Created to celebrate and create space for the talent and range of Black Women on Broadway over the decades. From Eartha Kitt in Timbuktu, to Montego Glover in All the Natalie Portmans, the Instagram page acts as an archival tribute to the work and dedication to the black women that have come before and an inspiration for those whose names we don’t know yet. However, the founding women have so much more in store and hope to “blossom into an organization rooted in community, access & education, mentorship, and scholarship.”

Black women, specifically these three Black women, have showed up and out for this platform, Broadway Black, time and time again. Now, is the time to show up and out for them. All are welcome to attend this event! Register NOW!

The all-day virtual conference set to run from 12 pm-9:30 pm ET, consists of panels on producing, money, meditation and movement, and mastering the self-tape. This virtual conference is jam-packed with valuables, from one of Broadway’s only leading Black producers, Alia Jones-Harvey, to the main event, scheduled for 6:30-8 pm, with six-time Tony Award winner, Audra Mcdonald, and Tony always Award winner Lillias White.

In an interview with Playbill about the new platform, why they started it, and who influences them Black Women on Broadway co-founder Danielle Brooks had this to say:

“Danielle Brooks: I am beyond proud of the Black theatre community, from The Antonyo Awards to Black Theatre United. We are creating our own opportunities and are no longer waiting for someone to give us a seat at the table. We know our worth and are unafraid to demand and create what we deserve for ourselves. And to our future Black artists, continue to work hard, honor those who came before you, and don’t wait for anyone to bring your dreams to light. You ignite that flame. Align yourself with people that share your vision, and make it happen.”

Read the entire interview HERE but only after you register HERE

For more updates follow Black Women on Broadway here and make sure you are registered and tuned in from 12 pm-9:30 pm on Monday, June 29^th.

The post Amber Iman, Danielle Brooks, & Jocelyn Bioh are Black Women on Broadway! Register Now! appeared first on Broadway Black.

Courtney B. Vance

In 1987, August Wilson’s biggest hit, Fences opened on Broadway starring Courtney B. Vance as Cory Maxson. At 27 years old Courtney was receiving his first of three tony nominations alongside James Earl Jones leading the ship as Troy Maxson. After his turn as Cory, Courtney’s career exploded. He began working in the same year on the film, Hamburger Hill and has been consistently working in stage, film, and television ever since.

Hugh Quarshie

In 1989, Hugh Quarshie starred in the first production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in the UK. Then Quarshie was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company but his performance as Levee launched him into stardom on the British stage and screen. Since then Hugh has appeared on Doctor Who, Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace, and last took lead the RSC’s Othello.

Laurence Fishburne

In the beginning of his career, Larry Fishburne (his name at the time), was a stage actor that split some time with the screen when he could. In 1988, Laurence starred in Spike Lee’s School Daze and followed it with the 1991 classic Boyz N the Hood but in 1992 his life changed. Laurence opened the original Broadway company of Two Trains Running as Sterling and won the tony for Best Featured Actor in a play. In the same year, He won his first Emmy and the rest is history.

Ruben Santiago Hudson

To many, Ruben Santiago Hudson is known as one of the greatest black directors of all time with greats like George C. Wolfe and Kenny Leon. But Ruben’s first rendezvous with August Wilson’s work was as Canewell in the original Broadway cast of Seven Guitars starring Viola Davis and Keith David. He won the tony in 1996 for Best Featured Actor has not looked back since. Now he’s considered an expert on the Pittsburgh cycle and continues to spread August Wilson’s legacy across the country.

Samuel L. Jackson

Sam’s big break came a little later but without his work, we would not know two of August Wilson’s best pieces. Samuel L. Jackson developed and starred in the first productions of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson and Two Trains running at Yale Repertory Theatre. He was unable to continue with the projects because he’d developed an addiction to alcohol but after years of rehabilitation and steady work, Samuel L. Jackson became the highest grossing movie star we know him to be today.

