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A World-Premiere Musical

Hippest Trip—The Soul Train Musical

Book by Dominique Morisseau
Music Supervision, Orchestrations, & Arrangements by Kenny Seymour
Choreographed by Camille A. Brown

Directed by Kamilah Forbes

Aug 27–Oct 8, 2023

TONI REMBE THEATER

2 hours and 35 minutes, including one intermission

This production includes occasional profanity, and references to s**cide and physical abuse. This production also explores themes of labor exploitation and racism in the American entertainment industry.

Hippest Trip—The Soul Train Musical

Aug 27–Oct 8, 2023

“A high-energy, utterly exuberant journey...this will be a hit on Broadway”

SFist

“The singing and dancing have locomotive power”

San Francisco Chronicle

“A joyous celebration of all things funky”

SF Gate

“An explosively kinetic world premiere”

Bay Area News Group

“A powerhouse of a musical: vividly colorful, with spectacular dancing, thrilling performances, and lots and lots of incredible music...a glorious ride”

Talkin' Broadway

“Explodes with energy and joy…a thoroughly entertaining experience full of sparkle and dazzle”

Theater Dogs

“A dazzling spectacle and a story worth telling”

Local News Matters

“The dancers are the real stars...mesmerizing”

SF Gate

“A dizzying, glittering display of color and motion”

Local News Matters

“My family turned on Soul Train every week expecting nothing less than a house party . . . we got that, and a whole lot more.”

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Executive Producer, Soul Train

Just added! Standing Dancing Room Only seats in all remaining performances.

Standing Room Only seats are available at the rear of the orchestra on both sides of the house. Each spot has a tall stool available for your use. SRO ticket holders may be moved forward to empty theater seats if availability allows. SRO seats are $75 at all performances.

The wait is finally over! Get ready for “the hippest trip in America” with the world premiere of Hippest Trip – The Soul Train Musical, the Broadway-bound musical based on the iconic TV show that brought Black music, dance, and style into every living room in America. Journey back to 1971’s Chicago, when Black entrepreneur and radio DJ Don Cornelius transformed the pop culture landscape by recognizing the lack of Black musical artists on television. Within a year, his local dance show went national and became one of the longest-running shows in television history. Elegant, determined, and complicated, Cornelius set trends for nearly 40 years by giving a stage—and a camera—to the artists who created the soundtrack of multiple generations, and to the dancers, including Rosie Perez and Jody Watley, who became superstars.

The acclaimed creative team of Hippest Trip includes Tony Award–nominated playwright and MacArthur Genius Dominique Morisseau (Broadway’s Ain’t Too Proud; The Detroit Project), three-time Tony Award–nominated and Obie Award–winning choreographer Camille A. Brown (A.C.T.’s Toni Stone; Broadway’s for colored girls...), and the Apollo Theater’s acclaimed executive director Kamilah Forbes. Don’t miss this world-premiere musical event that will have you dancing in the aisles and leave you with “love, peace, and soul” in your heart. 

“I am so excited to help bring the narrative of one of our culture’s most influential and legend-making endeavors to the stage. Having grown up on this series and being immersed in the culture around it, I never knew what it took to make it the iconic staple that it is. Through the socio-political challenges both internally and externally, Don Cornelius’s uncompromised vision, and the revolutionary dance culture that the show made visible to the mainstream, there are a million handprints on what we know as Soul Train. I cannot wait to partner with this legendary creative team of incredible women to celebrate the history and the unsung heroes of our nation’s longest running televised music and dance series.

—Playwright Dominique Morisseau

Hear what makes this show special from the creative team

All titles, schedules, and artists are subject to change. No refunds. Tickets are for personal use and not for resale.

COVID-19 Safety Policy
American Conservatory Theater is happy to welcome you to our home. Our COVID-19 policy is in accordance with guidelines provided by the State of California and City of San Francisco. At this time this means that masking is encouraged but not required. It also means that vaccination checks are no longer required to see a performance. These policies will be updated if city guidelines change.

Production Photos

Cast

Terence Archie

Ensemble

Angela Birchett

Delores Cornelius

Unissa Cruse

Swing

Quentin Earl Darrington

Don Cornelius

Kayla Davion

Jody Watley

Sidney DuPont

Tony Cornelius

Jennifer Marie Frazier

Ensemble

McKenzie Frye

Ensemble

Cameron Hah

Cheryl Song / Ensemble

Amber Iman

Pam Brown

Rich James

Tyrone Proctor / Ensemble

Jaquez

Jeffrey Daniel

Justin Jorrell

Ensemble

Jahi Kearse

Ensemble

Alain "Hurrikane" Lauture

Don Campbellock / Ensemble

Alora Tonielle Martinez

Ensemble

Miki Michelle

Ensemble

Mayte Natalio

Rosie Perez / Ensemble

Amanda Le Nguyen

Swing

Aché Richardson

Ensemble

Roukijah “NutellaK” Rooks

Ensemble

SeQuoiia

Ensemble

Charlene "Chi-Chi" Smith

Damita Jo Freeman / Ensemble

Aya Travick-Best

Swing

Maleek Washington

Ensemble

Creatives

Jason Sherwood

Scenic Design

Dede Ayite

Costume Design

Jen Schriever

Lighting Design

Jonathan Deans

Sound Design

Aaron Rhyne

Projection Design

Mia Neal

Wig Design

Jimmy Keys

Music Curator

Zane Mark

Dance Music Arranger

Sean Kana

Music Director

X Casting / Victor Vazquez, CSA

Casting

Matthew Johnson Harris

Associate Director

Adesola Osakalumi

Associate Choreographer and Dance Consultant

Rickey Tripp

Associate Choreographer

Stage Management

Kevin Bertolacci

Production Stage Manager

Shannon Hammons

Assistant Stage Manager

Wesley Apfel

Assistant Stage Manager