Whitaker will star alongside stage veteran and Tony Award winner Frank Wood in the short two-character play set in the lobby of a small hotel on a West Side street in midtown New York during the summer of 1928. The play is what’s known as a two-hander — essentially a monologue — about the recently deceased night clerk of a grim hotel on Manhattan’s West Side who’s still mourned by “Erie Smith,” a drunk hustler keen on impressing Hughie’s replacement, “Charlie Hughes,” with reminiscences of past hijinks and adventures.

Whitaker will star as “Erie Smith and Wood will take on the role of “Charlie Hughes.” Tony winner Michael Grandage will direct the play.

Whitaker has built an impressive resume in films such as “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “Bird,” and “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.” In 2007, he won an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 2006’s “The Last King of Scotland.” He also is a noted director who helmed the iconic girlfriend film “Waiting To Exhale” starring Whitney Houston, Loretta Devine, and Angela Bassett.

Wood won a Tony Award in 1999 for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Side Man. He also played “Bill” in the Broadway production of August: Osage County.

Hughie was last seen on Broadway in 1996 at the Circle in the Square Theatre in a production directed by and starring Al Pacino.

For more information about Hughie and to purchase tickets, visit here.

The post Forest Whitaker’s Hughie Pushes Back Start of Previews appeared first on Broadway Black.

ProductionPro, founded by theater graduate Alex Libby, is “a mobile service that allows users to mock up visuals by assembling all the concepts and designs on one platform and sharing the most up to date version of each production at any given time.” Basically, you can see the show before the show.

Available on the App Store, with ProductionPro, users can:
-Create a new show
-Centrally access all shows – new and archived
-Create a customized visual breakdown of each scene or beat in a show
– Automatically break down a PDF of a script regardless of what format it’s written in.
– Connect ideas and designs to the breakdown of your Shows.
– Present images for each scene or beat.
– Quickly navigate to any moment in the Script simply by flipping the orientation of the iPad.
– Access an outline of the Show when a script is not yet available.
– Collaborate on a Show in real-time from anywhere.

Libby and his “team of highly-skilled software engineers and experienced Show People from film and theatre” are very familiar with what it takes to comprise a show. Libby himself is a former production assistant and stage manager for shows including Legally Blonde, Wicked and Billy Elliot.

The startup is currently celebrating earning top honors at the Made in NY Media Center Demo Day. Their success not only marks their position as an efficient, growing media service, but also proves, that sometimes, especially in a field as competitive as entertainment, you simply have to make your own way.

Find out more about this app and how it can be help your creative work by downloading it on your iPad and visiting the website.

The post ProductionPro: Helping Artists Do It For Themselves appeared first on Broadway Black.

While Joseph made history at 9 years old becoming the youngest actress ever to play “Young Nala” in Broadway’s The Lion King, School of Rock marks the Broadway debut for pre-teen powerhouses Caldwell, Mackenzie and Niederaruer.  The crew make up a quarter of the junior cast who earned a coveted role in the Broadway show with the largest children’s ensemble since Matilda.

“Taz” is an expert guitarist who, since performing on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” at 10, has paired up with some of the most notable musicians in the game.  And11 year old MacKenzie recently had “the best week of [her] life” when she sang for Michelle Obama at the White House just days after previews began for School of Rock.

Based on the hit 2003 film starring Jack Black, “School of Rock – The Musical follows Dewey Finn, a failed wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. Completely disinterested in academic work, Dewey decides to create his own curriculum, turning his class into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band.”

The class of School of Rock has been having a blast since the cast was announced in September.  The kids performed on the “Today Show” in October, received a spread in the November issue of “Vanity Fair” and recently announced they will be rocking out at the Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Alex Brightman leads the cast as Dewey Finn, alongside Sierra Boggess as Principal Rosalie Mullins.  Sister Act’s Alan H. Green joins the ensemble.  Directed by Laurence Connor, the musical features a score by legend Andrew Lloyd Webber and Glenn Slater and a book by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.

Here at Broadway Black, we love to see our little ones achieving greatness! Congratulations to all of the young stars!

School of Rock is currently in previews and opens at the Winter Garden Theater on Dec. 6.  The show will also offer a daily lottery ticket drawing for a limited number of $25 front row orchestra tickets.  Visit SchoolofRockMusical

.com for more information.

The post BB Kids: Bobbi MacKenzie & More Make Broadway Debuts in School of Rock appeared first on Broadway Black.

We at Broadway Black have kept you in the loop chronicling every tweet, every article, every interview, every post surrounding the highly anticipated arrival, and now the opportunity to experience what I predict can only be described as “getting your ENTIRE life” is now upon us.

