Later, McDonald sat down to talk about the highly-anticipated new musical Shuffle Along, and explained the historical significance of the show (it broke many barriers including being first to feature jazz in musicals, feature black actors, and even have black audience members in the orchestra seats). She also talked about what it’s like learning choreography from tap phenomenon  Savion Glover (she swears she’ll have it together by the first preview).

As a bonus, The Tonight Show blessed us with another clip where McDonald recalls some of her tales from backstage while doing Porgy and Bess and 110 In The Shade, which includes dog poop and ladybug tattoos.

Check out the videos below and if you haven’t already, get your Shuffle Along tickets here. Previews start at The Music Box on March 15th, and officially opens April 28th. Trust us, it’s a show you definitely don’t want to miss.

The post Audra McDonald Sings Yahoo! Answers On Jimmy Fallon + Talks Shuffle Along Broadway appeared first on Broadway Black.

Taking a page from NBC after three years of record-breaking musical broadcasts, FOX is hoping to become the second network to reach ratings gold with the live presentation.  The three-hour telecast will feature songs from the 1972 stage production as well as the 1978 film.

FOX has made a few minor changes that may give NBC a run for its money.  Firstly, the event premieres on a Sunday, which may make the broadcast more accessible to families, theater lovers, and most importantly, theater performers.  Over the years, NBC has scheduled their events on Thursday night, which made it difficult for theater performers (a highly supportive and pivotal demographic) to enjoy the event live, since they too are performing at that time.  In addition, FOX announced they would be performing the show in front of a live audience, a missing element critics noted affected the energy in live filmed adaptations of staged shows.

FOX announced in May that Cinderella star KeKe Palmer would be joining the cast as “Marty Maraschino”, one of the infamous Pink Ladies.  Along with Palmer is Disney heartthrob Jordan Fisher as “Doody” and Broadway Black spotted Bring It On alum “Gregory Haney” and a couple of other chocolate drops on Instagram rounding off the ensemble.   Most importantly, for the Motown Philly lover in all of us, Boyz II Men has signed on to play the crooner role of “Teen Angel” collectively, a role made famous by Frankie Avalon.

“Grease: Live” is being staged by brilliant Hamilton director, Thomas Kail.  The full cast includes Julianne Hough as “Sandy”, Aaron Tveit as “Danny Zuko”, Andrew Call as “Sonny”, David Del Rio as “Putzie”, Kether Donohue as “Jan”, Jordan Fisher as “Doody”, Ana Gasteyer as “Principal”, Vanessa Hudgens as “Rizzo”, Carly Rae Jepsen as “Frenchie”, Mario Lopez as “Vince Fontaine”, Carlos PenaVega as “Kenickie”,  and Eve Plumb as “Mrs. Murdock.”

“Grease: Live” will cruise onto FOX Sunday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m.  Will you be watching???

The post “Grease: Live” An Upgraded Musical TV Event? appeared first on Broadway Black.

This documentary reminds us of a time when artists used their platforms for more than endorsements, but spoke up about real issues that plagued their communities. When caring about your community was more important than appealing to the white gaze or worrying about how to be politically correct to maintain their “popularity” , Ruby Dee (A Raisin In The Sun) and Ossie Davis weren’t afraid to speak up and out.

Two years before Ruby passed in 2014, her grandson,  Muta’ Ali Muhammad announced a kickstarter campaign to help produce and release a documentary about his grandparents’ lives, activism, and love.

The press release describes the film;

For more than a half century, audiences have been mesmerized by the love story between Hollywood legends Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee. Now, their grandson Muta’Ali unearths the foundation of this unbreakable bond in the documentary “Life’s Essentials with Ruby Dee,” which premieres on Centric TV Sunday, January 17, 2016 at 3 pm. Through intimate conversations with the award-winning actress, playwright and activist, Muta’Ali not only discovers intimate details about his grandparents’ relationship, but also questions his ability to carry on the very dynasty that gave him life. In the film, the director breaks the wall between himself and his subject to ask heartfelt questions of his grandmother. “How do you stay faithful? And if I can’t see myself doing that, how can I honestly get married knowing that I could eventually break the heart of the woman I love?”