Viola Davis

There are few actors to this day that know August Wilson’s work as intimately or fiercely as Viola Davis. Davis’ Broadway debut was in Seven Guitars in 1996 with Ruben Santiago Hudson. In 2001, the Juilliard grad won her first tony playing Tonya in Wilson’s King Hedley II alongside Brian Stokes Mitchell. Nine years later, she became the second black woman to win the tony for Best Actress in a play for her work as Rose Maxson in the 2010 revival of Fences starring Denzel Washington. Then in 2017, Viola won an Oscar for her work as Rose in the film adaptation of Fences. It is hard to find more ways to clearly show that Viola is the greatest of all time, and a true student of August Wilson’s work.

The post 6 Actors that got their “Big Break” doing August Wilson shows appeared first on Broadway Black.

Larry Owens and L Morgan Lee as Madame Thenardier

Without the Thenardiers, Les Miz is a close to 3-hour opera about death that does not give the audience a break. The Thenardiers are the perfect comedic relief and I could not think of two other performers with the timing and presence required to deliver these characters. Owens and Lee proved to be magic together in Michael R. Jackson’s Pullitzer Prize winning, A Strange Loop. The two have incredible chemistry that would only lend itself to the characters.

Christian Dante White as Marius

From My Fair Lady to the streets of the revolution, there isn’t a dreamier voice that could bring Marius to life. Christian Dante White is unquestionably the leading man Broadway deserves. On top his soaring voice this man ACTS for his life in shows like The Scottsboro Boys and Hello Dolly!, he has more than shown his ability to tell any story you put in front of him.  

Okieriete Onaodowan as Enjorlas

From revolution to the next! Enjorlas is the heartbeat of this show’s revolution and Oak has proven to be exactly that as the original Hercules Mulligan in Hamilton. Played by fellow Hamilton alums, Kyle Scatliffe and Wallace Smith in Les Misérables’ last revival, it seems fitting for Onadowan to take on the barricade. Oak’s charm and swagger seem like the perfect fit for the leader of the resistance.

Norm Lewis as Javert

Norm Lewis is THE definitive Javert. There’s no other voice we’d want to hear sing ‘Stars’ eight shows a week. In the first moments of the show, Norm steps onstage and demands the attention of an entire audience and that is the mark of a true artist. He made history as the first Black Javert on Broadway and I’d love to bring him back for another round.

Christiani Pitts as Eponine

Eponine is one of the most complex character in the show, navigating a tumultuous childhood and into this rebellious adulthood, she has learned to protect herself and those she loves. Christiani Pitts had this incredible quality in both King Kong and A Bronx Tale that lends itself to Eponine. Pitts has this air of determination and eagerness to follow her heart fiercely that Eponine absolutely needs.

Amber Iman as Fantine

There are some artists that can convey exactly what a character is feeling in a SECOND, and Amber Iman is one of the golden examples of that. Amber’s voice is like a bed of honey scented roses coated in the blood of Jesus! There is no way her “I dreamed a dream” wouldn’t have you sitting in a puddle of tears!

Denee Benton as Cosette

Benton made her Broadway debut as Natasha in Dave Malloy’s ‘Great Comet’ and has been serving every bit of ingenue the kids deserve! Cosette has the same breath of youth as Natasha but leans toward Eliza in Hamilton when it comes to her chase of love that Denee beautifully portrays. The thought of Denee, Christian, and Christiani singing “A Heart Full of Love” brings nothing but Joy to my heart.

Quentin Earl Darrington as Jean Valjean

Bring Him…to Broadway! There’s no other performer quite like Quentin Earl Darrington. After his whirlwind performance as Coalhouse in the 2009 Ragtime revival, Broadway was made aware of the powerhouse he is. Quentin has this ability to quiet an audience with a sharp inhale and keep them on the edge of their seats through curtain call. Quentin’s heart shines through every piece he does and is the perfect match for Valjean’s act 2 ballad, “Bring Him Home” Need Pro

Let us know how you feel about our casting picks!

The post Dreamcasting: Les Miserables Edition appeared first on Broadway Black.

In one of her most recent Instagram posts, Brittany recounts some of the aggressions she has encountered while working in some of Broadway’s favorite shows.

