The musical stars Deborah Cox (Aida) with a book by Ellen Weston and Mark Hampton, music by Stephen Dorff, lyrics by John Bettis, based on a story by Kenneth Waissman, and directed and choreographed by Joey McKneely.

The musical is described on the Asolo Rep Theatre website as;

Romance, intrigue and plenty of excitement will fill the stage next spring when Asolo Rep presents the world-premiere of Josephine, the original new musical bound for Broadway following its Sarasota run. The entrancing Josephine Baker was beautiful, ambitious, and the toast of Europe at the height of her fame in the 1920s-30s. Born into poverty in St. Louis, she rose to become an icon of the Jazz Age, captivating Paris audiences as a dancer, singer, actress and the twentieth-century’s first international black female sex symbol. Directed and choreographed by Tony nominated Joey McKneely and starring Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling recording artist Deborah Cox, this dazzling new musical revolves around Baker’s stint as the star of the Folies-Bergere in Paris from 1939-45, her scandalous affair with Swedish Crown Prince Gustav IV, and her service in the French Resistance during World War II.

The show will run from April 27 until May 29 at Asolo Rep Theatre’s Mertz Theatre (5555 N. Tamiami Tr.  Sarasota, FL  34243). Tickets are now available for purchase here.

The post New Musical Josephine Starring Deborah Cox Approaches World Premiere in Florida appeared first on Broadway Black.

I’ve been given the opportunity by the August Wilson estate, he did 10 plays—I’m directing, producing and acting in one, and I’m executive producing the other nine. I made a deal with HBO. We’re going to do one a year for the next nine years.

Fences is the sixth play in Wilson’s provocative and avant garde ten play spread known as The Century Cycle, which explores African American life beginning in the 1900’s and ending in the 1990’s. This play is set in 1950’s Pittsburgh. It is the story of Troy Maxson, ‘a restless trash-collector and former baseball athlete struggling to provide for his family’. The film adaptation will be directed, produced by and will also star Washington along with Emmy and Tony award winning actress Viola Davis. Washington and Davis are reprising their roles from the 2010 Broadway revival of the play.  Fences was not a part of the HBO deal and is instead slated to be filmed by Paramount with producer Scott Rudin. In 1987, Paramount Pictures bought the rights to Fences, but the project floundered because Wilson had the absolute foresight to insist that the project should have a Black director. Understandably, Paramount did not move forward with the adaptation without Wilson’s approval.

Kushner has an impressive list of successes that include most notably the seven hour, 2 part play Angels in America that explored AIDS and homosexuality in 1980’s New York. The play was later adapted into a powerful mini series by HBO. Additionally, Kushner and Rudin have worked together previously on several other projects.

Certainly, it’s exciting that the adaptation of Fences seems to finally be moving forward but the question that is becoming less of a thought and more of a roar, is at what point will African Americans be granted the full opportunity to participate in the telling of their own stories? While I am not throwing shade at the accomplishments of Kushner, isn’t this a prime opportunity for an African American screenwriter to have the opportunity to participate at the very highest level of the creative process on a play that is truly beloved by many Black theatre aficionados? Surely there is no doubt that with the plethora of smoking hot Black playwrights who are turning Broadway and the silver screen  on its previously lily white ear, we could have found one, two an entire TEAM of writers who could fully embrace the magic of the venerable August Wilson?

Simply put, there must be more. And it begins by boldly throwing open the doors and saying welcome at every level of the production process. I will be happy to see Fences reach a broader audience. I am thrilled that Washington has been entrusted with this wonderful opportunity and that the amazing Viola Davis is again a part of the cast, but I can’t lie I just AIN’T satisfied and won’t be satisfied until I see our reflection peeking out from every aspect of Broadway and Hollywood; particularly when it comes to OUR stories. It’s progress, but still we must press on.

The post Tony Kushner Joins Denzel Washington For Fences Film Adaptation appeared first on Broadway Black.

Back in October Broadway Black reported that John Legend and T.I were developing music for the new musical, The Spongebob Musical and now it’s found it’s cast.

The SpongeBob Musical cast will star Ethan Slater as SpongeBob SquarePants, Gavin Lee as Squidward,  Nick Blaemire as Plankton,  Lilli Cooper as Sandy Cheeks, Carlos Lopez as Mr. Krabs,and  Danny Skinner as Patrick. The Spongebob Musical is co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau (Head Of Passes), book by Kyle Jarrow, orchestrations, arrangements & music supervision by Tom Kitt with choreography by Christopher Gattelli.

