Goddess
Conceived by SAHEEM ALI
Music and lyrics by MICHAEL THURBER
Book by JOCELYN BIOH
Additional material by MKHULULI Z. MABIJA
Choreographed by DARRELL GRAND MOULTRIE
Directed by SAHEEM ALI
World premiere
Roda Theatre
AUG 14–OCT 2, 2022
Running time: approximately two hours, plus a 15-minute intermission
Goddess contains fog, haze, and lightning strobe effects, and loud noises.
From the critically acclaimed team that created New York’s Free Shakespeare in the Park’s production of Merry Wives (as seen in HBO documentary Reopening Night)! Berkeley Rep presents the world premiere of an exuberant new musical by award-winning playwright Jocelyn Bioh (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play) and composer Michael Thurber, conceived by director Saheem Ali.
A mysterious singer arrives at Moto Moto, a steamy Afro-jazz club in Mombasa, Kenya. She casts an entrancing spell on everyone, including a young man who has returned home from studying in America. Will the big plans for his life — stepping into a political legacy and marrying his fiancée — be upended?
Inspired by the myth of Marimba, the Goddess who created beautiful songs from her heartbreak, this is a rousing tale of romance, the supernatural, and the quest towards one’s truest self.
Produced by special arrangement with No Guarantees and Mara Isaacs.
Reviews
“Berkeley Rep’s Goddess is well on its way to the heavens.
Goddess finds fulfillment and riches from the fact that love happens at all — that it can make us unselfish, even for one fateful moment.
Amber Iman can throw her blue moon voice so that it seems to have a center of gravity outside her body.
The cast members, under the direction of Saheem Ali, who also first conceived of the show, gush talent.
The most stunning achievement of the world premiere is that in promising a goddess of music, it delivers.”
– San Francisco Chronicle
“Joyful...a uniquely entertaining creation of musical magic and dancing dynamics.
It’s hard to know who to praise first: Michael Thurber’s sensational African, Jazz, and R&B music and lyrics, choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie’s fusion of hip hop, modern, African, and street dance, or the troupe of singers and dancers who make the music and dance come alive.
Goddess succeeds in delighting its audience.... Don’t wait too long to get tickets.”
– Berkeleyside
“Goddess, an entirely original work….. a vibrant explosion of exuberance featuring a cast whose combined talent and charisma is stratospheric.
Its humor, emotion and storytelling fuse into the very reason we love musical theater – it is communal, it is bigger than us and it is filled with emotions that are too rich for words alone.
This show could be the burst of color, energy and new life that Broadway needs.”
– Chad Jones’ Theater Dogs
Company & Creative Team
For full bios, please see our digital program.
ARNULFO MALDONADO | SCENIC DESIGN
DEDE AYITE | COSTUME DESIGN
BRADLEY KING | LIGHTING DESIGN
NEVIN STEINBERG | SOUND DESIGN
BRITTANY BLAND | PROJECTIONS & VIDEO DESIGN
NIKIYA MATHIS | WIG DESIGN
STEVE CUIFFO | ILLUSIONS
STEWART-WHITLEY | CASTING
ZFX | FLYING EFFECTS
DAWN-ELIN FRASER | DIALECT COACH
CRYSTAL MONEE HALL | VOCAL COACH
KARISHMA BHAGANI | DRAMATURG/CULTURAL CONSULTANT
NARDA E. ALCORN* | PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER
BENJAMIN E.C. PFISTER* | STAGE MANAGER
ABBIE BETTS* | ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
