Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, concludes its 2024–2025 season with the story of soul music icon Donny Hathaway in Twisted Melodies, written and performed by Kelvin Roston, Jr. Under the direction of Ron OJ Parson and associate director Alexis J. Roston, Twisted Melodies runs July 10 – August 10, 2025, at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. The press opening is Thursday, July 17 at 7:30pm.
Flashback to 1979, when singer and composer Donny Hathaway was a soul music icon, known for R&B hits and his duets with Roberta Flack. This mesmerizing one-man show immerses us in a day with the brilliant artist, seeking solace in the music that has always been his salvation. Powerful renditions of songs like “More Than You’ll Ever Know,” “The Ghetto,” and “The Closer I Get to You,” illuminate the enduring power of his talent. Torn between his inspiration and his ongoing inner struggle, Hathaway grapples with his life in a gripping performance by Kelvin Roston Jr.
Tickets for Twisted Melodies are now on sale through the box office, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie; 847.673.6300; northlight.org.
Twisted Melodies is written and performed by Kelvin Roston, Jr. The creative team is Ron OJ Parson (director), Alexis J. Roston (associate director), Kelvin Roston, Jr. (music director), Sotirios Livaditis (set designer), Gregory Graham (costume designer), Jason Lynch (lighting designer), Eric Backus (sound designer), and Katrina Hermann (stage manager).
BJ Jones comments, “Kelvin Roston Jr was appearing in Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew at Northlight back in 2018 when he told me about a piece he had written for himself about Donny Hathaway which would be produced at Mosaic Theatre in Washington DC in the summer of 2019. I flew down to see it and was struck by the themes that were so singular to the story, quite apart from biopics of musical stars we are accustomed to seeing.
“Hathaway, who was born in Chicago and worked here for some time, suffered from schizophrenia. This story, which is resplendent with his musical talent, also traces his decline, as both the music industry and his mental condition impacted his gifts.”
“Twisted Melodies is a labor of love. It’s much more than simply a solo jukebox musical. I chose Donny Hathaway as my muse for his amazing music and musicianship, yes, but also because of his struggle with paranoid schizophrenia,” comments Kelvin Roston Jr. “We generally ignore, make excuses for, hide, or even make fun of those dealing with mental illness. Donny Hathaway left an incredible amount of himself and his struggles in the lyrics he wrote, the notes he played, and the tones he bent and swelled with as he sang.”
Ron OJ Parson adds, “Sometimes we don’t hear beyond the songs, beyond the music, the pain many talented geniuses are experiencing as they create music that will be in our souls for a lifetime. We don’t listen beyond the music. Sometimes there is a sacrifice being made. This is one such story that not only explores the music, but also the excruciating pain of mental disease.”
This production is supported in part by Julie and Josh Chernoff, Nan Greenough, and Tiffany and Toby Laczkowski.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Kelvin Roston Jr. (Playwright/Music Director/Donny Hathaway) is excited to be back at Northlight with this show! Off-Broadway: Donny Hathaway, Twisted Melodies (Apollo); Regional: Sterling Johnson, Radio Golf (The Black Rep STL); Wiz, The Wiz (Fulton); Mister, The Color Purple (MSMT); Caesar Wilks, Gem of the Ocean (Goodman); Oedipus, Oedipus Rex and The Gospel at Colonus; Othello, The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice (Court); James Thunder Early, Dreamgirls (Fulton, MSMT, Marriott- Lincolnshire, Orb [Tokyo, Japan], Festival Hall [Osaka, Japan]); Jackie Wilson, My Heart is Crying (Black Ensemble); Donny Hathaway, Twisted Melodies (Congo Square, The Black Rep, Baltimore Center Stage, Mosaic, Apollo [NY, NY]), and many others. TV: South Side, Chicago Med, Chicago PD, KFC, Instant Care, Ace Hardware. Film: Get a Job, Princess Cyd, Breathing Room. Awards: Jeff Award, 4 BTA Awards, 3 Black Excellence Awards, NAMI Award, Court Theater’s 2019/20 Nicholas Rudall Classic Artist Award. Kelvin is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, a Congo Square Ensemble Member, and represented by Paonessa Talent and Michael Moore Agency.