In addition to Legend and T.I, Grammy Award winning gospel singer Yolanda Adams is attached to have new music for the project as well.

A legendary roster of Grammy Award winners. A visionary director and Tony Award®-winning design team. One of the world’s most beloved and unforgettable characters. Turn them all loose on Broadway and what do you get?

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL!

Acclaimed Steppenwolf director Tina Landau and the groundbreaking designers behind Fun Home, Hedwig, and Spring Awakening have brilliantly reimagined Bikini Bottom for the Broadway stage, bringing the spirit of SpongeBob to life with humanity, heart, and pure theatricality. With an original score from some of the biggest names in pop and rock, THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL explodes with energy.

Stakes are higher than ever before as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage.Get ready to dive to all-new depths of theatrical innovation at THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL, where the power of optimism really can save the world!

The SpongeBob Musical will begin performances on Tuesday, June 7 at Broadway In Chicago’s Oriental Theatre (24 West Randolph Street, Chicago, IL). This is a limited engagement through Sunday, July 3, 2016. Are ya ready kids?

The post Lilli Cooper And More Set For The Spongebob Musical in Chicago appeared first on Broadway Black.

Jada wrote a tweet following the announcement stating, “At the Oscars…people of color are always welcomed to give out awards…even entertain, but we are rarely recognized for our artistic accomplishments. Should people of color refrain from participating all together? People can only treat us in the way in which we allow. With much respect in the midst of deep disappointment.” She followed the tweet later with a video of her expressing this disappointment and calling all Black entertainers to boycott the show.

Spike Lee certainly agreed with her in his own instagram post and a Hamilton quote;

#OscarsSoWhite… Again. I Would Like To Thank President Cheryl Boone Isaacs And The Board Of Governors Of The Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences For Awarding Me an Honorary Oscar This Past November. I Am Most Appreciative. However My Wife, Mrs. Tonya Lewis Lee And I Will Not Be Attending The Oscar Ceremony This Coming February. We Cannot Support It And Mean No Disrespect To My Friends, Host Chris Rock and Producer Reggie Hudlin, President Isaacs And The Academy. But, How Is It Possible For The 2nd Consecutive Year All 20 Contenders Under The Actor Category Are White? And Let’s Not Even Get Into The Other Branches. 40 White Actors In 2 Years And No Flava At All. We Can’t Act?! WTF!! It’s No Coincidence I’m Writing This As We Celebrate The 30th Anniversary Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday. Dr. King Said “There Comes A Time When One Must Take A Position That Is Neither Safe, Nor Politic, Nor Popular But He Must Take It Because Conscience Tells Him It’s Right”. For Too Many Years When The Oscars Nominations Are Revealed, My Office Phone Rings Off The Hook With The Media Asking Me My Opinion About The Lack Of African-Americans And This Year Was No Different. For Once, (Maybe) I Would Like The Media To Ask All The White Nominees And Studio Heads How They Feel About Another All White Ballot. If Someone Has Addressed This And I Missed It Then I Stand Mistaken. As I See It, The Academy Awards Is Not Where The “Real” Battle Is. It’s In The Executive Office Of The Hollywood Studios And TV And Cable Networks. This Is Where The Gate Keepers Decide What Gets Made And What Gets Jettisoned To “Turnaround” Or Scrap Heap. This Is What’s Important. The Gate Keepers. Those With “The Green Light” Vote. As The Great Actor Leslie Odom Jr. Sings And Dances In The Game Changing Broadway Musical HAMILTON, “I WANNA BE IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS”. People, The Truth Is We Ain’t In Those Rooms And Until Minorities Are, The Oscar Nominees Will Remain Lilly White. (Cont’d)

A photo posted by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee) on Jan 18, 2016 at 5:03am PST

There have been huge debates all over social media whether or not actors should boycott the Oscars or would it even make a difference at all. Similarly, should we even care about the Oscars or should we just make our own? Here’s the danger with that- I think society as a whole has often equated Oscars exclusively with whiteness when in fact it shouldn’t represent that. It should represent the best in film. Period. Point blank. I’d also add, we already have shows that recognize Black entertainers on the regular but even in our own communities we don’t respect them and some A-list black celebrities don’t bother to even show up.

