The Liberty Theatre has become known for producing musical revues written by Liberty volunteers.
After writing several versions of “I’ve Got the Music in Me,” Eddie Stiles and Sheila Green-Williams have written “Back Down Memory Lane” for this year’s musical revue.
As usual, Stiles will be the director and Green-Williams will perform.
“This will be a stroll down memory lane,” Stiles said.
The songs are from the late 1960s to the early 1990s.
“We wanted to keep it to the hits from ‘back in the day,’ as kids say now,” Stiles said.
Green-Williams, Gayle Daniels and T.J. Still chose the songs they wanted to use.
“The first list we had was about 60 songs,” Stiles said. “I’ve narrowed it down to 40, and it’s still subject to be cut.”
One reason audiences like these show, Stiles said, is simple. “Nostalgia. It’s nostalgic for those of us who lived through those days. I’ve been surprised at the young people who know these songs. When I asked them how they knew the songs, they said their parents used to play them when they were young.”
Stiles said through shows like this, young people learn how today’s artists are influenced by those who came before them.
Also in the cast
This production will see the return of Jamysa Lyte, who is making her first appearance on stage at the Liberty Theatre since 1999 when she was in the very first “When Music Was Music.”
It took 12 years because Lyte got married, had a baby and went back to school. Now that her life has settled down, Lyte decided to get back on stage.
Luckily, she never stopped singing. Lyte toured for three years with gospel group Truthful and later sang with the James Bignon Deliverance Mass Choir in Atlanta.
Yvonne Hart is also in the cast. She likes her castmates because “everyone is professional and everyone is excited.”
Hart is the language arts teacher at Rothschild Middle School. Still teaches science at the same school.
Having worked on the other revues, Still said this show will feature songs not heard in those shows. Groups like the Chi-Lites, the Emotions and Blue Magic are featured.
Guests might not know who sang the song, but they’ll know the songs, Still said.
Dionne Daniels is happy to be working with her 20-year-old cousin, Bryanna Dorsey. Even though they’ve each performed on the Liberty stage, this is their first show together.
Alexander Scott, who has performed on the Liberty stage since he was 15, is finally in what he calls his first adult show. He’s now 22.
