Lauren Jade
By Hazel Scott/ASU
Get ready folks for a soulful journey with “The Midnight Train,” an unforgettable tribute to the legendary Gladys Knight, starring the electrifying Lauren Jade, an esteemed alumna (2011) of ASU’s Theatre Arts Department.
Knight is a seven-time Grammy award winner and one of the all-time greats in R&B. Her chart-topping group, Gladys Knight & the Pips, is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The ASU live performance is Sunday, November 24, at 6 p.m. in the Leila Barlow Theatre, 845 S. Jackson Street. The show is a spectacular kick off to the 100th Turkey Day Classic centennial festivities.
“I have performed this show when I was working on cruise ships, and I have taken the show from the cruise ships to Mexico where I have a performance residency in Puerto Vallarta. I thought it would be a great idea to take it to Alabama State where I got my foundation in singing, performing and acting. So, that’s how it all started and how it (“The Midnight Train”) got to ASU,” Jade said.
“The Midnight Train: A Tribute to Gladys Knight” will offer a deeply personal performance by Jade, who will weave her own experience of love and heartbreak into a narrative of self-healing and self-love. Through her rendition of Knight’s timeless hits, Jade will share a heartfelt journey of transformation, showcasing how love and loss have shaped her path to self-discovery and empowerment.
“I’m telling my journey through Gladys Knight’s music. The show is about my experience, falling in love for the first time. And Glady Knight’s songs—we all know her music and know the great artistry behind those words…it’s all about love, heartbreak, self-discovery, and finding true love, and I think everyone in the audience has once in their lifetime experienced at least one or all of those things. I want people to reflect on their own lives as I tell mine,” Jade said.
Accompanied by three ASU Theatre Arts alumni as the Pips (La’Darreun Taylor, Michale McDonald and Darrell “Ejay” Morgan), Jada honors the legacy of the “Empress of Soul” with some of her most iconic hits, including “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “If I Were Your Woman,” “Neither One of Us” and “Friendship Train.”
“Music like Gladys Knight’s and so many others will always be remembered for generations and generations,” she added. “The music is timeless.”
The Montgomery native, who is now a celebrated artist in Charlotte, North Carolina, got her first taste for the stage as a young performer in pivotal roles in ASU’s TAPS and 3T camps under the direction of Dr. Tommie “Tonea” Stewart, the former dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and an acclaimed movie and television actress.
Jade said her motto for 2024 is to give back, especially to current ASU students, by providing students in the theatre program hands-on experience.
“I want to give them the best chance possible so they can carry those tools to internships and grad school. I want them to know that they do have support outside of the four walls,” Jade remarked.
Jade said she wants to give back to each entity that she was part of while she attended Alabama State University.
“In 2025, I plan to give back to the Mighty Marching Hornets. I was a Stingette from 2006 to 2008. So, they will be up next year,” she said.
Don’t miss this extraordinary tribute to one of music’s greatest voices. Grab your tickets and join ASU for a night filled with timeless hits and soulful magic.
Tickets for the “The Midnight Train” are $40 each and can be purchased at the ASU Box Office at 334-229-6929.
For more information on the Turkey Day Classic Week Celebration, call 334-604-8186.
Special Offer: To celebrate this special event, ASU is offering a chance to win complimentary tickets. Be sure to follow ASU’s social media channels for contest details and an opportunity to win free tickets to the show.
Media: Media representatives are invited to cover this exciting event. For press passes, interviews and additional information, please contact the University’s director of Media Relations at 334-229-4104.