Ron OJ Parson (Director) is a director and actor based in Chicago, Illinois. He hails from Buffalo, New York, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s professional theatre program. He is a resident artist at Chicago’s Court Theatre, a company member at Timeline Theatre, and a former associate artist at Writers Theatre, and Teatro Vista. He is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of The Onyx Theatre Ensemble. He has worked at various theatres in and around Chicago, around the country, and in Canada. Most recently, he directed Hymn at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Some Chicago credits include The Chicago Theatre Company, Victory Gardens, American Blues Theatre, American Theatre Company, Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Dramatists, Court, Black Ensemble Theatre, Congo Square Theatre Company, Northlight Theatre, Urban Theatre Company, City Lit Theatre Theater, ETA Creative Arts, and Writers Theatre Regional credits include Studio Arena Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Repertory, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, American Players Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Geva Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, Roundabout Theatre, Wilshire Theatre, Studio Theatre, Center Stage Baltimore, St. Louis Black Repertory, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Signature Theatre (New York), Kansas City Rep, Portland Stage Company, Paul Robeson Theatre (Buffalo) Ujima Theatre Company, and Indiana Repertory Theatre Among others. In Canada, he directed the world premiere of Palmer Park by Joanna McClelland Glass, A World Premiere at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada. Ron would like to dedicate this production to the memory of Jonathon Wilson. He is a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC. www.ronojparson.net
Alexis J. Roston (Associate Director) was last seen in 50 Years of Northlight Music and Marie and Rosetta. She began her directing path in 2004 with a play she wrote, directed, and performed for her church called Redemptive Power. Years later, with much encouragement from her theatre village, she began assistant directing Theatre for Young Audiences and staged readings. In 2014, after ten years of performing the annual favorite Black Nativity with Congo Square, Roston adapted and directed her own Christmas story, A Nativity Story: More Than A Miracle. Other credits include Defacing Michael Jackson (Flying Elephants Productions, Black Theater Alliance nomination for Best Direction of an Ensemble), Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Mercury Theatre Chicago, Jeff Award for Best Solo Performance), Sunflowered (Northern Sky Theater) and Twisted Melodies (Congo Square Theatre Company for the International Black Theatre Festival). Roston is a proud member of Congo Square Theatre Company and is represented by Paonessa Talent.
Solomon Langley (u/s Donny Hathaway) is from Smithfield, Virginia, and is grateful to be a part of this cast. Regional Credits: Twisted Melodies (Northlight Theatre); Fat Ham and Firework. (Unicorn Theatre); Julius Caesar, The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet (Heart of America Shakespeare Festival); Seven Guitars, The Amen Corner (KC Melting Pot Theater); Choir Boy (Zeider’s American Dream Theater); A Soldier’s Play (The Virginia Arts Festival); The Wiz, The Tempest and A Christmas Carol (Virginia Stage Company); Commercial: US Foods, NFL’s Vet To Vote, Costco, and Chinet. Education: MFA in Acting and Directing at UMKC Conservatory and BA in Drama and Theatre, Norfolk State University.
FACT SHEET
Title: Twisted Melodies
Written by: Kelvin Roston, Jr.
Directed by: Ron OJ Parson
Associate Director: Alexis J. Roston
Cast: Kelvin Roston, Jr. (Donny Hathaway), Solomon Langley (understudy Donny Hathaway)
Creative Team: Ron OJ Parson (director), Alexis J. Roston (associate director), Sotirios Livaditis (set designer), Gregory Graham (costume designer), Jason Lynch (lighting designer), Eric Backus (sound designer), and Katrina Hermann (stage manager).
Dates: Previews begin July 10, 2025
Press Opening: Thursday, July 17, 2025 at 7:30pm
Regular run: July 18 – August 10, 2025
Schedule:
- Tuesdays: 7:30pm (July 15 only)
- Wednesdays: 1:00pm and 7:30pm
- Thursdays: 7:30pm
- Fridays: 7:30pm
- Saturdays: 2:30pm (except July 12) and 7:30pm
- Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:30pm (July 13 and August 3 only)
Accessible Performances:
Relaxed/Sensory-Friendly: Wednesday, July 23 at 7:30pm
Audio Description/Touch Tour: Saturday, August 2 at 2:30pm
Open Captioning: Friday, August 1 at 7:30pm and Saturday, August 2 at 2:30pm
Location: Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie
Tickets:
Previews: $35-$74 before fees
Regular run: $49-$91 before fees
Student tickets are $15, any performance (subject to availability)
Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.
847.673.6300; northlight.org
NOTES OF INTEREST
Kelvin Roston Jr. previously appeared at Northlight in Skeleton Crew and Detroit ’67, both directed by Ron OJ Parson. Kelvin is the writer, music director, and star of the production.
Twisted Melodies has been performed at Congo Square, The Black Rep, Baltimore Center Stage, Mosaic, and New York’s Apollo Theater starring Kelvin Roston Jr. This is Ron OJ Parson’s first time directing the production.
Hathaway’s family continues to be advocates for mental health care. His daughter Donnita Hathaway has started The Donny Hathaway Legacy Project to provide holistic mental and emotional health-related education, advocacy, and essential resources that are culturally relevant and accessible to support creative artists, Black communities, and young people.
2024-2025 Season
Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.
Founded in 1974, the organization has mounted over 240 productions, including more than 45 world premieres. Northlight has earned 230 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 36 Awards, as well as 11 Edgerton Foundation for New Play Awards. As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.
Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions BMO Harris Bank; Bulley & Andrews; Byline Bank; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Eckenhoff Saunders Architects, Inc.; The Field Foundation of Illinois; Full Circle Foundation; Grumman Butkus Associates; Hagerty Consulting; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; John R Halligan Charitable Fund; LionBird; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Mabadi Realty; Mammel Family Foundation; Modestus Bauer Foundation; Northwestern University; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Pritzker Foundation; The Schubert Foundation, Inc.; The Sullivan Family Foundation; The Weatherlow Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners.