CiCi has been cast as the lead in the movie adaptation to the “Mama, I Wanna Sing!” off-Broadway musical. Lynn Whitfield and Patti Labelle are her co-stars. “Mama” will start production in Baton Rouge, Louisiana next month and is slated for theatrical release in February 2008. Here’s what the press release stated:

“Mama, I Want to Sing!” tells the story of a preacher’s daughter, who
rises from the church choir to international pop superstardom. The
character is loosely based on Vy Higginsen’s sister, Doris Troy, best known for the 1963 pop hit “Just One Look.” Higginsen and her husband Ken Wydro wrote, produced, directed, financed, and marketed the play, which was originally rejected by every major producer in New York. None believed that the story was worth telling or that an audience could be found for a gospel based production.
By the end of 1984, the play was named by Time Magazine as one of the “Ten Best Theatrical Productions of the Year.” Having played more than 2400 performances over eight consecutive years (1983-1991), the show became the longest running Black off-Broadway musical in the history of American theater touring both domestically and internationally.

YBF