Sweet Mama Stringbean: The Life & Times of Ethel Waters-Raleigh

Dive into the unforgettable story of Ethel Waters and her rise to fame in this lively, in-person experience.

“Sweet Mama Stringbean” written by Val Limar, is a one-woman musical celebration of Blues woman, Ethel Waters portrayed by Phyllis Morrison.

Waters was a 'Super Star' during the depression-era. As a Broadway star and an Academy Award nominee, she could 'shake her thang' and make audiences shake with pleasure. Share her musical story in this play that received a commendation from the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

Join us for this unforgettable musical theatre experience with familiar and passionate songs of the jazz age highlighted in this musical. This is a dramatic story of Ethel Waters' rise to fame. Born in poverty, Ethel was one of the greatest artists of her generation. She was the first Black woman to sing on the radio, the first to headline a show at New York's Palace Theatre and the first to star in a dramatic play on Broadway. In her later years, Waters was nominated for two Academy Awards, before traveling as a soloist, with the Billy Graham Crusade.

This is a musical theatre experience, with fourteen of Ethel Waters’ signature songs, including Stormy Weather, St. Louis Blues; My Handy Man; My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More; Shake That Thing; Am I Blue and ending with the Gospel classic, His Eye is on the Sparrow.