Darrell Lawrence Willis, Sr. will portray Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Monmouth Civic Chorus concert I Have a Dream on Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 8:00 pm. at the Count Basie Theatre, 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, New Jersey. This unique concert honors the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s iconic speech, and the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Through music, readings, and reflections, the program will explore the growth of freedom in our country’s history. The music will range from African-American spirituals and Civil War songs to more contemporary pieces like a choral arrangement of U2’s moving tribute, MLK.
Darrell Lawrence Willis, Sr. is a native son of Long Branch and a graduate of Long Branch Senior High School. He holds a BA in Communications and Theater Arts from Susquehanna University and MA in Theater Studies from Montclair State University, and studied extensively at Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts. He is a faculty member at Brookdale Community College and Artistic Director of the Dunbar Repertory Company.
The Monmouth Civic Chorus has been called "close to perfect" (Asbury Park Press), "alive and evocative" (The Star-Ledger) and "exceptional" (Red Bank Green). The Chorus is the proud recipient of the 2008 ASCAP/Chorus America Alice Parker Award, and the 2010 Spinnaker Award for Arts and Culture from the Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce.
