Laugh to Keep from Crying is a 2009 American stage play created, produced, written and directed by Tyler Perry. The show first opened in the fall of 2009. The play is set at an inner-city building in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. It stars Cheryl Pepsii Riley as Carol, Palmer Williams Jr. as Floyd and Chandra Currelley-Young as Belinda. The live performance released on DVD on August 30, 2011 was recorded live in Atlanta at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in July 2010.
Plot The story revolves around a small group of people living in an inner-city building in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. Carol (Cheryl Pepsii Riley) is a single mother raising two teenagers: Tony (Donny Sykes), who is studious and participates in gospel choir; and Lisa (Tamar Davis), who is rebellious and refuses to attend church. She works long hours during the day, and is best friends with Belinda (Chandra Currelley-Young), their neighbor across the hall. Carol and Belinda disapprove of Niecey (D'Atra Hicks), their upstairs neighbor who is a prostitute. Peter (Wess Morgan) and Anna (Stephanie Ferrett) are a white couple who have moved into the building to save money while Peter attends law school. Anna's recently widowed mother, Jane (Rachel Richards) visits. Floyd (Palmer Williams Jr.) is the superintendent. Carol meets a police officer named Donnie (Anthony Dalton) then Niecy's pimp Eddie (Celestin Cornielle), who is bad to everybody involved.
Tour Dates +Fall 2009 Date City VenueOctober 6, 2009DaytonSchuster Performing Arts CenterOctober 7, 2009ColumbusVeterans Memorial AuditoriumOctober 8, 2009SalisburyWicomico Youth and Civic CenterOctober 9, 2009HamptonHampton ColiseumOctober 10, 2009October 13, 2009Washington, D.C.Warner TheatreOctober 14, 2009October 15, 2009October 16, 2009October 17, 2009October 18, 2009October 20, 2009AikenUSC Aiken Convocation CenterOctober 21, 2009AlbanyAlbany Civic CenterOctober 22, 2009ColumbusColumbus Civic CenterOctober 24, 2009PhiladelphiaLiacouras CenterOctober 25, 2009October 27, 2009BaltimoreMorgan State UniversityOctober 28, 2009October 29, 2009October 30, 2009October 31, 2009November 1, 2009November 3, 2009SyracuseLandmark TheatreNovember 5, 2009RichmondLandmark TheatreNovember 6, 2009November 7, 2009PittsburghPetersen Events CenterNovember 8, 2009CincinnatiAronoff Center for the ArtsNovember 10, 2009South BendMorris Performing Arts CenterNovember 11, 2009PeoriaPeoria Civic CenterNovember 12, 2009RockfordCoronado TheatreNovember 13, 2009MilwaukeeMilwaukee TheatreNovember 14, 2009November 15, 2009LouisvilleLouisville PalaceNovember 17, 2009Grand RapidsDeVos Performance HallNovember 18, 2009East LansingWharton Center for Performing ArtsNovember 19, 2009ChicagoArie Crown TheaterNovember 20, 2009November 21, 2009November 22, 2009November 24, 2009DetroitMusic Hall Center for the Performing ArtsNovember 25, 2009November 26, 2009November 27, 2009November 28, 2009November 29, 2009
+DVD Taping - Summer 2010 Date City VenueJuly 13, 2010AtlantaCobb Energy Performing Arts CentreJuly 14, 2010
Cast Chandra Currelley-Young as Belinda Cheryl Pepsii Riley as Carol Palmer Williams Jr. as Floyd D'Atra Hicks as Niecy Donny Sykes as Tony Tamar Davis as Lisa Stephanie Ferrett as Anna Chris Cauley as Peter Wess Morgan (Taped Version) Rachel Richards as Jane Theo Williamson as Donnie Anthony Dalton (Taped Version) Greg Stewart as Eddie Celestin Cornielle (Taped Version)
The Band
Ronnie Garrett - Musical Director & Bass Guitar Derek Scott - Guitar Marcus Williams - Drums Michael Burton - Saxophone & Keyboards Natalie Ragins - Keyboards & Organ Lindsay Fields - Background Vocals Latayvia Cherry - Background Vocals Jeffrey Lewis - Background Vocals Zuri Craig - Background Vocals Crystal "Chrissy" Collins - Background Vocals
Musical numbers All songs written and/or produced by Tyler Perry and Elvin D. Ross. "Wake Up Everybody" – Company "We Can Work It Out" – Floyd & Niecy "You Gave Me Hope" – Peter "Lord, I Give It All to You" – Carol "Church Medley" "I Will Trust in the Lord" – Carol "We've Come This Far By Faith" – Tony "He Will Fix It" – Belinda & Niecy "I Better Get All My Rent" – Floyd "Laugh to Keep from Crying" – Belinda "Ooh Child" – Company "I Need Thee" – Tony "No More (I Wanna Be Redeemed)" – Niecy "I'm Sorry, So Sorry" – Lisa "Block Party Medley" "Shame" – Belinda "Square Biz" – Anna "Best of My Love" – Niecy "I'll Take You There" – Jane "Outstanding" – Peter "Ain't Nobody" – Carol "I Like" – Tony "I Want You Back" – Lisa
External links