For some, an Oscar simply represents the highest honor in ones film career field. While I am one who thinks that art is super subjective and  already wary of awards in performances, it doesn’t diminish the fact that there are many performances from Black actors that were are “award worthy.” One place I’ve noticed Black actors having some achievement in is on the stage and at the Tony Awards.

I will never forget the 2013 Tony’s when four out the eight acting categories were given to Black men and women (Cicely Tyson, Patina Miller, Coutney B. Vance and Billy Porter). Or in 2010 when it was a Fences and Fela! takeover. Even when Audra McDonald became the first person in Tony’s history to win one in every acting category possible and has the title of having the most Tony Awards as a performer.

While this isn’t to say the Tonys are completely perfect and without fault, I think over the years the Tony’s has gotten better at being more inclusive. Their nominations are usually on the money, and I can guarantee you this year Black actors will be winning again. So what makes the Tony’s so different? What are they doing right?

Well for one, I think the theatre world is more diverse and open to things that differ from the typical white storytelling narratives. I also think because the voting pool is so small and the voters actually go to the shows, their nominations are much more valid. So why can’t the academy admit their current system is broken and find ways to fix it? Well Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs responded to the Oscar boycott saying they would look into what qualifies for membership to help diversify the pool, so I guess that’s a step in the right direction. My only problem with that is, how long will it last?

The post Have The Tonys Been More Fair Than The Oscars? 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.

Inspired by Dr. Kings famous 1967 speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence” which was performed at Harlem’s Riverside Church, MLK Now will feature historic speeches by many civil rights leaders performed by some of todays hottest actors and Broadway Black stars — including Actor and Civil Rights Icon Harry Belafonte, Actor and Comedian Chris Rock, Oscar-Winner Octavia Spencer, Tony Award Winner Lin Manuel Miranda, Actors Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson, Tony Award Winner Anika Noni Rose, Andre Holland, Condola Rashad and Adepero Oduye.

And thats not all according to the press release;

“MLK Now” will also feature musical performances by Anika Noni Rose, Grammy-Nominated Artist Bilal, Acclaimed Poet/Performer Saul Williams, and Grammy-Winning Artist India Arie, and closes off with an interactive panel discussion addressing the most pressing human rights issues of today – including police violence, racial and social injustice, economic inequality, the prison industrial complex and grassroots and political mobilization. Panelists include Filmmaker and Blackout Member Ryan Coogler, Grammy-Nominated Hip Hop Artist J. Cole, Urban Cusp Founder and Publisher Rahiel Tesfamariam, Arab American Association of New York Executive Director Linda Sarsour, Million Hoodies Movement for Justice Executive Director Dante Barry, Filmmaker/Activist and Sakofa.org Co-Director Gina Belafonte; and Activist Leon Ford, Jr. The panel will be moderated by MSNBC National Reporter Trymaine Lee.

With a line-up like this, this an event that no matter where you are you don’t want to miss it. I can’t think of a better way to honor Dr. King’s legacy, especially during our current social climate.

MLK Now is this Monday, January 18th from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 1:30 p.m.), at Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY.

Luckily for those not in New York City you can watch the livestream. You can watch below!

The post Harry Belafonte, Condola Rashad, & More Join United Blackout ‪MLK Now: Special Event appeared first on Broadway Black.

When a woman is fed up, she’s fed up. That was the case for Tony-award-winning actress Tonya Pinkins, who is terminating her run as the lead role in a the Classic Stage Company’s production of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children before it even opens. The abrupt ending is due to racism and sexism by white creatives.

In a statement entitled “Who Loses, Who Thrives When White Creatives Tell Black Stories?” (see entire statement below) Pinkins said her objections to the way her character, a Black woman, was portrayed in the play, were ignored.

Sounds familiar right?

I always feel a type of way when white writers write for Black characters, and even in some situations having a white director directing a Black actor on what choices to make. I completely understand the roles of the writer and director, and in no way discredit them. Nor is this to say a white director CAN’T direct Black actors. I do, however, have a problem when the actor expresses his/her ideas and offers input and it’s completely ignored. That was the case for Pinkins.

When I think of a show that did this well, I think immediately of Invisible Thread. When I attended a talkback with Griffin Matthews and Matt Gould, they discussed working with director Diane Paulus. She did an amazing job directing because she was willing to listen. Directors aren’t running a dictatorship, they are working in collaboration with everyone, including actors. From the looks of what Pinkins wrote, that wasn’t the case.