John Doyle’s “stripped down” adaptation of the 2005 Tony nominated piece cuts approximately 30 minutes of material from the original Broadway production.  Even so, breathtaking sneak peeks and coverage of the rehearsal process would indicate that this brilliant cast will deliver everything we need.

Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and Oscar-nominated film, The Color Purple tells the inspirational story of Celie, who through faith and the power of love, triumphs over relentless pain and adversity to find the God-given strength she never knew she had.

According to press notes, “with a soul-raising score of jazz, gospel, ragtime and blues, The Color Purple gives an exhilarating new spirit to this Pulitzer Prize-winning story.”

Joining Erivo as “Celie,” Brooks as “Sophia” and Hudson as “Shug Avery,” are Isaiah Johnson as “Mister,” Joaquina Kalukango as “Nettie,” and Kyle Scatliffe as “Harpo.” Rounding off the ensemble are Dwayne Clark (Spiderman), Lawrence Clayton (Bells Are Ringing), Carrie Compere (Holler If Ya Hear Me), Bre Jackson (Book of Mormon), Grasan Kingsberry (The Color Purple original 2005 cast), Kevyn Morrow (A Chorus Line), Ken Robinson (Memphis), Antoine L. Smith (Memphis) and Rema Webb (The Lion King).  Phoenix Best, Patrice Covington, Adrianna Hicks, Carla R. Stewart and Akron Watson will all also be making their Broadway debuts.

We’ve got our tickets HERE! Make sure to get them NOW!

The post The Color Purple Begins Previews Marking JHud Broadway Debut appeared first on Broadway Black.

The show formerly known as Witness Uganda, is inspired by the true story and life of its creators Matt Gould & Griffin Matthews. The show follows the life of a New York City man, Griffin, who volunteers for an aid project in Uganda, the challenges he faced and how it changed his life. Matthews stars as himself in the new musical with Jeremy Pope (Choir Boy) as the alternate, playing the role of “Griffin” in some performances.

Determined to find his place in the world, 20-something Griffin leaves his job and his New York City apartment to volunteer for a charity in Africa. But when his altruistic aspirations collide with the real world, his life is changed in unexpected and profound ways. Inspired by a true story, this rousing new musical infuses a world pop score with African beats in an electrifying journey about discovering whether changing the world is even possible.

Co-creator Griffin Matthews will be joined by Melody Betts (“Chicago PD”); Rodrick Covington (Central Avenue Breakdown); Kevin Curtis (A Chorus Line National Tour); Tyrone Davis, Jr. (Shrek National Tour); Nkrumah Gatling (Hair); Latrisa Harper (The Color Purple); Jason Herbert (Fela!); Aisha Jackson (Beautiful); Kristolyn Lloyd (Heathers The Musical); Michael Lluwoye (Fable); Corey Mach (Hands on a Hardbody); Tiffany Mann (Lincoln Center’s Sweeney Todd); Jamard Richardson (The Book of Mormon); Nicolette Robinson (Brooklynite); Adeola Role (Lily’s Revenge); Conor Ryan (Cinderella) and Jamar Williams (Broken Window Theory)

We take you back to our Off Book series and into the world of Invisible Thread with this musical preview. This show begins previews Oct 31 at Second Stage Theatre. See what the creators & director have to say about the process and watch some vibrant musical numbers.

New York Premiere in association with American Repertory Theater

INVISIBLE THREAD

A New Musical

BY
MATT GOULD and GRIFFIN MATTHEWS

CO-CHOREOGRAPHED BY
DARRELL GRAND MOULTRIE

CHOREOGRAPHED BY
SERGIO TRUJILLO

DIRECTED BY
DIANE PAULUS

The post Off Book: Sneak Peek of Invisible Thread at Second Stage Theatre appeared first on Broadway Black.

Entrance applause, that is.

The play – performed at the Golden Theatre since previews began Sept. 23 – officially opens  today, October 14, and the two award-winning actors are nipping the fanfare at the bud.

It’s quite understandable for theatergoers to be excited to see the veteran duo. It’s been nearly 50 years since they have shared a Broadway stage (the 1966 showcase of Black poetry with Roscoe Lee Browne’s A Hand Is On The Gate). Before that, they were among the long-running 1961 Off Broadway production The Blacks by Jean Genet. TV and film projects also have not escaped the Tony and Emmy winning actors.

Tyson and Jones, 90 and 84, respectively, would have plenty of lessons to share as a result of their long careers. Yet, a lesson in theatre etiquette is now at hand.

Of course, it should be a given that loud talking, eating, sleeping and the use of cell phones is not a good look at the theatre – as well as going on stage to charge a cell phone in a fake outlet.

According to New York Show Tickets, standing ovations and entrance applause are overdone. It admonishes to not give in to peer pressure.

