CROWNS The Musical

Crowns is the story of a Chicago teenager who is sent to live with her grandmother in South Carolina after her brother is killed in Brooklyn. She finds connection among a community of resilient African American women. In this celebratory musical, hats become a springboard for an exploration of African American history and identity.  Hats are everywhere in exquisite variety, and the characters use the hats to tell tales concerning everything from the etiquette of hats to their historical and contemporary social functioning. There is a hat for every occasion, from flirting to church going. In Crowns the tradition of hats is traced from African rituals to slavery to current fashion. The conclusion finds the standoffish young woman, whose cultural identity has been at odds with the more traditional Southern African American women as she tries to embrace hats and their cultural significance but keep her own fiercely independent identity. Crowns is an inspirational, joyous musical celebration of love and redemption that will make your spirit sing!