She wrote, “twice this year (but too many times in my career) my perspective as a Black woman was dismissed in favor of portraying the Black woman through the filter of the White gaze.”

Is that so surprising? For me, it’s not.

It’s no surprise that Black women are forced to play into respectability politics in order for white people to feel more comfortable or to appeal to them. I went to a talk for How To Get Away With Murder where Tony-award-winning actress Viola Davis talked about her time on The Help. She said there was a scene where she and Octavia Spencer added a bit of dialogue that was shot down by the director. During a dinner-serving scene they added something along the lines of “the crackers want crackers” and the director told them they didn’t think that was a “good choice.” Viola told the audience she didn’t understand how. Especially when the white actors were throwing around the N word, was it not believable that the Black women who were “the help” for white folks were talking smack about them behind their back? Of course it is. They just would rather that we look like the compliant obedient servants than have any will to fight back.  Because God forbid Black women stand up for themselves. Let’s just make them powerless!

Pinkins echoes the same sentiments in her statement, saying the changes made to Brecht’s play left the character originally— a canteen woman who is determined to make her living by following armies into war — “speechless, powerless, history-less and even cart-less.”

Pinkins challenges the theatre world to consider other perspectives that aren’t just white. The world we live in is diverse; the stage should reflect that. I, for one, stand by her statement openly and completely.

“As we begin the new year, I wish for White theater creatives to have the humility to recognize that their perspectives alone are insufficient when portraying Black women and all “others;” that their manufactured fears put false Black images on the stage. I believe this allows real Black people to be destroyed, in the world.”

This statement resonates most with me. I went to a talk where the amazing Harry Belafonte once said, “Art is the gatekeeper of truth.” Is that not why so many people love the theatre? Beyond the spectacle of Broadway and the elaborate sets and flashy costumes, to its core isn’t art supposed to reflect real life? Aren’t theatregoers supposed to relate to these charactersin some way and leave with a message? Well, how is one to receive the message or relate to the character when there is no one up there to relate to? I, too, encourage white theatre creatives to think about what Pinkins is saying. She isn’t complaining, and she should not be dismissed as such. She is making valid points that will only make the theatre community stronger if they are willing to give it a chance. Allow “others” in the room and see how far it will get you. Black stories deserve to be told correctly and unapologetically, by Black people, for Black people.

I stand with Tonya Pinkins. #BlackPerspectivesMatter

Full Statement by Tonya Pinkins:

WHO LOSES, WHO THRIVES WHEN WHITE CREATIVES TELL BLACK STORIES?

The year 2015, saw the rise of #BlackLivesMatter and #BlackGirlsMatter, both movements helmed by powerful, fearless Black women. In 2016 I’m starting #BlackPerspectivesMatter.

Twice this year (but too many times in my career) my perspective as a Black woman was dismissed in favor of portraying the Black woman,through the filter of the White gaze. Regrettably, I must exit Classic Stage Company’s MOTHER COURAGE.

When Black bodies are on the stage, Black perspectives must be reflected. This is not simply a matter of “artistic interpretation”; race and sex play a pivotal role in determining who holds the power to shape representation. A Black female should have a say in presentation a Black female on stage.

CSC’s truncated version (an hour has been cut) eliminates Mother Courage and her children’s backstory, the use of her cart, and much of Brecht’s brilliant commentary on war. Mother Courage is the KING LEAR in the classical cannon of female roles. Not since CAROLINE OR CHANGE, ten years ago, have I had a role of this caliber. How do I walk away from what could be one of the greatest roles in my career? I couldn’t, until all my research, arguing and pleading for my character’s full realization fell on deaf ears. And then I had to.

Brecht’s drama follows Mother Courage, a women who supports herself and her children by selling goods to warring armies from a cart she drags through the battle zones. Along the way, all three of her children are killed because of the war. Mother Courage is the epitome of every poor, undocumented, battered, trafficked and immigrant women hustling to provide for her family however she must.

It’s been a decade since my talent has matched the material – I thought. However, it was not relayed to me until final tech rehearsal that the vision for this Mother Courage (the Black Mother Courage in an African war) was of a delusional woman trying to do the impossible. She would not be an icon of feminine tenacity and strength, nor of a Black female’s fearless capabilities.

Why must the Black Mother Courage be delusional?

