Gospel Singer Headlines Disneyland Resorts First ‘Celebrate Soulfully’ Event
Executives behind Disney theme parks are doing its job to ensure they contribute to diversifying programming for its attendees. The happiest place on Earth recently held its first-ever Celebrate Soulfully event, featuring music, food, and art in honor of Black culture. Gospel singer Kierra Sheard, and star of the Lifetime biopic on The Clark Sisters, headlined the event.
Kierra Sheard headlines Celebrate Soulfully
Disneyland Resorts’ first-ever Celebrate Soulfully event treated guests to experience Black excellence and culture through various forms of entertainment. Sheard was the musical headliner, but attendees also watched a performance by Gospel group Sacred Groove.
Attendees were also treated to performances from Island Reggae, Del Atkins and the LYFE Band, Midnight Hour, Philly Phonics, Forward Motion, StandardMel & Friends, Urban Music Society and LALA Brass.
BOSSIP reports that attractions included artwork from Black creatives, including chalk muralist Marcella Swett, Bee Harris, Bianca Pastel, Arrington Porter and Cory Van Lew, and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder-themed art displays inspired by Penny Proud and her family.
The attraction that featured the most traffic was Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney district. Diners enjoyed New Orleans inspired creole cuisine with Louisiana crawfish spring rolls, NOLA BBQ shrimp & grits, and sweet peach tea.
The Gospel singer recently starred in her second Lifetime film
Outside of music, Sheard is branching out into acting. She recently starred in the Lifetime drama thriller, Line Sisters. The film centers on a Black sorority and its members. Sheard co-starred in the film with former Destiny’s Child member LeToya Luckett, RHOA star Drew Sidora, and Empire star Ta’Rhonda Jones. In the movie, four 30-something-year-old sorority sisters attending a “Black Greek” beach weekend that turns sour when they fall victim to a few pranks. A dark secret from their past and their involvement in the scandal resurfaces.
Luckett stars as the no-nonsense, professional Valerie, Sheard is the sweet, trusting, and faith-filled friend Cassandra. While Sidora plays the friend who is full of fun and frolic as Dominique, and Jones is the tough and confrontational friend as Simona. Sheard was most excited to work with three other successful and positive Black women.
“We have such good chemistry,” Sheard told Shadow and Act in an interview about her role in the film. “I think that was, even more, special and the bond that we just share. So for me, it was a whole other experience which I was super grateful to have the experience to be in this movie, but it was a whole other joy that I just gave and just a value from just working with these powerful women.”
She previously broke records starring in a movie about her famous family
Line Sisters isn’t Sheard’s first film. She starred in a biopic about her mother and aunts who make up the iconic gospel group, The Clark Sisters. The movie, First Ladies of Gospel, was shot in Canada and follows the rise of the quintet from their start in their family church choir under the direction of their mother – Dr. Mattie Moss Clark.
Sheard starred as her mother, Karen Clark Sheard. The film broke Lifetime records, becoming the highest-rated premiere in several years.
