Mama, I Want to Sing! (film)

Mama, I Want to Sing! is a 1992 American gospel musical film directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman and based on the off-Broadway musical of the same name. The film stars Lynn Whitfield, Ciara (in her film debut credited as Ciara Harris), Hill Harper, Patti LaBelle, and Tisha Campbell-Martin. The story follows Doris Winter (Ciara/Lynn Whitfield) as she grows up singing in her church choir and eventually struggles to balance her burgeoning career as a secular singer with her mother's (Patti LaBelle) deeply held religious beliefs. The film explores themes of family, faith, ambition, and the challenges of navigating the entertainment industry. It features a soundtrack of gospel and contemporary R&B songs. While the stage musical was a long-running success, the film received mixed reviews.