‘Saturday Church’ Musical to Release Concept Album With Sia and Honey Dijon

 

‘Saturday Church’ Musical to Release Concept Album With Sia and Honey Dijon

In advance of its world-premiere production at New York Theatre Workshop, Saturday Church—a new stage musical infused with gospel, house, and pop—arrives with a concept album featuring original cast members and music by pop icon Sia and Grammy Award-winning producer Honey Dijon.

The album, released digitally today by Joy Machine Records, includes contributions from Jason Michael Webb, Luke Solomon, and Chris Penny, with executive production by Tim Levy and Cindy Tolan. A vinyl edition will be available August 27, coinciding with the show’s first performance at NYTW.

“Alongside our collaborators, we’re thrilled to share the tracks that helped shape Saturday Church as it came to life,” Sia and Honey Dijon said in a joint statement. “We can’t wait for the world to hear what this incredible group of musical and theatrical artists has created together.”

Directed by Whitney White, a Tony Award nominee for Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, the production features a book and additional lyrics by Damon Cardasis (She Came to Me) and Pulitzer Prize winner James Ijames (Fat Ham). Based on Cardasis’s 2017 film of the same name, the musical tells the story of Ulysses, a Harlem teen navigating faith, family, and queer identity who discovers a sanctuary in the underground world of “Saturday Church.”

The score spans gospel transcendence and the pulse of New York’s house scene, with music supervision and orchestrations by Jason Michael Webb (MJ the Musical) and Luke Solomon (Beyoncé’s Renaissance), and choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie (Fat Ham).

The album showcases performances by Tony winners J. Harrison Ghee (Some Like It Hot) and Joaquina Kalukango (Paradise Square), along with Bryson Battle, a 2025 contender on NBC’s The Voice, and vocalist Ayana Jackson. A bonus track features Grammy nominee Durand Bernarr.

Highlights include “House on Fire,” sung by Battle, “Let It Go Kid,” performed by Ghee, and “Sunday,” a soaring duet for Kalukango and Jackson. Extended club versions of several tracks also appear on the album.

The NYTW cast includes Ghee, Kalukango, Battle, and an ensemble of theater and dance artists, among them Anania, Primo Thee Ballerino, Veyonce Deleon, and Kristolyn Lloyd.

With scenic design by David Zinn, costumes by Qween Jean, lighting by Adam Honoré, and sound by Gareth Owen, Saturday Church brings together a creative team that bridges Broadway, nightlife, and the recording studio. Music direction is by Deah Love Harriott, with hair and wigs by Darius Thomas and intimacy direction by Kelsey Rainwater.

Performances begin August 27 at New York Theatre Workshop (79 East 4th Street).

The concept album is available now on streaming platforms and for purchase at joymachinerecords.com.

More information on the production can be found at nytw.org and saturdaychurchmusical.com.