Arts & Entertainment
Pettaway Celebrates 25th Birthday With Debut of His Original Musical
"Just Hear My Song" by Tramar Pettway, of Southampton Village, is coming June 8.
A Southampton man who has long been a singer and actor is now trying his hand at writing with "Just Hear My Song," his musical premiering as a one-night engagement June 8 on the Southampton Intermediate School stage.
Tramar Pettaway will also star in the musical, which includes his original songs as well as traditional hymns and "Home" and "Believe in Yourself" from "The Wiz." Pettaway's Hamptons Foundation for the Arts put on a production of "The Wiz" in Southampton in 2012, the nonprofit's first major show.
Pettaway said during a recent interview that though he participated in a young playwright's program under Will Chandler and Emma Walton Hamilton at Bay Street Theatre when he was a senior at Southampton High School, "Just Hear My Song" marks his first crack at songwriting. He began writing it in 2012 and went through several months of rewrites and adding characters.
“The theme of the story is listen to your heart, follow your dreams and believe in yourself,” he said.
In the coming-of-age musical, Pettaway portrays Tyrell Jackson, an aspiring singer who is offered a contract performing backup for Starlette Jones, a renowned singer played by Ashley Harris.
“His mother doesn’t want him to do it because she was once a famous singer, and when she was in the industry she was hurt," Pettaway explained. "She's afraid he’s going to go through the same thing.”
He said the hour-long musical was inspired by "Mama, I Want to Sing: The Next Generation" by Vy Higginsen and Ken Wydro, a revival of the 1983 musical that was the longest running black off-Broadway show. The original was based on the life of singer Doris Troy.
"Just Hear My Song" takes Tyrell from church to nightclubs.
The musical includes 12 characters plus a full choir — the Genesis Ensemble, of Bridgehampton. “It’s mostly about the music, the voices — we have amazing voices in the show,” Pettaway said.
Choir director Brother Jenkins is played by Otis Beacoat, Grandma D is played by Barbara Walker, and Sister Joy Lane/Guardian Angel is played by Evangelist Juliette McGhee.
Evangelist Patricia Benneman, who sang at the wedding of Pettaway's parents and his mother's wake, plays Momma Jackson, and Samuel Johnson, who played the titular role in "The Wiz," is Pop Jackson.
“It will have you laughing, it will have you crying, it will have you out of your seats," Pettaway said. "It is more than a show. It is an experience everyone should have. It is one of those must-see shows that catches your eye and catches your ear.”
Making the performance extra special for Pettaway, it lands on his 25th birthday and a portion of the proceeds of the show will be donated to Lucia's Angels in memory of his mother, Shonda Hopson-Pettaway, who died in April at the age of 49 after a recurrence of breast cancer.
As a tribute, Elaine Booker will dance to “Never Would Have Made It,” one of his mother's favorite gospel songs, Pettaway said.
"Just Hear My Song" will be performed June 8 at Southampton Intermediate School at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under, free for children 4 and under, and $5 for seniors. For groups of 10 or more, tickets are $5 each.
For advance tickets, call 631-259-3838 or 631-887-9324, or email hamptonsfoundationforthearts@aol.com. Tickets will also be available at the door beginning at 3:30 p.m.
