It had been a long time coming, said Candace Long, President of Quadra Entertainment and Vice Chair/Comm unications for the Atlanta chapter of Women in Film and Television Inter national. The Writer and Producer is referring to her musical, “A Time to Dance,” scheduled for a two week en gagement at Georgia Tech’s Ferst Center.

“I wrote the original script 15 years ago, but until I had lived through great sorrows, and had the full experience of motherhood, I was not able to tap into the depth of this story,” Long said. “Now that I have Francine Reed to flesh out the part of the lead character, it’s all come together.”

A vocalist skilled in R&B, gospel, jazz, and blues, Reed was born in Chicago but her solo career didn’t take off until she moved to Georgia in the 90s. Along her career, Reed has appeared with Willie Nelson, Miles Davis, Smokey Robinson, Etta James, and the Crusaders. She is currently on the road with Lyle Lovett.

The musical will be directed by Filmmaker Elaine Smith and will feature choreography by Waverly Lucas, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Ballet hnic Dance Company. Shay Bentley-Griffin is the Casting Director and will represent the project in Los Angeles’ film and television community.