DANTE GREEN | ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
ALAIN DUMAS | ASSOCIATE MUSIC DIRECTOR
RAVEN MCRAE | ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER
COREY UMLAUF | ASSOCIATE SCENIC DESIGN
HEATHER STANLEY | ASSOCIATE COSTUME DESIGN
AJA M. JACKSON | ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGN
G CLAUSEN | ASSOCIATE SOUND DESIGN
PARKER LANGVARDT | ASSOCIATE PROJECTIONS & VIDEO DESIGN
ALLIE JACKSON | ASSOCIATE WIG DESIGN
ABENA* | RASHIDA
MELESSIE CLARK* | GRIO TRIO (MOSI); U/S SITI & BALOZI
RODRICK COVINGTON* | AHMED
ZACHARY DOWNER* | MOTO MOTO ENSEMBLE (SAMEER); DANCE CAPTAIN
AMBER IMAN* | NADIRA
GRASAN KINGSBERRY* | MOTO MOTO ENSEMBLE (JAALI); PASTOR MWANGI; DETECTIVE WAFULA; U/S MADONGO, BALOZI, & HASSAN
KINGSLEY LEGGS* | HASSAN
KECIA LEWIS* | SITI
ISIO-MAYA NUWERE* | MOTO MOTO ENSEMBLE (SAFIYAH); U/S MRS. MWANGI
AARON PATTERSON* | MOTO MOTO ENSEMBLE (YUSEF); U/S OMARI & AHMED
DESTINEE REA* | CHECHE
PHILLIP JOHNSON RICHARDSON* | OMARI
AWA SAL SECKA* | GRIO TRIO (ZAWADI); U/S CHECHE, RASHIDA & GRIO TRIO (MOSI & TISA)
LAWRENCE STALLINGS* | MADONGO
TESHOMECH* | GRIO TRIO (TISA); U/S NADIRA & GRIO TRIO (MOSI & ZAWADI)
QUIANTAE THOMAS* | MOTO MOTO ENSEMBLE (AMINA); MRS. MWANGI; U/S GRIO TRIO (MOSI & ZAWADI
WADE WATSON* | MOTO MOTO ENSEMBLE (MUSA); DANCE CAPTAIN
REGGIE D. WHITE* | BALOZI
MARCO PAGUIA | MUSIC DIRECTOR/KEYBOARD 1
ALAIN DUMAS | ASSOCIATE MUSIC DIRECTOR/KEYBOARD 2
JAVIER CABANILLAS | PERCUSSION
LARRY DE LA CRUZ | ALTO SAX
ANTHONY TY JOHNSON | DRUMS
CALVIN JONES | BASS
DAVE MACNAB | GUITAR
MARCUS STEPHENS | TENOR SAX
JOHN TROMBETTA | TRUMPET
GREG MESSA | REHEARSAL DRUMS
* Indicates a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Season sponsors
In-kind season sponsor
Sponsor
Mechanics Bank Wealth Management
Goddess is a recipient of the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.
See and hear
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(front center) Rodrick Covington (Ahmed)
(back, l to r) Awa Sal Secka (Grio Trio - Zawadi), Quiantae Thomas (Moto Moto Ensemble - Amina), Isio-Maya Nuwere (Moto Moto Ensemble - Safiyah), Wade Watson (Moto Moto Ensemble - Musa), Grasan Kingsberry (Moto Moto Ensemble - Jaali), and Teshomech (Grio Trio -Tisa) in the world premiere musical production of Goddess. Directed by Saheem Ali, Book by Jocelyn Bioh, Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber.
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(l to r) Rodrick Covington (Ahmed), Amber Iman (Nadira), and Lawrence Stallings (Madongo) in the world premiere musical production of Goddess. Directed by Saheem Ali, Book by Jocelyn Bioh, Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber.
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(l to r) Destinee Rea (CheChe) and Phillip Johnson Richardson (Omari) in the world premiere musical production of Goddess. Directed by Saheem Ali, Book by Jocelyn Bioh, Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber.
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(center) Isio-Maya Nuwere (Moto Moto Ensemble - Safiyah)
(l to r) Teshomech (Grio Trio - Tisa), Wade Watson (Moto Moto Ensemble - Musa), Awa Sal Secka (Grio Trio - Zawadi), Quiantae Thomas (Moto Moto Ensemble - Amina), Zachary Downer (Moto Moto Ensemble - Swasand (stairs) Rodrick Covington (Ahmed) in the world premiere musical production of Goddess. Directed by Saheem Ali, Book by Jocelyn Bioh, Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber.