Traditionally, applause for an actor when he or she first takes the stage and standing ovations at the end of a Broadway show were signs of an audience so full of appreciation and respect that they couldn’t help themselves. Lately, these reactions seem to have become obligatory, and unfortunately when standing ovations and entrance applause are done out of mere habit, they essentially become meaningless. Ultimately, how you react is up to you, but let your true feelings guide you.

Well, Tyson and Jones no doubt are more concerned with giving the best performance possible than they are with an audience’s “true feelings.”

They both agree that the entrance applause is distracting. Tyson said her role is “one of the most difficult things I’ve ever tackled.” It doesn’t help that her castmate can complicate matters. She admitted that Jones keeps her in fits of laughter. During rehearsals, she pleaded with the cast to let her get her giggles out.

For an Associated Press article, Tyson further said: “It is extremely difficult in some instances to contain myself and to remain true to the character that I’m trying to play. I really can’t allow for it to happen in the theater.”

Jones, who continues to find theatre fascinating, said: “Once we open this play, we’ll still be discovering stuff about it.”

So to respect the work of the incredible union, hold your applause until… well, you have a Gin hand.

Directed by Leonard Foglia, The Gin Game follows Weller Martin (Jones) and Fonsia Dorsey (Tyson) – two residents of a nursing home who strike a friendship. Weller shares his knowledge of gin rummy, while together they relate stories of their past and expose one another’s failures, disappointments and insecurities.

The Gin Game has a limited engagement of 16 weeks, ending in January. Tyson will not perform Dec 5-6. Get your tickets HERE.

What do you think about the request by the actors?

The post Hold The Applause: Theatre Etiquette From James Earl Jones & Cicely Tyson appeared first on Broadway Black.

Between them, Jones and Tyson have three Tony Awards and five nominations. Tyson won a Tony in 2013 for her role as “Carrie Watts” in The Trip to Bountiful and Jones is two-time Tony winner for 1969’s The Great White Hope as well as Fences in 1987. Most recently, Jones starred on Broadway in the revival of You Can’t Take It With You.

This is the first time the pair have appeared on Broadway together since 1966 when they starred in A Hand Is on the Gate.”They’ve also worked together Off Broadway in the long-running production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks as well as in the film “The River Niger” and on television in “Heat Wave.” We gave you a behind the scenes look at their recent photo shoot here.

The Gin Game, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by D.L. Coburn, follows “Weller Martin” (Jones) and “Fonsia Dorsey” (Tyson), who meet on the porch of their nursing home and strike up a friendship as Weller teaches Fonsia how to play gin rummy. As they play, they share stories about the lives they led in the outside world. But when Fonsia wins every hand, Weller becomes increasingly frustrated. Soon, their gin games and conversations become a battleground, with each player exposing the other’s failures, disappointments and insecurities.

The Gin Game premiered in 1977, starring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy and was revived in 1997 with Charles Durning and Julie Harris.

Leonard Foglia (Master Class) will direct the new production, which will run through through January 10, 2016 at the Golden Theatre.

Tickets are available here.

The post James Earl Jones & Cicely Tyson Start The Gin Game Broadway Previews appeared first on Broadway Black.

Tyson, a three-time Emmy winner (“The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” “The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All”), is nominated for an Emmy this year for her guest performance in “How to Get Away with Murder.”

Between them, Jones and Tyson have three Tony Awards and five nominations. Tyson won a Tony in 2013 for her role as “Carrie Watts” in The Trip to Bountiful and Jones is two-time Tony winner for 1969’s The Great White Hope as well as Fences in 1987. Most recently, Jones starred on Broadway in the revival of You Can’t Take It With You.

This is the first time the pair have appeared on Broadway together since 1966 when they starred in A Hand Is on the Gate.”They’ve also worked together Off Broadway in the long-running production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks as well as in the film “The River Niger” and on television in “Heat Wave.” We gave you a behind the scenes look at their recent photo shoot here.

The Gin Game, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by D.L. Coburn, follows “Weller Martin” (Jones) and “Fonsia Dorsey” (Tyson), who meet on the porch of their nursing home and strike up a friendship as Weller teaches Fonsia how to play gin rummy. As they play, they share stories about the lives they led in the outside world. But when Fonsia wins every hand, Weller becomes increasingly frustrated. Soon, their gin games and conversations become a battleground, with each player exposing the other’s failures, disappointments and insecurities.

The Gin Game premiered in 1977, starring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy and was revived in 1997 with Charles Durning and Julie Harris.

Leonard Foglia (Master Class) will direct the new production, which will run through through January 10, 2016 at the Golden Theatre.

Tickets are available here.

#TonyAward-winning legends #JamesEarlJones and #CicelyTyson star in #TheGinGame. On Broadway for 16 weeks only!