The #CSCMotherCourage poster shows my face plastered on an image of the African Continent, the Democratic Republic of the Congo highlighted. The inspiration: Lynn Nottage’s impulse to create a Black Mother Courage, which culminated in her Pulitzer Prize-winning play, RUINED.

What an opportunity to connect Brecht’s anti-World War II play to the war in modern day Congo, Africa’s first World war. My art meeting my activism. The chance to highlight the Chaplain’s line, “If you want to sup with the devil you need a long spoon,” as analogous to America’s participation in the War in the Congo through our appetites for electronic devices which require the resources of Coltan, which is raped and pillaged along with the bodies of Black women and children.

This production does not include a single vestige of the specific war in the Congo. For me, the cultural misappropriation is unconscionable. Why must Africa, why must blackness itself, be singularly nonspecific, a decorative motif, instead of being as specific and infinitely diverse as its reality?

This spring, in RASHEEDA SPEAKING, I was the only Black American woman in the room. Does this matter when portraying a Black perspective? Absolutely! The play purported to be about a Black woman’s struggles working in a White medical office. But for the joy of performing nightly with Dianne Wiest, Patricia Connolly and Darren Goldstein, and the talk-backs I orchestrated with Michael Eric Dyson, Dr Kimberly Crenshaw, Professor James Peterson and many others, it was a soul-murdering experience. It is debilitating, explaining to non-Black people, day in and out, that their conceptions of Black people are not only inaccurate but dehumanizing and offensive.

I won an award for playing Jaclyn in RASHEEDA SPEAKING. Yet months later, people still call out “Rasheeda” when complimenting me on my performance. What they innocently forget, but I am reminded of with each acknowledgement, is that “Rasheeda” was elucidated, in Jaclyn’s climactic monologue in the play, as the new word for “Nigger.” So who is speaking?

Despite Brecht’s title, Mother Courage’s was not the star of this production. My subordinate position was most clearly communicated to me when I attempted to perform a task Brecht specifically wrote for Mother Courage: snatching a fur coat off an armed soldier’s back. The actor playing the soldier argued, “I’m a man. This is a war. She gotta RESPECT that; I’d have to kill her!” I fired back, “Brecht wrote it. Mother Courage CAN snatch the fur coat and not get killed. Brecht is illustrating of her as an ‘Hyena of the war.'” I told the actor I was going to snatch the fur coat, and if he “had to kill me,” the play would have to end seven scenes earlier than Brecht had intended.

I snatched the fur coat at the performance. The actor found a way to continue the play. However, the director said that in future, I couldn’t do it, because, “the actor said he would kill you.” WHAT?!

Mother Courage coddled and reprimanded into submission to patriarchy?

Brecht did not write a delusional woman. He wrote a woman who seizes power at every turn, who forces her way through Hell, and who continues in spite of every opposing force. My Mother Courage was left speechless, powerless, history-less and even cart-less. Why must images of Black women be held hostage in cages of White and/or patriarchal consciousness?

I and many other artists of color have benefitted from having honorary white status bestowed upon us for our work. This status allows us to work alongside the best in the business and to be treated as equals. It is a daily struggle to partake of this status while straining to maintain integrity and authenticity to our own culture. Yet this status is often stripped when we are asked to portray our own people.

I am grateful to Olympia Dukakis, who has played the role seven times, for attending an early preview and giving me the permission to put my ferocity back into the role. I had not realized that the shame I was feeling was the result of having my “creative cock” chopped off every day. The backlash from my appropriate creative turn was immediate. One crew member complained “I just cant control her.”

Am I a dog or a slave to be misled so as to be controlled in my artistic expression?

I was even told that the cuts related to Brecht estate rights and permissions associated with our transposition to the Congo. So I contacted the attorney to the Brecht estate to fight for the integrity of the text that Brecht wrote. The attorney assured me that changing the Thirty Years War references to Congo War references was acceptable to the estate, and that all such matters were artistic decisions between artist and director. Well, not this artist.

My Mother Courage was neutered, leaving the unbridled Mother Courage wasting away inside me. My Mother Courage is too big for CSC’s definition. So it is best that they find someone to “fit in,” because I cannot.

I recall reading, Tony Kushner’s translation of Mother Courage, which was sent to entice me to accept the role. The pinnacle of my career has been CAROLINE OR CHANGE. Caroline’s power reigned on every page. So I know what that power feels like, and this is not it. CSC’s “Mcdraft” was not even from the Kushner translation.

