This Valentine’s Day, discover the true meaning of love as New Destiny Dimensions Unlimited LLC presents “I Don’t Know Why He Loves Me.” The multicultural production, starring Jequan Jackson, Zahra Thomas, Andrew Galteland and Melissa Denize, examines the lives of four post-civil rights families. It will play at the Riverside Theatre (91 Claremont Ave., Harlem, N.Y.) for two nights, Friday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. Writer Bernard Corbett will direct.
Kayla, a child of interracial parents, has the best of both worlds. In addition to loving parents, she has a supportive community and her faith. When young love blossoms between her and James, will this new feeling be enough to save him from the lures of drug dealing or will it separate her from her family and friends?
Entangled in an adulterous affair, the Rev. Cunningham is not only losing the respect of his wife, but also jeopardizing the respect of his congregation. Can love save the day? Can love’s healing power save the Brown family from the spread of HIV or bring back the Moore family’s son?
“I Don’t Know Why He Loves Me” is an examination of the affairs of the heart by award-winning music producer and director Corbett. Set in modern-day New York City, the play unveils the lives of four blended, diverse and complex families whose lives are changed by the choices they make in the name of love. Whether it’s escaping the pressure of success through addictive behavior, an adulterous annex in the pulpit, same-sex attraction or teen pregnancy, this two-act play unmasks such hidden secrets and more.
“I Don’t Know Why He Loves Me” is an emotional roller coaster that reveals unnerving sentiments and confronts taboo topics as it searches for in-depth understanding, true healing and forgiveness. Tickets are $45 for orchestra seats and $40 for general admission and can be purchased at www.newdestinysound.com or by calling 718-488-8858.
Corbett, who is an accomplished musical director and songwriter, is no stranger to the theatrical community. He’s worked on a variety of Broadway and off-Broadway productions, including “Crown,” “The Oldest Profession,” “Blind Eye” and “Screaming Survival,” to name a few. He was the musical director for the international tour of Vy Higginsen’s groundbreaking musical “Mama, I Want to Sing,” which led to the debut of his original work “Jesus Lay Yo’ Head in De Winda.”
An ordained minister and second generation preacher, Corbett is the founder of the Judah Worship Conference and author of “The Christian’s Guide to Spiritual Living, Worship and Praise in the New Millennium.” He is a respected praise and worship leader and voice and music teacher at M.S. 8 in Queens.
New Destiny Dimensions Unlimited LLC was designed and created to transform lives and communities through music and the theatrical arts. Its mission is to reach for and inspire the strength that lives inside of us all and foster the hope that helps one overcome adversity or tragedy. Its latest production, “I Don’t Know Why He Loves Me,” examines the affairs of the heart through the lens of a post-civil rights generation. Although the lines that once would have divided these blended, multicultural characters have long been erased, can love heal the wounds of addiction, adultery and deception?