VH1's Andrea Kelly teams up with Director Joel King in hit musical, "Real Life"

Sept. 15, 2013 - PRLog -- If the over-crowded Edison Theater last night was an indication of what is to come from Joel P.E. King's emerging directorial career then the world is in for a great ride.   Despite being clouded with years of struggle and at times visible poverty, East St. Louis has historically given birth to some of our nation's greatest talents.  It is evident that King is about to follow in the steps of Miles Davis, Katherine Dunham and Ike and Tina Turner who all blossomed despite conditions that could have kept them trapped in poverty.  Similarly, Tupac Shakur's notion that a rose can grow from the cracks of concrete is a true testament of what King is trying to convey in the transformational urban musical, "Real Life."

Real Life artistically shows what can happen when people defy the odds by proving nature's laws wrong and rise out of that which imprisons them from success. King enlisted his longtime friend, Andrea Kelly who is a highly respected choreographer and stage producer to bring his enormous vision to life.  Kelly is currently the star of VH1's hit show, Hollywood Exes and a native of Chicago. Together, King and Kelly are using creativity to combat violence in both St. Louis and Chicago through "Real Life." The transformational musical about inner-city life, politics and faith mirrors our nation’s urban crisis.

When the violence in St. Louis and Chicago hit an all time high this summer, King vowed to bring this issue to the national forefront through "Real Life." The spiritually influenced urban musical is a modern day West-Side story that centers on an urban youth named Ray who is conflicted between street life and his faith. Kelly who is a Southside Chicago native related to the screenplay because she understands the dynamics of having to rise above the urban conditions that trap so many inner-city dreamers. “This play is so important to our current crisis in not just Chicago or St. Louis but inner cities across the world. It is not just a mirror of what we are dealing with today but it offers a solution to the poverty and crime problem.  If we apply what we learn from this play, I assure that we will see a change in our cities," said Kelly.

In the provocative coming of age play, King defies the glamorization of crime by forcing us to identify with the consequences and repercussions of street life through Ray’s struggles. King infuses hip hop, gospel, ballet, and R&B in a way that has yet to be seen on stage. The attention-grabbing storyline and performances are indescribably brilliant beyond belief because they showcase a depth that is sometimes missing in urban plays. The compelling musical opens up with a riveting dream sequence showing how Ray’s strong street nature has finally caught up with him. Once an A student with the potential to become a star college basketball player, Ray allowed his life to become defined by his inability to win a crucial game that could have potentially changed the dynamics of his life. He perceives the missed opportunity as his only escape out of the ghetto. Ray’s struggle resembles that of many young men in the inner cities of America trying to escape their environment. Ray’s abandonment of ambitions and an adopted mentality of failure expose the paradigm of urban America, and its ability to stifle growth and self development.

Ultimately, “Real Life” is the creative wake-up call that America needs to realize the crisis and prevalence of violence. It is the artistic engine needed to motivate communities to combat the constant increase of crime and derail an apathetic attitude that has become too common in the inner-city -----= Please visit www.jpek-thearts.com Real Life will be playing again at the Edison Theater tonight at 3:00 p.m and 8:00 p.m.