If anyone is looking for the perfect model on how to extend a brand and remain relevant, they need look no further than actress and on-air personality Lala Anthony. The former MTV VJ and current actress, author, and cosmetic and clothing line entrepreneur has added Broadway producer to her résumé.
Anthony recently joined the producing team of the upcoming Broadway production of Eclipsed – the war drama written by playwright and “The Walking Dead” and “All Eyez on Me” actress Danai Gurira that stars Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o.
The play’s successful Off-Broadway run had celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, and Common singing its praises and apparently Anthony was impressed, as well.
I am honored to champion and be actively involved in a production with such social and cultural merit and courageous storytelling.
— LA LA (@lala) January 21, 2016
The play, set in 2003 near the end of the civil war in Liberia, is about the survival and resilience of a group of women who are captives of rebels fighting the government. Nyong’o, who made her screen debut in “12 Years a Slave,” stars in the role of the “Girl,” the youngest of four captive wives of a rebel commander.
In addition to Nyong’o, the cast also features several Broadway performers, including Saycon Sengbloh (Hair, The Color Purple and Wicked), as well as Pascale Armand (The Trip to Bountiful), Akosua Busia (Mule Bone), and Zainab Jah (In Darfur).
Eclipsed is directed by Liesl Tommy, who staged the play’s premiere at the Woolly Mammoth Theater in Washington in 2009.
Since getting her start on MTV’s Total Request Live, Anthony has spread her wings and built a solid career in acting and business. She’s currently appearing in the Starz original drama series, “Power”, starring Omari Hardwick and Naturi Naughton. Her other acting credits include “Think Like a Man,” “Think Like a Man, Too”, “Baggage Claim”, and “Two Can Play That Game.” Anthony also has starred in her own reality series “Lala’s Full-Court Life” on VH1. Eclipsed isn’t her first foray into producing as she was a producer on Mike Tyson’s critically acclaimed documentary, “Tyson.”
Previews of Eclipsed begin February 23, 2016, with an official opening March 6, 2016 at the John Golden Theatre.
