'Lorraine' tells the story of historic motel through 1960’s music, depiction of civil rights movement

The history of the Lorraine Motel, located in downtown Memphis, holds a monumental space in America’s history for a tragic reason.

The two-floor facility, formerly known as Marquette Hotel, was a haven for African-American travelers, civil rights leaders, and celebrities before Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of the hotel in 1968.

The significance of the Green Book Motel prior to King’s assassination is now the focus of the stage play “Lorraine.” The musical production will run four shows this weekend at the Riverside EpiCenter in Austell, Ga.