and Third Space productions in the historic Mount Vernon neighborhood, Baltimore Center Stage ignites conversations across Baltimore and beyond through the Mobile Unit, which brings high-quality theater to economically, culturally and geographically diverse communities. The theater also nurtures the next generation of artists and theatergoers through the Young Playwrights Festival, Student Matinee Series, and many other educational programs for students, families, and educators.

About Congo Square Theatre Company

Congo Square Theater Company is an ensemble-based entity that seeks to broaden the scope of the theater-going experience. The ensemble's effort matches education and the performances of productions that push the envelope in the telling of the diverse stories from within the African Diaspora - that ultimately resonate throughout humanity.?For more on Congo Square Theatre Company - visit www.congosquaretheatre.org

About the Apollo Theater

The legendary Apollo Theater-the soul of American culture-plays a vital role in cultivating emerging artists and launching legends. Since its founding, the Apollo has served as a center of innovation and a creative catalyst for Harlem, the city of New York, and the world.

With music at its core, the Apollo's programming extends to dance, theater, spoken word, and more. This includes special programs such as the blockbuster concert Bruno Mars Live at the Apollo, the world premiere theatrical reading of Ta-Nehisi Coates's National Book Award-winning Between the World and Me, 100: The Apollo Celebrates Ella, the annual Africa Now! Festival, and the recent New York premiere of the opera We Shall Not Be Moved. The Apollo is a performing arts presenting organization that also produces festivals and large-scale dance and music works organized around a set of core initiatives that celebrate and extend the Apollo's legacy through a contemporary lens; global festivals including the Women of the World (WOW) Festival and Breakin' Convention; international and U.S.-based artist presentations focused on a specific theme; and Special Projects, multidisciplinary collaborations with partner organizations.

Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater has served as a testing ground for new artists working across a variety of art forms and has ushered in the emergence of many new musical genres-including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip-hop. Among the countless legendary performers who launched their careers at the Apollo are Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Billie Holiday, James Brown, D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Dave Chappelle, Machine Gun Kelly, Miri Ben Ari, Sarah Vaughan, Gladys Knight, and Luther Vandross; and the Apollo's forward- looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy. For more information visit https://www.apollotheater.org/

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