Why, in 2015, in the arts, is there a need to control the creative expression of a Black woman?

As we begin the new year, I wish for White theater creatives to have the humility to recognize that their perspectives alone are insufficient when portraying Black women and all “others”; that their manufactured fears put false Black images on the stage. I believe this allows real Black people to be destroyed, in the world.

As we enter 2016, the collective White creative community has a responsibility to bring as many “others” into the room, both onstage and offstage, before, during and after decisions are made. Only then will the beauty of global humanity be heard, seen, and finally understood, so that the truth wipes away the misconceptions and misappropriations that cause the fear which foments violence around the globe.

The world can no longer afford to have artistic visions of all White worlds because they simply do not exist. I want the theater to look like the city streets I walk on. That is the theater I aspire to participate in, one where #OtherPerspectivesMatter and are respected and reflected.

I am contractually obligated to perform in #CSCMotherCourage through January 3, 2016.

The post Black Perspectives Matter: Why Black Voices Deserve To Be Heard appeared first on Broadway Black.

I came across a piece of commentary written to mimic the style of Pinkins’ recent releases, but reflecting the way some outsiders perceive Pinkins’ point of view.

“It is not enough that I am the title character. It is not enough that I am given liberty to change the staging, and effectively co-direct the play. If I cannot control everything from the set, to the lighting, to the costumes, to the score, to the goddamn script, I’m going to throw a temper tantrum and quit your stupid play. And even if you do give me complete control of the entire production, including what everybody gets paid, you had all better properly kiss my butt on command or I will still quit! And I will then play the race card and the gender card”

This is exactly what Pinkins is speaking out against.

You can have an entire website dedicated to hate speech and slander, and title it with that person’s name, because, as previously stated, the Internet is the best place to come to share our opinions, right?

I’m glad we’re on the same page, but let’s make sure we are on the same paragraph.

While it’s empowering to share your experiences and stand your ground, what you won’t do is blatantly discredit the experience of another. Disagree with decisions, sure. But discredit their experience? Never.

Emphasis on THEIR. THEIR, meaning, something YOU or OTHERS may not have experienced, but, an instance, feeling, idea, or circumstance that a person and/or group can speak to because it is part of their life and has been woven into their everyday truth.

Hear me and hear me loud and clear.

There are no cards.

You will not tell me that my experience as a Black woman in America does not have validity. You won’t belittle my cognizance and consciousness around the daily sexism, racism, and prejudice I face.

My life experiences are not cards.

They are issues.

To open up your vocal cords, or take to a computer to draft a message despite living in a world that continuously shows us our lives and PERSPECTIVES don’t matter, is an act of resilience. Time and time again, we may not speak out in fear that our experiences will be ripped apart and discarded and we will be deemed whiney, angry, weak, or lazy.

In her latest statement, Pinkins proclaims no man will speak for her in 2016, largely in response to the he said she said that’s been going on in response to her first statement. She highlights the importance of the intersectionality between race and gender, which results in an experience that many in the production have not experienced.

She says:

“My departure from CSC’s Mother Courage was not bourne of one episode but of a lifetime of experiences of inequality, patriarchy and misogyny. CSC’s Mother Courage was simply the straw to break my silence.”

Tonya’s experiences aren’t cards. They are issues that have built up her courage to not only share her experience, but act on how these experiences made her feel. She broke her silence, and because SHE broke it, all we need to do is listen to her voice.

Read her entire statement in response to those who have spoken out about her initial statement

No Man Speaks For Me in 2016

There is a plethora of “He said, She said surrounding my departure from Classic Stage Company’s Mother Courage. Tonya said this and Brian Kulick said that and Michael Potts says this… “

Now I say, Michael Potts is not equipped to speak for me. Michael Potts was a postscript to the production after John Jelks, withdrew for personal reasons. If, as Potts says, “I was running it,” the Chaplain would have been played by Frances Jue.

Potts states that I, “…insisted on being called ‘Momma…” which he spells like the disrespectful ‘Yo Momma.’ I asked to be respectfully called ‘Mama’ as in Mama Nadi in RUINED. A term of respect for women of a certain age in the Congo. Potts’ ignorance of this appellation is emblematic of his myopia throughout this production.