“I almost didn’t write this because, like so many of the Black artistic voices you AREN’T hearing from right now, I was and still am afraid of being put on some kind of blacklist. (Interesting turn of phrase isn’t it?) because I’m speaking out about my experience. But the only way for change to happen is if we first highlight the problems and accept that they are indeed problems.”

Labeling these instances from 1-10, Brittney begins diving into her experiences through her career. #1, she brings up a time where she was repeatedly called the name of the other Black woman in the space so frequently that it became a joke amongst the creative team and company. #2, she describes a scenario that feels almost as old as the profession itself – being asked to “add sass”, to be “more urban”, or add “some attitude” when her white colleagues would be given playable directions in their auditions.

#3 is being told she was too old to audition for a role then hearing from another older white colleague that they had been given an appointment for the same role. #4, casting asked if she was going do anything to her hair? There was nothing wrong with it, it just wasn’t straight. #5, getting to the final round of auditions for a show and not being cast because they had met their “diversity quota” and already had their token Black actor.

#6 recounts being on her second contract with a show and having to do 3 rounds of put ins before she was approved to play a role she’d already been hired to cover. The traditional schedule is 3 – 4 weeks of rehearsal and ONE put in before an actor is approved to perform in front of a live audience.

“Seven. listening to white colleagues complain about casting only looking for ethnic people to play certain roles because ethnic is in right now.”

She goes on to describe instances where she was the only Black woman in an audition room and the director did not even look at her during the audition. A tale all of us actors can probably tell a version of.

#9 and #10 especially capture the disregard and disrespect she faces as a Black women in this industry.

“9. Being asked not to talk about my achievements in an interview, because it would highlight racist practices.

 10. Making Broadway history and it not even being acknowledged by my company or community, even though they knew it was happening. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, the first time I made Broadway history was in 2015. I am the first and only black woman to have played Eponine and Fantine in Les Miserables on Broadway, and the only woman to ever play both roles on the same day. I don’t say this to brag or to say that I deserve more notoriety or front page spread on Playbill. But I am saying that I’ve seen much less exciting things celebrated for much less melanated people. often.”

Brittney ends with a call to action for the Broadway community. To look within and see if they see themselves in her experiences and if so, make an active effort not to be racist.

The post Wicked’s Brittney Johnson Speaks Out About Racism on Broadway appeared first on Broadway Black.

She begins recounting a night of drinks with a friend where they discussed their experiences with tokenism in theatre.

“I breezily made a joke about being the token Black performer time and time again. When my younger Black friend told me that she’d never had that experience — she had performed in productions with plenty of brown faces — I quickly fired back, taking a drag from my imaginary cigarette, “Well, I’ve made a career out of being a token. I paved the way for you, so you didn’t have to be one!” While made in jest, it is a statement that has stayed with me in the almost five years since.”

Asmeret goes on to talk about her upbringing in Pittsburgh and how she had found ways to make being the token work in her favor. How during competitions everyone knew who the Ghebremichael sisters were because of their talent and because they were the only Black people there. When it came to pageants, Asmeret’s Blackness, matched with her charm, became a way to put judges at ease and turn their relief into wins.

“I could effortlessly manipulate the judges to ask me what it was like to be the only Black contestant. I would reply with charm, ease and humor that I considered being the token an advantage; that I naturally pulled focus and grabbed your attention. I was turning something uncomfortable for those I was speaking to into something palatable, darling and even funny.”

In the coming years, that skill of finesse had become second nature. So much so that she hit a point of investigating whether she really believed what she was saying. Being the firstborn child of African immigrants from Eritrea, there was an underlying need to succeed, excel, and be accepted in the most nonthreatening way you can.

She then talks about the show she put on before patrons entered the theatre and the overture began. Becoming accustomed to being the sole Black person in a cast and codeswitching as easily as she breathed. Being in rooms where creatives would use the N-word in a casual manner whilst her peers would assure her these aggressions had no ill intent attached to them. Asmeret recounts the constant aggressions people of color encounter with their white counterparts attempting to prove to you they are “down”. “To measure your Blackness in relation to their own affinity for our culture. To measure your Blackness in your musical tastes, their own skin compared to yours or even the size of your butt then laughing these things off with words along the lines of, ‘you’re a white black person’ or ‘you’re the whitest black person I know’ ”.

