"Good God A'Mighty." Feb. 14-24. 14th Street Playhouse, 173 14th St., Atlanta. Tickets on sale now at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office, 404-733-5000, and www.lolitasnipesproductions.com.
Hardly a day goes by that Melba Moore doesn’t attend church. So it’s no wonder the Tony award-winning actress feels right at home in “Good God A’Mighty,” a play scheduled to open Feb. 14 at the 14th Street Playhouse.
Moore plays the feisty choir director Reen L’Dimp, who tries to run her new church pastor out of town. Other cast members include veteran comedians Just June and Dante Carter.
Moore, 67, said she jumped at the chance to play Reen.
“When my manager told me it was a gospel comedy and I saw the character, I said, ‘Yes,’” Moore said in a telephone interview from her home in New York. “She was just natural for me. I knew I could bring a lot of real life experience to the role.”
Plus, the play, which will run through Feb. 24, offers her the opportunity not to just sing but also do comedy, a “natural gift,” Moore said, that she has yet to explore on stage.
Moore’s character demands a mature actress who not only understands African-American church culture, but one who can sing and have “good comedic timing,” said Lolita Snipes, playwright, producer and director of “Good God A’Mighty.”
Snipes, a long-time fan of Moore’s singing, said she’s thrilled for the chance to hear the actress perform her songs.
“She starred on Broadway in shows like “Purlie” and “Les Miserables,” so she’s got the acting chops,” Snipes said. “And just as importantly to me, she knows that church folk can be some of the funniest people you ever met.”
Moore, who began her acting career on Broadway in the classical musical “Hair,” just starred with Beyoncé and Cuba Gooding Jr. in the motion picture “The Fighting Temptations.”
She recently took three questions about her newest role with a look toward the future.
Q: You’ve already accomplished so much musically and on stage. Why did you want to be a part of this effort?
A: For me, it's the first day of the beginning of my life in this era. Today the scripture said, "… I want you to glory in the gifts I've given you." This is my chance to shine. I can feel it in my bones. I've been waiting for something like this for a very long time.
Q: You play Reen L’Dimp, the church choir director. Where did you find inspiration for playing the role?
A: I've been a choir director and I've had choir directors, so this is second nature to me. I especially liked the challenge of playing Reen, who is not necessarily a character that is likable at first. Even though the play is a comedy, she gets a chance to grow and evolve. That really appealed to me.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: My main project now is executive producing a new CD. I have some great songs and have tried some of them out but I have to figure out for myself what I should be singing and where I belong in the contemporary music community. I'm trying to take my time and hear what God is saying. I want to stay true to myself but also reach a new generation of fans.