“I can’t say I didn’t do anything to make Ossie unhappy…” Ms. Dee states as she carefully reveals the core commitment made between her and Mr. Davis. Her answer only sparked more questions for Muta’Ali, provoking him to dig deeper into the family archives and the history that chronicles their remarkable journey as trailblazers in the arts community and activists in the Civil Rights Movement. Muta’Ali also shares exclusive video footage, family photos and memorabilia. In addition, a host of celebrity friends like Alan Alda, Angela Bassett, Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, Hill Harper, Samuel Jackson, Spike Lee, S. Epatha Merkerson, Phylicia Rashad, Glynn Turman, Dr. Cornel West, Sonia Sanchez and Malik Yoba share eyewitness accounts of this American legacy.

Check out the trailer for the feature-length documentary below and be sure to check your local listings to catch Life’s Essentials with Ruby Dee this Sunday, January 17, at 3:00 p.m. EST on Centric!

The post Life Essentials with Ruby Dee Documentary To Air On Centric appeared first on Broadway Black.

On the Ryan Gosling hosted December 5th episode, the scarecrow of West Oz (played hilariously by Gosling) gets lost and accidentally runs into the crew of East Oz, including Leslie Jones as  The Wiz, Kenan Thompson as cowardly Lion, Michael Che as Scarecrow No. 1, Jay Pharoah as the Tin Man and Sasheer Zamata as Dorothy. There’s a hilarious bit in which Gosling’s scarecrow starts to dance and Thompson’s lion remarks “East Oz ain’t for you.” The West Oz scarecrow replies, “I didn’t think it would be, but now that I’m here it’s really great. There’s so much color!” As he gets yelled at by the East Oz crew he clarifies. “No, no. I just meant in the world. There’s a lot of heart and soul here. It’s much better than where I’m from.” Nice coverup, because I can’t deny him that. It’s true; The Wiz does have a lot more soul.

I must admit, I am impressed with SNL’s ability to pull this off so quickly. Especially given the Live! telecast aired that Thursday, it seemed the cast had great knowledge of the show. The set was awesome, the costumes were particularly impressive and the impressions, as usual, were spot on (Thompson’s Cowardly Lion had a lip quiver that was A+).

This got me to thinking, though: when is the last time a Broadway Black actor hosted SNL? According to my research it’s been a while; however, I’m holding out hope that one day Leslie Odom Jr. gets to do it. I mean remember his hilarious “Got Milk?” spoof? That’s got to be worth something right?

Check out the SNL clip below. They even end it with a Dab!

The post Saturday Night Live Spoofs The Wiz Live! appeared first on Broadway Black.

The announcement was made by Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Lorenzo Soria, who knew Washington was the perfect choice given his entire film career. “Washington’s long and storied career is earmarked by his countless roles in front and behind the camera,” he says.

The Cecil B. DeMille Award is given annually to a “talented individual for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.” The winner is chosen by the HFPA Board of Directors. Washington will be only the third Black recipient of The Cecil B. DeMille Award in its 63-year history, joining Sidney Poitier in 1982 and his Glory co-star, Morgan Freeman in 2012.

Washington holds the record for most Academy Award nominations for a Black actor with six nominations and two wins, one for Best Supporting Actor in Glory, and one for Best Actor in Training Day.  His win in 2001 for Training Day ended an unconscionable 38-year gap between Black actors winning in the Best Actor category.

In 2010, Washington won the Tony Award for Best Actor In A Play for his role in August Wilson’s Fences alongside Tony Award winner Viola Davis. He was last seen on Broadway in the 2014 revival of A Raisin In The Sun also starring LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Sophie Okonedo, and Anika Noni Rose.

More recently, Denzel has been putting a hand in the directing/producing field. As Broadway Black previously reported, Washington closed a deal with HBO where he will direct and produce film adaptations of the August Wilson cycle, one a year for the next nine years. The first will be Fences which he will star in alongside former co-star Viola Davis.

The 2016 Golden Globes airs live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

The post Denzel Washington To Receive Cecil B. DeMille Award at The Golden Globes appeared first on Broadway Black.

It’s almost as if his 4,000+ performances as Mufasa led to this moment. The episode entitled, “The Son Rises” features White as an actor playing Mufasa in the touring company of  The Lion King who comes to the hospital with a damaging throat infection. But like all good stories, there’s more. The Lion King plot is intermixed with the gripping story of a son who soon has to say goodbye to his father.