Asmeret makes the point that during these months of isolation while live performing theatre is on pause, there’s no longer a reason to be complacent in the mistreatment of Black artists and the aggressions we face in rooms every day.

“A creative team member saying ‘I believe in diversity. I made this supporting role Black, and look at my ensemble!’ is akin to saying ‘I’m not racist! I have Black friends!’ On Broadway and elsewhere, the issue goes so much deeper than populating the stage with color. It comes down to a need for the creative teams, the producing teams and the general managers to represent the diversity that is now being so overly celebrated on stage, even as it remains lacking. Because if the same people tell the stories, the same stories will be told, and these experiences will continue.”

She then dives into the community (or lack thereof) behind the table when it comes to Black and Brown artists on a creative team. “The feeling of walking into a room and simply seeing someone that looks like you. Having someone in the room that somehow mirrors you and can understand your point of view a little is an immediate release for artists. Because now there is someone who has had to work just as tirelessly as you must be in that room, to get to that photoshoot, to get to that opening night. ” She speaks on the real conversations Black actors will have – discussing if they will go to an audition or not because the director of that project “does not cast black people”. And the decisions some actors make to not go, and the rest that walk into that room ready to bare their souls but knowing that battle is already lost.

Ghebremichael then implores directors, choreographers, producers, composers, playwrights, designers to take this “break” time we have been given to pivot. To investigate their circles and find ways incorporate Black voices in the conversations we have with audiences. Encouraging these creative teams to take their same creative spirits and find ways to combat the institutionalized racism happening on the great white way.

Black artists are hurting and taking this time to heal. This fight is on those in power for once like Ntozake Shange says in ‘For Colored Girls...’ “One thing I don’t need is any more apologies. I got sorry greetin’ me at my front door, you can keep yours.”

Ghebremichael leaves us with “Another one of my go-to one-liners happens when someone, usually White, asks a Black colleague and me how we know each other. I always respond, “Oh, just from being Black on Broadway.” It’s a joke, but it’s not funny anymore.”

The post Asmeret Ghebremichael Speaks on Tokenism, Microaggressions, and Charges Broadway to make a Change appeared first on Broadway Black.

Cooper begins explaining that playing Hans was the first time he had played a role that had nothing to do with him being black. It was the first time he had booked a role without the novelty of him being attached to it in some way.

“So much did I not expect to get this part that when I got the callback, I rolled my eyes and didn’t take the actual callback seriously. I mean, there was a zero percent chance that Disney would ever let me play a Prince, especially when the dude in the movie is a ginger.”

Cooper goes on to speak about how this casting changed everything he’d previously thought possible for his career. As a biracial man he speaks about never feeling inwardly white or black but always existing as Cooper. He then goes on to speak on aggressions he’d endured in high school from being called “blackie” by his then best friend to being told he was “the whitest person they ever knew/saw” because of how he acted.

“So, imagine getting paid good money to put on that 10,000 dollar costume and waltzing out to 4,000 people a day to play a really amazing part.” He talks about the value in a role like Hans, a character that gets to sing one of the most beloved songs in the show, “Love is an Open Door” and have an interesting arc of transition by the show’s climax without his race ever being mentioned. He was being valued as Cooper for his talent as an actor and not the skin he is in.

Howell credits the show’s original director, Tony Nominee and Director of the upcoming ‘Respect’ Biopic, Liesl Tommy for making sure the people of color in that cast felt like equals to their white counterparts. The cast embraced the idea that Arendelle is a fictional kingdom and can look however they want it to because it is not real. Liesl encouraged this group to be artists. Tommy encouraged them to dig deeper in their text, to ask questions, and discover things for themselves. Though the experience was as magical as a Disney park it takes place in, it wasn’t without its downfalls in the beginning.

