Tyler Perry influenced you in some way?
Tyler Perry came on the scene and I saw how he controlled his own destiny. It’s great to be young, gifted, and black. But you have to own it and if you don’t own your property you may get nothing. I was concentrating on making the movie. This pre Brokeback Mountain, so, it was very hard to bring this subject dealing with bisexuality, family and religion to the big screen. Then when Brokeback Mountain opened up the doors it became a little easier. Right before then Tyler Perry had made all of his money doing plays. I realized that I could still get the message of the book through (to the audience) but if we had people singing and dancing on the stage the message would be a little easier [to deliver]. So, I stopped pursuing the movie. It is also very difficult to find a writer who can adapt a story. People brought their own drama. A lot of people were too close to the character because of their sexuality. Another writer didn’t believe in God. And this is a story about family, friendship, God and love. It is an American love story. So, I decided to do a musical.
How did Motown legends Ashford and Simpson come onboard?
I thought who would be the best writers to tell the story. It was Ashford and Simpson. I wrote a book that was good enough to attract Nick and Val. They wrote incredible music right away. I didn’t know them but I knew someone who did. He was the person I was looking to bring on to direct the musical, George Faison. He was very good friends with them. So, he made that introduction. I realized that the book that I wrote was not as great as the music. And when you are doing a musical it should be even. So, I reached out to someone who was a better writer than me who came from August Wilson’s camp. I know my weaknesses; I look for strengths in other people. You need a team, especially when it comes to the arts and theater. In any business it’s about great teamwork.
Why did it take six years to bring this musical to the stage?
I brought in an angel investor and I got with Tracey Edmonds to do the movie. When Lynn passed his family decided to challenge my ownership of the intellectual property rights. In America you can take someone to court for just about anything. In Hollywood when you are in any kind of litigation, everybody abandons you. They have other things to do and litigation can take awhile. This one took three years. I lost my financial backer. I had to pay a lawyer which cost a lot of money. I had pawn and sell (items) to fight for my rights. I went into a mental depression. I went into a deep hole. I knew I had to preserver. I prayed a lot. I found inspiration on the internet. You have to stick to it. So, days you aren’t going to have the strength and you are going to want to sleep. So, sleep. Wake up and deal with it, live with it. I had a acting coach who would always say when you are struggling, stay in the fight; smell it, feel, live it. Because you will come out of it and then you will know you can pick yourself up and move on. I never lost sight.
How were you able to find an investor for the musical?
When you have an angel investor or investors, the project is very important but people invest in you because they believe in you. I found someone who believed me and in E. Lynn Harris. I knew of him. How we met was we literally bumped into each other at an Alvin Ailey Dance opening gala. I have eighteen books. This is a brand that has the potential to make millions of dollars. Lynn’s biggest fan base (70%) was black women. Straight black women bought Lynn’s book. In 1995 when Invisible Life came out he talked about the “down low.†His booked exposed what their men were doing behind their back [gay or bisexual men pretending to be straight]. Lynn wrote about the Atlanta housewives, those women, eight or nine years ago in his books. But to be a New York Time’s Bestselling Author it is not just one group or one race it is a whole diversity of people are fans of Lynn’s book. He has a huge following in other countries. I have people as far as Japan who are interested in Lynn’s work. It could be a worldwide brand.
Is the goal to run his other books into plays or musicals?
The goal is to turn them into films. I have invisible life the movie that is ready to go. Another one of his other books “I Say A Little Prayer†is a movie script that ready to go. But my goal with Invisible Life The Musical is that after the Apollo is to do a limited tour for a year and come back to the Apollo next year to put up a full production and then take it to Broadway.  There has never been a musical or a play that has gone from the Apollo Theater to the Broadway stage. I would like to be the first person to do that.