A video posted by The Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) on Sep 10, 2015 at 10:29am PDT

The post Cicely Tyson & James Earl Jones Will Begin The Gin Game appeared first on Broadway Black.

From bastard orphan to Washington’s right hand man, rebel to war hero, loving husband caught in the country’s first sex scandal to Treasury head who made an untrusting world believe in the American economy, Hamilton is an exploration of a political mastermind. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Eliza Hamilton, and lifelong Hamilton friend and foe, Aaron Burr, all attend this revolutionary tale of America’s fiery past told through the sounds of the ever-changing nation we’ve become.

A lottery for $10 tickets began a few weeks ago to kick off the premiere. Since then, hundreds of people have shown up outside The Richard Rogers Theatre to stand in lines that stretch around the block in the hopes of winning a ticket.  Every evening, two hours before the performance, cast members come out to perform for the crowd in surprising ways.  For example, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda have come out and sung random songs as well as selections from the musical, answered questions using Les Mis quotes, and interacted with the crowd.  The buzz on social media for the lottery is growing and is becoming as much of a must-see as the musical itself.

At Monday’s #Ham4Ham, fans were treated to @reneeelisegoldsberry putting her own signature flow on George Washington’s song “Right Hand Man” with @phillipasoo on the beat! See the full video on our FB page!#HamiltonBway #YayHamlet #WaitForIt

A video posted by Hamilton (@hamiltonmusical) on Jul 21, 2015 at 6:01am PDT

Today at #Ham4Ham, #LinManuelMiranda answered fan questions using only quotes from Les Miserables!

A video posted by Hamilton (@hamiltonmusical) on Jul 18, 2015 at 9:01am PDT

Today’s #Ham4Ham entertainment brings us a role switch in the show’s first cabinet meeting. Here, #LinManuelMiranda plays Thomas Jefferson, @daveeddiggs plays Alexander Hamilton, and @cjack930 officiates! See the full video on our Facebook page.

A video posted by Hamilton (@hamiltonmusical) on Jul 17, 2015 at 7:05pm PDT

In case you don’t get to see Hamilton, have no fear; the cast album will be released this fall, executive produced by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, two members of Hip Hop group, The Roots.  The New Yorker describes the music in Hamilton as “rooted in hip hop, but also encompassing R&B, jazz, pop, Tin Pan Alley, and the choral strains of contemporary Broadway.”

Hamilton has been well received in previews and will officially open on August 6.

The post #Ham4Ham: Hamilton Cast Puts on A Show Before the Show appeared first on Broadway Black.

Recently, the two Tony award-winning stars completed a classic photoshoot for the upcoming production. Cicely Tyson looked absolutely stunning in a muted jewel-toned silk ensemble. James Earl Jones looked regal and stately in an olive two-button suit. The iconic laughter of Jones could be heard rumbling through the set while the cameras flashed. And while small in stature, Tyson posed with all of the presence and confidence one has come to expect from this legendary powerhouse.

When @IAmCicelyTyson gives you that "look" she ain't playing! #gingamebroadway pic.twitter.com/DCoSoTg20Q

— Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) July 22, 2015

The Panorama Game #photoshoot pic.twitter.com/VyvB5aAq10

— Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) July 22, 2015

Life is better when James Earl Jones laughs (feel free to listen on repeat) #laugh pic.twitter.com/YR9z6S4wXT

— Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) July 22, 2015

The Gin Game is set in present time and chronicles Weller Martin, played by Jones, and Fonsia Dorsey, played by Tyson, meeting on the porch of their nursing home. They strike up a friendship, with Weller teaching Fonsia how to play gin rummy. As they play, they share stories about the lives they led in a younger world. But when Fonsia wins every hand, Weller becomes increasingly frustrated, until their gin games and conversations become a battleground, with each player exposing the other’s failures, disappointments and insecurities.

The Gin Game was originally written and produced in 1976. This is the third time the play has been performed on Broadway. The play won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and the two previous Broadway productions were nominated for a number of Tony Awards, including Best Play, Best Revival of a Play, and Best Actress in a Play.

Tyson at age 90 and Jones at age 84 are Black Theatre royalty and will grace the stage at the John Golden Theatre. Previews will begin September 18^th with the show opening on October 13, 2015, as previously reported. Tickets can be purchased via Telecharge.

We are prepping for our #photoshoot with our stars! #broadway pic.twitter.com/szwvAMay1g

— Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) July 22, 2015

Accessories for @IAmCicelyTyson! #photoshoot pic.twitter.com/UlXB3MruV0

— Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) July 22, 2015

Mr. James Earl Jones is ready for the shot! pic.twitter.com/WMjnnAuNx8

— Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) July 22, 2015

The post Cameras Flash in Anticipation of Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones in The Gin Game appeared first on Broadway Black.