Howell recounts cast members from another show in the park saying “If that black girl can play Princess Elsa then I should be able to play Princess Tiana” referring to actress Tiana Okoye (The Cher Show, Summer: A Donna Summer Musical). Then looking to Howell to affirm their comments as if he wasn’t also playing a role that’s not traditionally white as well.

“On Liesl’s final night I came up to her and said “ I don’t now why you did it but thank you so much for casting ME in this part” to which she replied “You mean why would I cast a handsome, talented, person in this role?” And I stuttered something like “well, I mean, I’m black. You know…” to which she tilted her head to her side and said “No. I don’t know why. Tell me why that matters.” And I had no idea how to answer. Seeing that I had no answer, she smiled. That was the answer, there was no reason. On the spot, my outlook about myself changed. Windows into what I thought was possible for me opened.”

Howell then goes into the hell portion of his post. This is where Roger Castellano is introduced as maintenance director and begins to introduce these aggressions in a position of power. On his first day, Roger informed the cast his task was to change the show. They were not told how it was to be changed but that changes were on the way. This cast of sixty that had just spent three months working on this text as if it was shakespearean and was now being told all their work had to be changed. Initially it was met with discomfort from the cast, but it was clear that the period of collaboration was over. Changes in the show were made without explanation or care so naturally, the cast began to push back. Management met that with removing days from their schedules or even replacing actors completely. Their safe space had just become lawless and anyone could go at any moment. Howell notes that this is when hell broke loose within the show.

In Cooper’s first note sessions with Castellano and co-star, Domonique Paton (Les Miserables) they were told their performances together were “Too…Urban”. (The section they were being noted on is the “Mental Synchronization” bit in “Love is an Open Door” that they’d been given freedom to improvise in the show, see here.) Cooper begins to expand upon the other language Roger had failed to use in the situation to express effectively that Howell and Paton could have been too comfortable with each other onstage. But all that was said was “When the two of you perform the together it’s too… urban” and when asked what he meant Castellano responded “You can figure that out. You’re smart.” With a shrug and a smile.

From that point, Cooper and Domonique became labeled as black Hans and Black Anna.

Cooper noticed that all his shows with other actresses were note-free or met with little resistance until he performed with Domonique and copious notes began to funnel in. The notes became so tedious that it developed into a game onstage to guess how many notes they had accrued at any given moment in the show. None of their other counterparts had been bombarded like this though there were instances of having someone completely change a character’s intentions in a scene or adding unnecessary moments to the show.

The next topic of notes was Howell’s penis. Cooper calls them the “penis sessions” in the sessions he was told to not make “it” (his penis) so apparent and that if “my daughter were younger I wouldn’t want her to come to a show you were performing at” which was only made more unprofessional because his daughter was cast member in the show that Cooper considers to be lovely and a friend of his.

There he started demanding Cooper purchased his own dance belt (Which is a responsibility of the costume department. The department had not been notified of the issue because these meetings would take place without the presence of stage management). After Cooper stood up for himself these “penis sessions” would happen in public. One of these sessions took place in the cast green room during lunch in which he screamed about he was “Tired of seeing my dick and that if I didn’t go buy myself one (a dance belt) then I didn’t deserve to be there anymore.”

During the time, Howell reached out to the Human Resources Department and was met with silence for months after repeated attempts at contact. Cast members encouraged his efforts but out of fear of losing their jobs remained silent. He was eventually told that there would be an investigation into the incident, and he would receive a phone call when it was completed.

Cooper never received a phone call.

With no protection from stage management about the sexual harassment and racial targeting of Cooper and others, he began to think about quitting. During a show, a white stage manager made a mistake and laughed it off to the cast with a lynching joke. After that moment, Cooper quit and his departure from the show casual to say the least.  

“My departure was unceremonious. Bizarre. 100% un-magical. I hung up my costume one last time and it was given to a new Hans, one who looked very much like me oddly, and stepped out of the theater. The park was playing “Every wish your heart desires will come to you” and I remember laughing at how dead that song felt.”

Cooper Howell, we hear you. We see you. And know you are not alone.

The post Cooper Howell speaks out about racism at Frozen: Live at Hyperion appeared first on Broadway Black.