Creator and Writer, Michael Seitzman, came up with the idea to incorporate The Lion King cast after seeing the viral video of the cast singing during their layover at La Guardia airport.  After all, actors are humans. Seitzman became intrigued with exposing the human nature behind a show that on the surface is about animals, and the potential magical experience this company could bring to “Code Black.”

Bring. On. The. Tears.

“They Live in You,” the song sung by The Lion King cast on “Code Black,” is seemingly written from the contents of White’s heart. Much like the father-son plot, White had to say goodbye to his father while he was on tour as Mufasa in his hometown of Cincinnati, OH. He notes, “Death is very much a part of the human experience—the acceptance and how we deal with the transition.” This theme carries throughout the episode, and while heavy, White says this experience has shaped his vision for his future.

I thought “They Live in You” was a tear jerker merely listening to The Lion King cast album. But it gets better! Imagine soulful voices belting in the midst of a crisis. Imagine a cast coming together to console their castmate who fears he may never be able to sing again and a child in the middle of grief. If you aren’t going to take our word for it, take Seitzman’s. On the heartwarming performances, he said: 

It was breathtaking. Their voices were breathtaking. The whole room fell apart. It was amazing.

White originated the role of Mufasa on the first national tour of  The Lion King and in the Las Vegas production. He eventually portrayed Mufasa on Broadway. We hope this episode isn’t the last time we see him on camera!

The post The Lion King Brings Heart And Soul To CBS’s Code Black appeared first on Broadway Black.

We are less than TWO WEEKS away from the musical television event of the SEASON and, of course, you know Broadway Black has all the breaking news right here!

In case you’ve been living under a rock, NBC released two new promos for The Wiz Live! last week featuring a wizardly Queen Latifah and a deliciously wicked Mary J. Blige.

Now, obviously, we’re all anticipating the performances, but can we talk for a second about these COSTUMES?!?!  The whole time Evilene was screaming about water, all I could focus on was Paul Tazewell’s brilliantly glimmering headpiece and fascinatingly wired corset.  Even in the promo shots, I was dazed by the monochromatic stylings given to each one of Oz’s mythical characters.  I’m always mesmerized by the details.  Ok…back to business!

In the new television commercial, we get to hear a clip of Evilene belting the gospel show-stopper “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News,” proving to the naysayers that R&B diva Blige is definitely ready to take on this iconic Broadway role.  The Queen herself (Latifah that is) brings her familiar regality to the role of the Wizard as she advises the bewildered foursome on how to proceed.

“There was no other name talked about,” director Kenny Leon professed at the Wiz Live! press event.  “Queen Latifah was the only choice for ‘The Wiz.'”

Broadway Black attended the press event last week and chatted with the cast and creative team about costumes, casting and choreography.

“We’ve incorporated the Nae Nae, we’re hitting the Quan, every current dance out today we’re using it,” touted choreographer, Fatima Robinson.

While I’m not sure George Faison would have approved of the “Nae Nae” in his original works, I just remind myself that Robinson was the soulful choreographer behind the Oscar-nominated film adaptation of “Dreamgirls” and (most of) my faith is restored.

So, get your tickets to the Broadway Black Exclusive #TheWizLive Watch Party  on Dec. 3, and we can all see what happens together!

In the words of the newest Dorothy, Shanice Williams, “You ain’t ready for it.”

The post NBC Releases New Promos as The Wiz Live! Prepares for Premiere appeared first on Broadway Black.

The genius behind “Mr. Burr, sir,” made his first late night appearance Monday night on the NBC talk show.  There has been chatter that the Carnegie Mellon graduate is a shoo-in for a Tony nomination for his fascinating portrayal of an “80-year-old white guy.”

One of the audience’s favorite numbers is Odom’s show-stopping, banjo-fueled, vaudeville-styled “The Room Where It Happens.”  When Meyers asked if this solo number was his favorite moment of the night, Odom simply replied, “God, no.”

“What’s your favorite moment,” Meyers countered.  “The end,” Odom responded casually.  “It’s such a  formidable task ahead of us each night doing this show.  Lin really laid down the gauntlet with this show. One of the things that’s so exciting about it is that it asks everything of you every single night and so that number… I never know if I’m gonna survive, if I’m gonna make it through. So when we reach the end, it’s a miracle.”

The musical about America’s Founding Fathers portrayed predominantly by a cast of color to the tune of hip hop and r&b is successfully breaking records across the board, leaving fans and critics wondering, why does it work?