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(front) Amber Iman (Nadira)
(l to r) Zachary Downer (Moto Moto Ensemble - Sameer), Phillip Johnson Richardson (Omari), Rodrick Covington (Ahmed), Melessie Clark (Grio Trio - Musi), and Awa Sal Secka (Grio Trio -Zawadi) in the world premiere musical production of Goddess. Directed by Saheem Ali, Book by Jocelyn Bioh, Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber.
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(front, l to r) Kecia Lewis (Siti) and Kingsley Leggs (Hassan)
(back, l to r) Isio-Maya Nuwere (Moto Moto Ensemble - Safiyah), Melessie Clark (Grio Trio - Musi), Wade Watson (Moto Moto Ensemble - Musa), Teshomech (Grio Trio - Tisa) and Awa Sal Secka (Grio Trio - Zawadi) in the world premiere musical production of Goddess. Directed by Saheem Ali, Book by Jocelyn Bioh, Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber.
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(l to r) Quiantae Thomas (Mrs. Mwangi) and Grasan Kingsberry (Pastor Mwangi) in the world premiere musical production of Goddess. Directed by Saheem Ali, Book by Jocelyn Bioh, Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber.
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Amber Iman (Nadira) in the world premiere musical production of Goddess. Directed by Saheem Ali, Book by Jocelyn Bioh, Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber.
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(l to r) Rodrick Covington (Ahmed) and Abena (Rashida) in the world premiere musical production of Goddess. Directed by Saheem Ali, Book by Jocelyn Bioh, Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber.
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(l to r) Phillip Johnson Richardson (Omari) and Amber Iman (Nadira) in the world premiere musical production of Goddess. Directed by Saheem Ali, Book by Jocelyn Bioh, Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber.
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Reggie D. White (Balozi) in the world premiere musical production of Goddess. Directed by Saheem Ali, Book by Jocelyn Bioh, Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber.
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(front) Phillip Johnson Richardson (Omari)
(back, l to r) Wade Watson (Moto Moto Enemble - Musa), Melessie Clark (Grio Trio - Mosi), Quiantae Thomas (Moto Moto Ensemble - Amina), and Awa Sal Secka (Grio Trio - Zawadi) in the world premiere musical production of Goddess. Directed by Saheem Ali, Book by Jocelyn Bioh, Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber.
Conceived by Saheem Ali | Music and Lyrics by Michael Thurber | Book by Jocelyn Bioh | Additional Material by Mkhululi Z. Mabija | Choreographed by Darrell Grand Moultrie | Directed by Saheem Ali | Scenic Design by Arnulfo Maldonado | Costume Design by Dede Ayite | Lighting Design by Bradley King | Sound Design by Nevin Steinberg | Projections & Video Design by Brittany Bland | Wig Design by Nikiya Mathis | Illusions by Steve Cuiffo
See a number from Goddess
The Goddess company invites you into their rehearsals! See a scene from the Moto Moto nightclub and hear insights from the creative team.
Goddess in the House
The cast and creative team arrive at Berkeley Rep! Enjoy this sneak peek from the first week of rehearsals.
Goddess Workshop Teaser Trailer
In September 2021, our Goddess creative team and cast gathered together in a rehearsal room to continue to build, work, and unearth new revelations when developing a brand new musical. This footage is from that presentation of work.
Sneak peek: Goddess, a world premiere musical
Enjoy this video of the song “Honey Sweet” from our upcoming world premiere of Goddess. The video features Amber Iman with appearances by Jocelyn Bioh (book writer) and Saheem Ali (conceiver and director). Keyboard, drums, and video production by Michael Thurber (composer and lyricist). Jon Lampley is on the trumpet.