John Marshall HS alumni produce gospel comedy musical 'Hypocrite' (2024)

Three friends from John Marshall High School’s Class of 1979 are bringing an original gospel comedy to the Richmond stage.

Written and directed by Richmond native Glennis Crosby, “Hypocrite the Musical” explores a failing church that has lost sight of its true purpose to save souls and the unexpected street folks who become the real saviors.

“It’s a funny show filled with music, but it still drives the point home that the people we try to keep out might be the people that save the churches,” said Crosby, 63. “It’s the person that we look down on or the person who we don’t expect anything out of that can actually help us in life.”

Crosby wrote the musical eight years ago after seeing homeless people sleeping in tents outside of a church in Washington, D.C.

“I’m a church girl born and raised in Richmond and I’ve just always been concerned about people that don’t have a great flight in life. It always bothers me,” said Crosby, who is also a foster care provider. “It’s a thought about what we can do to change the world, and it should start with the church if we really are being true to what we say we’re true to.”

The cast features local talent as well as national talent like “American Idol” season 20 contestant Tyler Allen.

Rap artist, podcaster, actress and Crosby’s daughter Imani Crosby plays the role of Ms. Lucy, a no-nonsense elder in the church who isn’t too keen on change.

“Ms. Lucy is the one of the old ladies, and she’s very mean in the church. She’s been at the church for 60 years, and she doesn’t want any of the children to, you know, sing or dance or have fun. But it’s comedy, so she’s very comedic.”

It’s Crosby’s dream to produce a play that hopefully one day will make it to Broadway. But she didn’t do it alone. She needed the help of her former classmates from John Marshall.

The production has been a joint effort with many leading roles held by Crosby’s classmates and John Marshall High School alumni.

“Glennis has always been visionary in many ways and everything that she’s done has been a success. When I saw that she and her daughter were really doing everything that had to be done, I said, ‘Hey, let’s put a team together and see what we can do to lighten the load,’” said executive producer Michael Strayhorn, Class of ‘79.

The play’s executive team also includes school alum and executive producer Michael Williams, Class of ‘79; marketing expert Brian Robertson, Class of ‘78; and attorney Melody Forrester, Class of ‘81.

“It just became this recurring thing that John Marshall produced all these people and these different avenues that could come together and support this project. And all of them were needed in totally separate ways,” Crosby added.

Strayhorn says the feel-good message is broader than just church.

“It’s a broad message that can go to everyone,” Strayhorn said. “This one happens to be based in the church, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be your questions about your family, a company, questions about school, questions about relationships. You’ll want to dance, you’ll want to laugh, you want to clap and when you leave, you feel good.”

“Hypocrite the Musical” sold out at the Dominion Energy Center in April, and Crosby says the production includes many interactive elements that make audiences reflect on how they view topics like homelessness and prostitution. The cast and crew hope audiences walk away with an open heart and less judgmental of others.

“The message is truly about God and how miracles can happen to anybody. The person that you least expect could be the one to change your life. So it’s important not to judge others and to just have an open heart for everybody,” Imani Crosby said.