Kisha Grandy, David Mann and Tamela Mann were each lead singers in the Gospel ensemble Kirk Franklin & The Family.
Madea was not supposed to be the star of the show. She was only supposed to be on stage for a total of 5 minutes. When Kelly Price didn't show up, Tyler Perry had to say her lines and Madea's lines. At the end of the show, Tyler came out and apologized for promoting Kelly so heavy and her not showing up. The audience gave him a standing ovation and started chanting "We don't care! We don't care!"
Premiered in Chicago, Illinois at the Avalon Regal Theatre on September 28, 1999...
The irony with the play being Madea's first appearance is that the characters "Vianne" and "Anthony" later appeared in Madea's last movie "A Madea Family Funeral"
After the 1999 run, Madea became more wilder in the show instead of just a sitting grandma. Often mentioning weed smoking and threatening to shoot her own granddaughter (Maylee). This was toned down for the 2002 DVD version for Tyler Perry's younger audience. But still maintaining alot of the early material.