“I think it’s because there’s a part of the audience that the whole time they’re kind of marveling at the fact that it works too,” Odom said with a chuckle.  “It’s something that shouldn’t work. The genius is in the incongruence.”

The sold out for YEARS Hamilton has already garnered dozens of celebrity visitors including Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey and President Obama.  (The night I was there I walked by Barbara Streisand *SQUEAL*).  A couple of Odom’s favorites?  Broadway royalty Joel Grey and Liza Minelli.

“Liza shows up in a cloud of medicinal marijuana smoke, which only makes her cooler in my book,” Odom quipped with a smirk.  “And I thanked her and Joel and she asks me ‘Well, have you ever seen me live?’ and I said ‘No’ and she said ‘Well then, you still have something to look forward to.’ …. GANGSTA!  Liza is straight GANGSTA!”

I saw the show last week and to say that Odom’s performance was brilliant is an understatement.  His approach is ingeniously subtle, and his skill is mesmerizing.  You may have to sell your first born, but get tickets to see his amazing performance in Hamilton as soon as you can!

The post Leslie Odom Jr. Visits Late Night with Seth Meyers appeared first on Broadway Black.

In less than three weeks, we will be able to relish the glory of this production. The cast is like the Broadway Black version of The Avengers, bringing together our favorite veterans to give life to the revamped 2015 version of The Wiz. Shanice Williams leads us through the streets of Oz as “Dorothy”, Queen Latifah serves as the powerful, yet powerless legend: “The Wiz”, Mary J. Blige is “Evillene” (The Wicked Witch of the West), David Alan Grier searches for courage as the “Cowardly Lion”, Uzo Aduba is “Glinda”, Amber Riley is “Addaperle”, Stephanie Mills joins the company as “Auntie Em”, Elijah Kelley finally gets his brain as the “Scarecrow”, Common is the “Bouncer”, and Ne-Yo gets loose as the “Tin Man”. In the midst of so many talented stars, it’s no surprise that creativity produced magic. Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, music producer Harvey Mason, Jr., and music director Stephen Oremus, co-wrote a new song that will be featured in the show.

My concerns are abated; this production is going to be fantastic. Will you be watching?

The post The Wiz Live! Debuts a New Commerical! appeared first on Broadway Black.

If you didn’t catch the special last Sunday on CBS, fret not. The whole episode is featured on the website here, including clips that didn’t make it into the actual show, such as a tour of the set and the making of the cast recording. Here are just a few of the highlights:

• 60 Minutes filmed the entire cast recording, Lin-Manuel was doing re-writes on the spot and Leslie Odom Jr. was the standout amongst his peers singing every song full-out as if he were actual on the Public Theater stage.
• Leslie Odom Jr. and other cast members, most of whom are Black or Latino, tell Rose why they’re so passionate about the project. Miranda has “made these dead white guys make sense to a bunch of, you know, Black and brown people,” Odom, Jr. says. “He’s made them make sense in the context of our time, with our music.”
• Miranda worked on the show for SIX YEARS, as it originally was supposed to be a mixtape.
• It took him a year to completely write “My Shot.” His reasoning: “because every couplet needed to be the best couplet I ever wrote. That’s how seriously I was taking it.”
• When it came to deciding that Hamilton would be a Hip Hop musical, Lin-Manuel agreed it was the only genre that could match the actual writings of Alexander Hamilton because  “it has more words per measure than any other musical genre. It has rhythm and it has density. And if Hamilton had anything in his writings, it was this density.”
• When he was asked to come to the White House to perform something from In The Heights, Lin-Manuel took a risk and sang “Alexander Hamilton” instead for the first time in front of the First Family. While people in the room originally were laughing at the concept of a Hip Hop Hamilton, by the end they were “completely sucked into the story.”

Special productions like this are dangerous and exciting at the same time. Dangerous because now I am willing to give away organs to see this show again. Exciting because Hamilton has done something amazing for Broadway that gets to be shared with the world. The musical has already succeeded expectations financially, it’s offering amazing opportunities for low-income youth to be able to take part, it blends two seemingly different music genres together seamlessly, it makes history fun and engaging, and its cast is richly diverse and talented. I don’t think Hamilton can go anywhere but up. If you haven’t seen or haven’t planned to put “See Hamilton” on your bucket list, I highly recommend you do so.

Also watch the bonus footage below on CBS website for 60 Minutes HERE

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