A Raisin In the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Loosely based on the playwright’s life, the Younger family grapples with an American dilemma that coerces the psyche into believing that separate really is equal. In post-WWII Chicago, where everyone was looking to feed themselves literally and figuratively with a piece of the American dream, Walter, Ruth, Mama, Beneatha, and Travis find themselves in the middle of a custody battle over the soul and integrity of America; believing in the power of change and progression and reconciling with the truth of a divided American landscape. This drama first debuted on Broadway in 1959, starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Louis Gossett, Claudia McNeil, and Glynn Turman. It has since seen multiple revivals on Broadway in 2004 and 2014, with the 2004 production winning for Best Actress in a Play for Phylicia Rashaad and Best Featured Actress in a Play for Audra McDonald. The 2014 production resulted in wins for Sophie Okonedo for Best Featured Actress in a Play, Kenny Leon for Direction of a Play, and Best Revival of a Play. A Raisin In the Sun is also the first play written by a Black woman to be performed and produced on Broadway. 

A full audio recording of the play from L.A. Theatre Works can be found HERE.

Fences by August Wilson

Written in 1985 as part of Wilson’s “Pittsburgh Cycle,” Fences closely tracks the internal turmoil that Troy faces in providing for his wife and teenage son. As a man whose dreams were not fully realized as a major league baseball player, Troy tries to build himself up within the city sanitation department as a driver (something Black men weren’t allowed to do). Young people should read this play primarily for the conversation between Troy and his son, Cory, about being a parent, a caregiver, and a Black man. Troy says, “A man got to take care of his family. You live in my house… sleep your behind on my bedclothes… fill your belly up with my food… cause you my son—you my flesh and blood. Not ’cause I like you! Cause it’s my duty to take care of you.” The original Broadway production won the Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play (James Earl Jones), Best Direction, and Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (Mary Alice). The 2010 revival won Best Performance by a Leading Actor and Leading Actress in a Play for Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, respectively, and Best Revival of a Play. 

for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf by Ntozake Shange 

Shange’s emotional choreopoem, which fuses music, dance, and poetry, is a literary blueprint for understanding and appreciating Black women. It debuted at the Booth Theater in New York City in 1976 and was only the second work by a Black woman to be done on Broadway (it was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play in 1976). Referred to only by a color (red, orange, blue, green, purple, yellow, and brown), each woman relishes in her own self-discovery and self-identity in a world that has yet to see them for the beautiful humans they are. Shange illuminates the power of Black female sisterhood while also encouraging the reader to heal, survive, and reclaim their joy. The Public Theater recently did a production in 2019 that Camille A. Brown choreographed. 

Pipeline by Dominique Morisseau

Omari is a young Black male dealing with the pressures of high school academia in a school where microaggressions are as common as saying the pledge of allegiance. Morisseau’s modern drama on race and the education system may appear to be a shocking reflection of what young people may encounter today. Still, it is also a challenge for educators everywhere to see their students beyond a name on a class roster. Omari and his mother, Nya, push each other to combat the triggers that young Black men face regularly, and do some deep soul-searching to heal their mother-son relationship, so Omari doesn’t lose himself by proving himself. The play was nominated for five Lucille Lortel Awards during its run at Lincoln Center and can currently be found on BroadwayHD.

The Colored Museum by George C. Wolfe

Performed as vignettes known as “exhibits,” The Colored Museum illuminates the  Black experience by taking the reader and audience member on a historical journey from the flight to Savannah from the Ivory Coast in “Git On Board” to the ode to Black theatre drama in “The Last Mama-on-the-Couch Play” in which Wolfe makes references to Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf and Hansberry’s A Raisin In the Sun. The Colored Museum takes the tragedy and pain of our experience as Black people living in America. It gives it a distinct voice of truth and integrity that has otherwise been whitewashed and gaslit.

