Pauline Adamek
Based on the spicy memoir Glow, written by Rick James in collaboration with David Ritz, and Memoirs of a Super Freak, also written by Rick James, Super Freak: The Rick James Story the stage musical is coming to The Pantages Theatre in Hollywood for four nights only in June.
Standing 5’11” with his iconic braids and leather-clad body, Rick’s flamboyant and unruly stage persona takes center stage. Super Freak: The Rick James Story brings Rick James’ turbulent life to the stage, creating a musical extravaganza that immerses the audience in a vibrant and sensual showcase of his popular 1980s hit songs such as “Give It to Me Baby,” “Mary Jane,” and “Super Freak.”
Recreating the gritty streets of Buffalo, the stage is set for the arrival of the King of Punk Funk, Mr. Rick James. Beyond the glittering facade, the musical explores the layers of Rick’s internal struggles and insane lifestyle filled sex, drugs, and music. Super Freak: The Rick James Story captures the essence of a musical icon, leaving audiences with an unforgettable experience and the resounding declaration, “He’s Rick James, B***h!”
The late singer and funk music pioneer Rick James collaborated with acclaimed music biographer David Ritz in their posthumously published, no-holds-barred memoir of a rock star’s life and soul, Glow.
James was the nephew of Temptations singer Melvin Franklin; a boy who watched and listened, mesmerized from underneath cocktail tables at the shows of Etta James and Miles Davis. He was a vagrant hippie who wandered to Toronto, where he ended up playing with Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, and he became a household name in the 1980s with his hit song “Super Freak.” Later in life, he was a bad boy who got caught up in drug smuggling and ended up in prison. But since his passing in August 2004, Rick James has remained a legendary icon whose name is nearly synonymous with funk music—and who popularized the genre, creating a lasting influence on pop artists from Prince to Jay-Z to Snoop Dogg, among countless others.
In Glow, Rick James and acclaimed music biographer David Ritz collaborated to write a no-holds-barred memoir about the boy and the man who became a music superstar in America’s disco age. The vivid memoir tells of James’s upbringing and how his mother introduced him to musical geniuses of the time. And it also reveals details on many universally revered artists, from Marvin Gaye and Prince to Nash, Teena Marie, and Berry Gordy.
James himself said, “My journey has taken me through hell and back. It’s all in my music—the parties, the pain, the oversized ego, the insane obsessions.” But despite his bad boy behavior, James was a tremendous talent and a unique, unforgettable human being. His “glow” was an overriding quality that one of his mentors saw in him—and one that will stay with this legendary figure who left an indelible mark on American popular music.
Super Freak: The Rick James Story
Pantages Theatre
6233 Hollywood Boulevard , Los Angeles, California 90028
Thursday June 6, 2024 – 7:30 PM
Friday June 7, 2024 – 8:00 PM
Saturday June 8, 2024 – 3:00 PM
Saturday June 8, 2024 – 8:00 PM
