Always & Forever keeps groovin' on

(Minneapolis) - The crowd-pleasing ALWAYS & FOREVER keeps packing them in at the Illusion Theater. Four more performances of the popular hit musical revue, featuring Julius C. Collins III (Quenton Jones), Jackson Hurst (Jahmal Purdy), T. Mychael Rambo (Durius Wright), and Dennis Spears (Levi Tucker), have been added to the schedule, extending the run to October 10. 

Created by Richard D. Thompson, Sanford L. Moore, and Garry Q. Lewis, Always & Forever maintains its original magic, continuing to impress reviewers and sell out shows. Set in a 1970's urban neighborhood barbershop, four African American men share their stories of love through popular R&B songs of the '60's and '70's, including tunes by The Jackson Five, Percy Sledge, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and Earth, Wind & Fire. Lewis' choreography energizes the show along with the live five-member band led by Moore.

Ticket & Address Information
Single tickets for Always & Forever are $15-$40 and are now on sale at the Illusion Theater Box Office at 612-339-4944 or online at www.illusiontheater.org. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and should call the box office to make reservations.

The theater is located on the 8th floor in the Hennepin Center for the Arts at 528 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis. The building is on the corner of 6th Street and Hennepin Avenue, just one block from Metro Transit's Hiawatha Light-Rail Line.

Remaining Performance Schedule (Subject to Change)
Friday, September 10 at 8:00pm
Saturday, September 11 at 8:00pm
Sunday, September 12 at 7:00pm
Wednesday, September 15 at 10:00am
Thursday, September 16 at 8:00pm
Friday, September 17 at 8:00pm
Saturday, September 18 at 8:00pm
Sunday, September 19 at 7:00pm
Wednesday, September 22 at 10:00am
Thursday, September 23 at 8:00pm
Friday, September 24 at 8:00pm
Saturday, September 25 at 8:00pm
Sunday, September 26 at 7:00pm
Wednesday, September 29 at 10:00am
Thursday, September 30 at 8:00pm
Friday, October 1 at 8:00pm
Saturday October 2 at 8:00pm
Sunday, October 3 at 7:00pm
Thursday, October 7 at 8:00pm
Friday, October 8 at 8:00pm
Saturday, October 9 at 8:00pm
Sunday, October 10 at 7:00pm

About the Show
The world premiere of Always & Forever was presented as part of Illusion Theater's 1996 Season. Richard D. Thompson and Sanford L. Moore developed the show together after working at Illusion on the revue, Blues in the Night. Producing Director Michael Robins asked Moore and Thompson "if they might be interested in constructing a musical revue as a response [to Blues in the Night] revealing the male point of view about relationships." First, they constructed the characters and then found songs to illustrate the different men's perspectives about love and loving. Sanford Moore stated, "We picked songs purely from what the lyrics said...I found so much of this music to be so poetic and so passionate."

The original show featured cast members Julius C. Collins III, T. Mychael Rambo, Dennis Spears, and Toga Norris. Collins, Rambo, and Spears are part of the current production along with newcomer Jackson Hurst.

Receiving rave reviews, Always & Forever was sold out for more than three months and extended its run to accommodate the demand. The Minneapolis Star Tribune said, "It's the music, which always colors the characters, that is at the charming heart of this show...energizing this guy show is the smooth, street-smart choreography of Garry Q. Lewis. Don't miss this one." Drama-Logue wrote, "Always and Forever creates its own brand of theatrical magic, and it's impossible to resist being drawn into its warm and love-filled embrace." From City Pages came, "Always and Forever might be the best thing of its kind to come to town since Solid Gold Soul radio."

Following the sold-out shows at Illusion, the Omicron Boule invited Illusion to do a special encore performance of Always & Forever when its national conference was held in the Twin Cities in 2000.  Always & Forever was presented for one night only in the old Guthrie Theater, followed by a limited run in Illusion's theater in September 2000.

In August 2010, after nearly 15 years of requests, Illusion Theater brought back Always & Forever for a six-week run and added a week's extension. The show continues to delight audiences and retains its critical acclaim.

About Illusion Theater
Illusion Theater was founded in 1974 and presents its season on the 8th floor of the Hennepin Center for the Arts in downtown Minneapolis. Since the beginning, Producing Directors Michael Robins and Bonnie Morris have led Illusion Theater in illuminating the illusions, myths, and realities of our times and in using the power of theater to catalyze personal and social change. In over thirty-five years, Illusion has generated over 500 plays, developed thousands of artists, and created ground-breaking educational works. Plays developed at Illusion have been produced in theaters throughout the world. Illusion's work has catalyzed conversations in living rooms, kitchens, coffee houses and boardrooms, and has led to transformations in policy, in organizations, in students, and in individuals.

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