According to Ray Review – A Tribute to the Incomparable Ray Charles

Directed and curated by artistic and music director Rachael Worby, ACCORDING TO RAY begins the 2025 MUSE/IQUE season with a bang. The 2025 season plans to “Make Some Noise: Music and Stories of American Defiance and Hope.” And does so with no holds barred as ACCORDING TO RAY documents the career of a blind, Black musician born in poverty in 1930 who rises through the force of his will and his talents to national and international stardom in the music world. Often referred to by his peers as “The Genius,” Ray Charles was such a man.

Rachael Worby, Brandon Victor Dixon, and the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra – Photo by Haoyuan Ren courtesy of MUSE/IQUE

Born in Albany, Georgia, during the great depression of the 1930s, Ray was forever grateful to Wylie Pitman, owner of the local Red Wing Cafe, who took him under his wing when Ray was only three years old, introduced him to boogie woogie, and taught him to play the piano. Ray was struck blind, likely due to glaucoma, at the tender age of seven, when his poor but tough and resourceful mom managed to get him admitted to the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, where he remained until he was 14 years old – developing his immense musical skills in the process. Those talents were honed with his introduction to Braille – even though he had to learn to play with one hand while “reading” the notes with his other – and then do the same for the other hand, eventually combining the two-step process into beautiful music. Happily for Ray’s career plans, a primary influence on his musical growth was Nat King Cole – and Ray’s similarity to Cole’s popular sound kept him working when he relocated to Seattle. Eventually, Ray would settle in Los Angeles, which became his permanent home.

DC6 Singers Collective – Photo by Haoyuan Ren courtesy of MUSE/IQUE

Ray was known for his formidable ability to take in almost every type of music (including blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel, country and western, and even classical) and then combine them into new and innovative forms. He pioneered soul music in the 1950s and later crossed over into County and Western with his hit, “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” A life-long friendship with Quincy Jones led to some very memorable music by the talented duo. Georgia, the first of his #1 hits, was even adopted as the State’s song. This is a man revered by the music world, a man who reshaped every style of music he touched. In 1986, he was one of the first musicians inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, received numerous Grammys, including the Lifetime Achievement award in 1987, and was given the Presidential Medal of the Arts in 1993. And then there is Ray Charles’ album, A Message from the People,” with his incomparable rendition of Hoagie Carmichael’s “America the Beautiful.”

Brandon Victor Dixon and the DC6 Singers Collective – Photo by Haoyuan Ren courtesy of MUSE/IQUE

In association with the Center Theatre Group, MUSE/IQUE’s presentation was rousing, exciting and inspiring. To quote Rachael Worby, “When artists and thinkers make loud choices and take bold stances, they teach us that nothing is impossible.” ACCORDING TO RAY certainly proved her point – and then some. With the large professional on-stage orchestra, the impressive vocal talents of Brandon Victor Dixon, and the added contributions of the remarkable DC6 Singers Collective (a Los Angeles-based ensemble of dynamic and energetic a cappella, gospel, and Motown Singers) to provide extra zip and zing through voice and body movement, ACCORDING TO RAY is a memorable production and a must-see for all music lovers. The run is short – but unforgettable. MUSE/IQUE has a number of other exciting Los Angeles presentations planned in 2025, each with Rachael Worby’s unique planning, narration, and orchestral direction with music by professional musicians woven seamlessly into the tales. And don’t forget those surprise “guests” in each production as an added bonus.

The MUSE/IQUE Orchestra – Photo by Haoyuan Ren courtesy of MUSE/IQUE

ACCORDING TO RAY: RAY CHARLES’S MESSAGE TO AMERICA runs for four performances only – 7:30 p.m. on 3/21/25; 2:30 p.m. on 3/22; and 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on 3/23/25. The Mark Taper Forum is located in the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012. MUSE/IQUE membership begins at $225 and MUSE-IQUE members receive complimentary admission to all MUSE-IQUE events; admission for non-members starts with a trial membership of $100, which include three consecutive performances. For information and reservations, go online.