Fighting for Love is a musical that speaks – or rather sings – to the many people who are coming together to create a better world. The story centers around a black woman and an elderly white man whose relationship has drama, pain, hope, and breakthroughs. Their emotional journey is expressed through a luscious musical score and poignant scenes of sincere self-reflection. But this musical is more than the story of these two particular people—it’s the story of any and all of us who are working to overcome behavior patterns of fear and defensiveness so that, together, we can stop fighting for power and start fighting for a more caring world.
Fighting for Love is Beth Green’s debut as the scriptwriter, composer, and director of a musical. She had the joy of collaborating with her husband James Maynard, who composed two of the songs and appears in the musical as the male lead. James and Rosenilyne "Rozz" Hopson, who is a dear friend and plays the female lead, had each requested that Beth write a one-person show for them; however, as soon as she started working on the shows, Beth realized that they were, in fact, two parts of one whole. Rozz and James concurred, and Fighting for Love was born. It was a magical moment.
Beth’s story is also magical. Chronically ill and disabled from the age of fifteen, Beth was forced to stop playing the piano from that time forward. Despite her many disabilities, Beth has written six books, composed six musical albums, pioneered intuitive counseling modalities, and taught and led organizations fighting for a better world in her seventy-seven years. At the age of seventy-four, she felt guided to buy an acoustic piano and start improvising, which allowed her to return to the musical expression of spirit that was so important to her in her youth. To her shock, she was able to play the piano again, and her creative style involves truly magical improvisations. In fact, most of the music you will hear in the show was composed and recorded on the spot.
The beauty of the music is perfectly complemented by the cast members' moving performances and vocal skill. James, who began singing publicly at age eleven in the Houston Symphony Boys Choir, contributes his long experience and rich bass-baritone voice to the stage. He has since performed in a variety of genres, including jazz, inspirational music, opera, and musical theatre, and has even written and performed his own songs. He and Beth have co-created the Healing Arts Band, where they improvise simultaneously every Thursday night on Facebook (facebook.com/GrannyRocksOn).
The female lead, Rozz Hopson, contributes a unique energy to the show along with her years of experience as a professional singer in many genres. Rozz can often be heard with various bands in San Diego, which she currently calls her home. Beth and James feel so lucky that she has taken the time to perform in this production.
We hope you come to this uplifting and heartfelt show and have a chance to meet Beth, Rozz, and James. Join us at the Majestic Theater, September 30th, and October 1st and 2nd, and stick around after the matinee performance on the 2nd for a talk-back.
Fighting for Love will be presented live and in-person at The Majestic Theatre on September 30, October 1 and 2. Masks recommended. Purchase tickets here. The price is on a sliding scale; you can pick what you pay for tickets. Suggested prices range from $11 to $21 dollars. A $2.00 processing fee will be added to all tickets purchased online. You can also purchase tickets by calling the Business Office at 541-758-7827.