STRICTLY OBSERVING: Dream a little dream

By ZACH COOLEY

A veteran of Wytheville theatre, singer/actor Nathan Alston has been busy in Greensboro, N.C., as owner, producer and artistic director of the Naroshmi Theatre Company, where he has just completed a run at the Barn Dinner Theatre in Greensboro starring in his own musical drama, Dreams of a King: The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Honoring the late civil rights pioneer, the musical follows Shirley Jean “Shirl Jean” Glover Mitchell Johnson (Sandra Jones) as she tells her story of her time well spent with Dr. King and takes you on this emotional journey of his unprecedented accomplishments, determination, and most of all, his dream.  The additional cast of five tells their story as well.  The show ran at the Barn Dinner Theatre two years in a row and is preparing for its summer debut at the Broach Theatre in downtown Greensboro sometime in May 2010. 
Though I missed the show at the Barn, I do hope to see it in May.  Even though I didn’t see the show, Mr. Alston was kind enough to send me a copy of the soundtrack.  The Dreams of a King: Selections from the Original Cast Recording CD features five original soul stirring tracks written by Alston.  Musical director George Pass helped compose the music for the title track and also served as an excellent piano accompanist throughout the soundtrack.  This is the first of 2 CDs. The main soundtrack will release in April and will feature all twelve songs from the show as well as three bonus tracks. Both CDs feature the inspiring title track “Dreams of a King.” 
With a riveting voice that possesses a similar powerful style to Yolanda Adams, Sonya Bennett-Brown sings the lead in the title track as well as “Pressin’ Through,” which describes the unimaginable difficulty suffered by Mrs. Johnson during her own personal civil rights journey.  One version of the song includes a gripping poem called “The Journey” as a spoken word portion of the song by cast members Daniel Ferguson and Robin Doby-Easter, which further illustrates the hardships of the African American struggle for equality among all races.  The CD closes with a reprisal version of the title song from Alston expressing his personal gratitude to Dr. King.  The only regret Dreams of a King: Selections from the Original Cast Recording leaves you with is the fact that you haven’t seen the full production for yourself in person.
There are several ways to purchase the album.  You may visit the Naroshmi Theatre Company online at http://www.nathanalstonproductions.com or by visiting http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/naroshmi to either download or preview the CD.  If you are visiting Greensboro anytime soon, you may purchase a copy at the Barn Dinner Theatre or African American Art in Four Season Towne Centre.  Checks or money orders made payable to Roland Alston may be mailed to: The Naroshmi Theatre Company, ATTN: CD ORDER, 26 Raelans Circle, Greensboro, NC 27407.  The price is $9.99, including shipping, for the first CD and $8 each additional CD.  Please make sure to include your name, address, email or phone number with your payment.
The Naroshmi Theatre Company is located in Greensboro and is proud to be the City’s first Independent African American Professional Theatre Company. Naroshmi was launched in February 2009 with a principal goal of providing a theatrical experience to the world through producing and staging original shows by founder and producing artistic director, Nathan Alston, as well as developing, showcasing, and producing original works by other aspiring artists. The Naroshmi Theatre Company family consists of Nathan Alston Productions, Alston Group Publishing & Holdings, AND SCENE!, a new social network for Entertainment Professionals) and two newest additions, Just Read It! (a youth educational theatre program) & Twyn Boi Records. The company was also recently accepted by the prestigious music organization, The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), listed as Alston Group Publishing and Holdings.  Since 2006, Nathan Alston Productions has been the major force behind their original productions, Hello, My Name Is Joe” (A Children’s Play), Love Machine the Musical: Celebrating Classic Motown & Soul and Dreams of a King: The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Naroshmi Theatre Company creates and produces their own shows, serving as the publisher and copyright holder of their own works.  They also collaborate with local studios in recording, mastering, and producing; visit at http://www.nathanalstonproductions.com. 
A graduate of Wytheville Community College, Zach Cooley lives in Wytheville. Contact him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).