It was at my suggestion that CSC endeavored to negotiate a new translation by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. When that proved impossible, Eve Ensler of V-day: City of Joy in the Congo was the next and best choice. Eve and I would be following in the footsteps of Ntozake Shange who translated and transported Mother Courage the Reconstruction South forThe Public Theater and Rose Mbowa. who translated and performed as Mother Courage in the first authorized African production in Luganda the language of Uganda. But, a couple of weeks before rehearsals began, I was told that the death of Brecht’s heir stalled the approval of an Ensler translation in time for the start of our production. In hindsight, I question if that was even true. This left me with Kulick’s Frankenstein “McDraft.” based loosely on John Willet’s edited translation of the Brecht.

Potts appears in a little less than half of the play and has donned himself narrator of a my experience? HE didn’t hear me say this when HE thought I should. Why isn’t Potts more versed in the job he was elected to; Equity Deputy? As deputy, Michael Potts failed the black women in Mother Courage by failing to attend to their beseechings.

Mirrirai Sitole and Zenzi Williams asked Michael Potts to call an equity meeting to address the testosterone overdosed environment. I asked Potts about the meeting and he replied “The meeting occurred and you were late” The meeting he referenced was a meeting of Kulick, cast and crew. Only Equity members may attend Equity meetings. Potts never called the “equity meeting” the women requested.

Zenzi Williams said ,”I have never been spoken to the way he [Brian Kulick] spoke to me.” Mirirai Sithole was traumatized and said “It was not a safe space.” Both women were brought to tears in rehearsal. On this Potts is as mute as dumb Katrin. Ladies forgive me for telling stories that are not mine to tell but Michael Potts is white washing history to defend the master, to protect the way it is and the way it is must change.

I told Kulick that as Artistic Director of Classic Stage Company and as the director of the play, he was responsible for the squelching mysogyny. I said it to his face with company members present. He said, “I’m sorry,” He did nothing.

When Kevin Mambo ceased playing the scenes with me in performance and instead circled me on stage like I was prey. Kulick did not stop him. Instead, he told me I “…was driving the actors [male] insane.” Well, Mother Courage is supposed to drive the men insane because they can’t have her, they can’t control her and they can’t stop her. That was Brecht’s intent.

Kulick spoke for himself regarding his trans[-]plantation of Brecht to the general Congo. Does Kulick need Potts, to be his armor the way we three Black women needed him to be ours during this ordeal? Potts failed us then and continues to fail us now. Kulick empowered the male actors to behave like men in war, to bully and undermine us because women are always the first casualties of war.

Dr. Robin D. G. Kelly, author and Gary B. Nash Professor of American History at UCLA states that “Black women are in fact more vulnerable because of the exclusions of race and gender and Black men often play a role in perpetuating inequality/vulnerability/oppression,”

Potts and Kulick have worked together five times. I surmise Potts’ is safeguarding his next job by sacrificing me, the Black woman who spoke truths that he would rather remained unspoken. Black women show up in support of Black male movements everyday. Why Potts are you coming for me when White men are at the apex of a pyramid built upon Black vaginas?

Dr Kimberle Crenshaw, co-founder of The African American Policy Forum and law professor at UCLA and Columbia University School of Law says, “We have failed Black [women] when their experiences are not centered at the core of our vision of racial justice. We have failed them when we resist empowering women as core leaders of our organizations. We have failed them when we subject them to catcalling and other forms of sexual harassment on the front lines of protests against racialized violence. We have failed them when we applaud their work in these settings, while marginalizing them in the corridors of power behind closed doors.”

“We have also failed them when we encourage or force them to choose between their gender and their race; and when we question their loyalty to the race when they raise feminist issues rather than working with them to erase the roadblocks those concerns represent.”

My experience at CSC reflects inequality at the intersection of race and gender. Were I differently abled, transgendered, muslim or a combination of them, I would experience inequality distinctly differently for each and every way in which I was not a part of the healthy, White, male, Christian normative of American society, where privilege and power reside.

Just as there is uniqueness within that “norm”, there is infinite and overlapping uniqueness outside of it. Intersectionality addresses overlapping social identities and related systems of oppression, domination or discrimination. Potts would deny me my unique experience and voice.

My departure from CSC’s Mother Courage was not bourne of one episode but of a lifetime of experiences of inequality, patriarchy and misogyny. CSC’s Mother Courage was simply the straw to break my silence.

-Tonya Pinkins

The post Tonya Pinkins Pt 2. : It’s Not A Card, It’s An Issue appeared first on Broadway Black.

