Nashville, TN – TN Tribune— Amidst all the back-to-school mania and summer fun, comes a hope-filled musical production celebrating the life and legacy of Ethel Waters. This is the first of two installments of the Forgotten Heroes Series, to be produced by Kennie Playhouse Theatre (KPT), during their 2023-2024 season.
His Eye is on the Sparrow [The Ethel Waters story] written by Larry Parr, takes place during the time when Vaudeville, Broadway and Hollywood were thriving. This two-person musical production follows the life of Ethel Waters and celebrates her ability to rise from the ashes.
Nashville favorites, actors Connye Florance and Saaneah Jamison will take audiences through the hurtles of self-doubt and deprivation, to the rise of a star in the timeless sky.
Kenny Dozier, founder of KPT, who is also directing the play, said he chose to honor Ethel Waters because she is not given enough credit for being one of the first black women to shatter the glass ceiling and perform in Vaudeville, on Broadway stages, and in Hollywood films. From being born in an alley to a 12 year old mother as a result of rape, navigating her mother’s mental illness while being raised by her grandmother seemed insurmountable.
Though somehow, she found the strength to allow her talent to catapult her into a successful career in show business. She is proof that, “It’s not how you start that matters it’s how you finish,” Dozier said.
His Eye is on the Sparrow performances will run from September 14-October 1, 2023. Kennie Playhouse Theatre is offering special discounted performances for senior citizens and school audiences during the show run. To learn more about His Eye is on the Sparrow performance times and tickets visit: www.kennieplayhousetheatre.com.
HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW
WHEN: Thursday – Sunday, September 14-October 1, 2023
TIME: 7:30 P.M. Nightly. (Saturday & Sunday Matinees 2:30 p.m.)
WHERE: Z Alexander Looby Theater, 2301 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208
Tickets at www.kennieplayhousetheatre.com
