“The Sweet Potato Queens” Musical Makes its World Premiere in Houston

Perhaps you're familiar with The Sweet Potato Queens series of books by Jill Conner Browne. They tell the story of a woman and her closest friends and how they learn to grab life by the horns.

Well, the books have now been turned into a musical that last week (March 17, 2016) made its world premiere in Houston at the Hobby Center's Zilkha Hall.

Bringing the books to life took a collaboration between three accomplished musicians: Rupert Holmes, the man behind The Piña Colada Song, Sharon Vaughn, who wrote Willie Nelson's hit My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, and Melissa Manchester, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter whose hits include Don't Cry Out Loud.

Houston Public Media's St. John Flynn sat down with all three to talk about the production – and to find out exactly what is a sweet potato queen.

The Sweet Potato Queens runs through Sunday (March 27, 2016).

(Above: A performance of The Sweet Potato Queens Musical. Photo: Christian Brown via TUTS Underground)

MORE: The Sweet Potato Queens Musical — Extended Interview (Houston Public Media, March 21, 2016)