I don’t know about y’all, but I was biting my nails waiting to see who was going to step into the role of “Mother Courage” in Classic Stage Company’s production of Mother Courage and Her Children. The answer to that question is six-time Broadway alum, Kecia Lewis.

The post Kecia Lewis Assumes The Role of “Mother Courage” appeared first on Broadway Black.

Hamilton 

What is a best of 2015 list without Hamilton? Not a list at all. The hip-hop musical about America’s most controversial founding father with its diverse cast and #hamiltunes that will be stuck in your head forever earns its prized spot on the list. Any show capable of selling out for over a year is a winner in my book. #HamilTonys

Invisible Thread 

Did I mention I saw this show four times? I’m not kidding. The only reason it wasn’t more is because I’m not rich and I went home for Christmas break. The show that tells the story of one man’s incredible journey of self and the people’s lives he impacts was a no-brainer on my list. The dancing, the acting, and the singing is enough to bring you in and take you to new places. #Belamusana

The Color Purple 

Of course, The Color Purple was going to make this list. Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks and Jennifer Hudson make their Broadway debuts and they enter with a big ol’ splash. The simplistic styling of this musical requires the actors to give their all and bare it on the stage, which they do every night. I see Tonys in their future.

Whorl Inside A Loop 

No wonder it’s going to Broadway!  It’s that darn good. Second Stage is doing some pretty awesome things over there on 43rd Street, if this show is any indication. It tells the story of an actress teaching prisoners how to tell and act out their personal stories. This show definitely tugged at my heartstrings and now, hopefully, many more will be able to witness its brilliance.

The Gin Game 

Legendary. James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson sharing the stage again was one of the most amazing moments of 2015. Being able to just be in that room and watch these masters grace the stage effortlessly was a big deal. Black don’t crack, and neither does our ability to memorize scripts and get out there and be amazing eight nights a week.

Barbecue 

The Public Theater also has some hits on their hands. Barbecue centered around family, addiction, and making difficult choices. Written by Obie Award Winning Playwright Robert O’Hara, the play was full of twists and turns that left audiences gasping and guessing about what was going to happen next.

Paradise Blue

Our girl Dominique Morisseau came through. The production is directed by the always amazing Ruben Santiago-Hudson and stars Tony Award-nominee De’Adre Aziza (Passing Strange), Golden Globe-nominee Blair Underwood (A Street Car Named Desire), and Andre Holland. This show, which is the first in a trilogy, made waves at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Like Morisseau herself, I doubt it’s the last you’ll hear about it.

An Octoroon 

An Octoroon (the term “Octoroon” is a person who is one-eighth Black) is all about race in the United States. The brilliant show written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins got its start at Soho Rep and uses satire to get at the United States’ horrible legacy of slavery. Incorporating Black face, red face and everything in between, this show took it there unapologetically. An Octoroon can make an entire audience uncomfortable and force them to face the harsh realities of this “great” nation all in one. After all, art is an imitation of life, right?

Amazing Grace

Gone too soon. The song I sang as a child suddenly held more weight when I finally was able to see this show in the summer. Beautifully and thoroughly executed, Amazing Grace was a gracious piece of theatre that wasn’t afraid to go there. While it may have left Broadway, the cast recording will be enough to keep me going.

Eclipsed 

This is another one that moved from Off-Broadway because of its stellar cast and amazing story. Danai Gurira is genius. Set during the Liberian Civil War, Eclipsed tells the stories of the captive wives of a rebel officer who band together to form a fragile community—until the balance of their lives is upset by the arrival of a new girl. Heartfelt, funny, and mesmerizing are just a few adjectives to describe how great of a show this is.

Special Mention: The Wiz Live!

How could I make a list without The Wiz Live! on it? This show and all of its #melaninmagic captivated audiences everywhere. The old classic story of The Wiz with a modern twist appealed to audiences young and old, and brought together an entire community on Dec. 3rd. That night also made us realize Shanice Williams was going places, Stephanie Mills has still got it, David Alan Grier has some serious pipes, Uzo Aduba and Queen Latifah can do no wrong, Amber Riley was underappreciated on Glee, and “conversate” is an actual word.

Thats our list, what did you see that you put on your list? Sound off in the comments below and check out in-depth information on all of these shows on our site!

The post And The Winner Is…Broadway Black Top 10 of 2015 appeared first on Broadway Black.