Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival Presents Legends, Movement, And Memories On June 24

Florence LaRue   

      Stars of Broadway, music, movies, and television are expected to attend the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival (LAWTF) when it comes to Culver City for a unique performance at 8 p.m., Sunday, June 24, 2018,  at the Ivy Substation, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232.

Florence LaRue, an original member of the legendary, Grammy® Award-winning pop singing group The 5^th Dimension will host the evening of entertainment.  The last remaining original member of the group that originated the genre called “Champagne Soul,” she still tours with the current version of the group today, singing the group’s original songs, and more. She also appeared in the national tour of the Broadway hit Ain’t Misbehavin’.

 

Kym Whitley

Co-hosting with LaRue is actor Kym Whitley, a television favorite (Young and Hungry, Black Dynamite, and Sparks) and star of many popular films (including Next Friday, Deliver Us from Eva, and Along Came Polly).

Freda Payne as Ella

    R&B legendary award-winning star Freda Payne will premiere an excerpt from her nationally-touring show Ella Fitzgerald First Lady of Song. This will be the first opportunity for Los Angeles audiences to see Freda Payne portray the revered legend of jazz. Payne has been inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame in recognition of her long string of vocal hits (including Band of Gold, Bring the Boys Home, The Unhooked Generation, and Cherish What Is Dear to You). Also an actor, she has starred in a number of popular films including Book of Numbers, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, and Deadly Rhapsody).

Eloise Laws

     Eloise Laws, an award-winning member of a legendary and celebrated jazz family (Ronnie, Hubert and Debra Laws) is slated to sing. Best known for her work as a jazz vocalist, her credits also include musical theater (including South Pacific, House of Flowers, and Candide) and opera (The Metropolitan Opera’s The Return). She starred in and co-wrote the Tony® nominated musical, It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues. She is also the recipient of the Cherry Blossom Award from the Tokyo Music Festival.

Also appearing on June 24: dancer Juli Kim and actor-writer Alina Cenal.

   

 Adilah Barnes is executive producer and co-founder. This performance is made possible in part by a Culver City Performing Arts Grant with support from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Tickets for the performance are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Industry (with valid I.D.), seniors and students, $18.

Reservations: (818) 760-0408. Online reservations are available at http://www.lawtf.org or https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3444959

**Photo of Freda Payne courtesy of Freda Payne. Other photos courtesy of Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival.