Soul Train's cultural influence spread like wildfire from its 1971 premiere and beyond to the 2006 finale. Though the official final episode aired seven years ago, Broadway is adopting its legacy to help it live on.
The creative minds of The Roots' Amir "Questlove" Thompson, Playwright Dominique Morisseau, Director Kamilah Forbes and choreographer Camille A. Brown have come together to make this happen. The group will serve behind scenes in telling the soulfully rich story of the legendary show and its host, Don Cornelius. Dominique shared her excitement to represent such an icon piece of entertainment greatness in a statement.
“Having grown up on this series and being immersed in the culture around it, I never knew what it took to make it the iconic staple that it is. Through the socio-political challenges both internally and externally, Don Cornelius’ uncompromised vision, and the revolutionary dance culture that the show made visible to the mainstream, there are a million handprints on what we know as Soul Train.”
Don's son, Tony Cornelius, will serve as executive producer alongside Questlove.
“With many years of experience working directly with my father, I’m forever grateful and deeply humbled by the impactSoul Trainhas had on the culture at large both here and abroad. For 37 years, and with purpose, through music, dance and style, Soul Train brought Love, Peace & Soul to a national audience.”
There is hope to bring everything to life in 2021, marking the 50th anniversary of the series' debut.
Photo: Deadline/ Nicola-Goode