Honorable mentions:

A Soldier’s Play by Charles Fuller

Blues For Mister Charlie by James Baldwin

Stick Fly by Lydia R. Diamond

The post Class Is In Session: 5 Plays by Black Playwrights Every Young Black Student Should Read appeared first on Broadway Black.

It’s yet another year of #OscarsSoWhite and with the fresh coining of #AllPerspectivesMatters, and our upcoming “A Brand New Day: Diversity On Broadway!” BroadwayCon panel, we hope to hear how race and privilege are affecting the arts community as part of this discussion. 

Traditionally, this is event is co-hosted by WYNC’s Brian Leher ,but this year he will be joined by Jami Floyd who is currently the host of WNYC’s “All Things Considered”, an attorney and legal analyst, and journalist with a career that spans over two decades. Among her many accolades, Floyd became the first and only African American and woman to cover Law & Justice Correspondence during her time at ABC News. It is from this expertise and experience that Floyd and Leher will moderate a discussion on “disparity in America by looking at the impact of institutional racism while exploring race and privilege.”

For a long time, The Apollo Theater has been a place that represents culture and community for Harlem. Uptown Hall is an ongoing effort that “creatively and uniquely weaves panel discussions, video, texting, and live performances to enhance and develop an interactive forum for the community to discover and/or address key issues.” 

The live performances will be just as impactful as the discussion. The night’s entertainment will be led by composer and contemporary artist, Daniel Bernard Roumain. Special Guests include Marc Bamuthi Joseph (poet, playwright, and National Poetry Slam Champion) and singer Emeline Michel.

This event is free to the public. To RSVP visit https://www.apollotheater.org/event/uptown-hall/

The post Race and Privilege: Exploring MLK’s Two Americas Discussion At Apollo Theater 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.

This is your chance, so don’t throw away your shot! If you are an extremely skilled rapper, singer and actor, and are interested in being considered for the show, send an email to casting@hamiltonbroadway.com

According to the notice posted on the website, performers interested in auditioning should include the following in their email:

• A video via an unlisted YouTube link or Vimeo that includes: a brief (under 1 minute) pop/rock song that shows your vocal range and a brief rap (under 1 minute) that shows your skill level. Please have a piano accompany you.
• A current picture and resume that includes your height and weight
• Your location, contact information (cell phone # and email address) and your date of birth (if under 18)

To avoid the Kent State fiasco, Lin-Manuel Miranda explicitly states in the character breakdown the ethnicity of each character opening the roles up for all people of color.  The breakdowns are cleverly creative with descriptions such as “Eminem Meets Sweeney Todd” for title character Hamilton, while Angelica Schuyler (currently played by Renee Elise Goldsberry) is described as “Nicki Minaj meets Desiree Armfeldt.” Hamilton’s political nemesis Aaron Burr (currently played by Leslie Odom Jr.) is written as “Javert meets Mos Def.”

You can check the rest out here to make sure you fit the bill when it’s your chance!

The acclaimed-hit musical about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, opened Aug. 6 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The show has already broken records by grossing an impressive $57 million in advance sales, with tickets not available to purchase until October of next year. Don’t worry, there’s always Ham4Ham which makes waiting in the cold for the chance to win the $10 ticket all worth it.

The post Be Apart of the Revolution! Hamilton Posts Open Casting Call 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.

David Alan Grier & Stanley Wayne Mathis – The Producers
When I went to see Porgy & Bess with the brilliant Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis, I was less than enthused that Grier, that guy from TV’s “In Living Color,” would be making an appearance.  Clearly, I was ill-informed.  The Yale School of Drama alum approached the role with a wisdom, a professionalism and a personality that made me reevaluate every misconception I’d had.  His charisma has since had me pining to see him recreate the  role of Max Bialystock originated by Nathan Lane with Mathis as his sidekick, Leopold Bloom. With Grier’s comedic cunning, just a twinge of Mathis’ Schroeder-like wit, and some obvious tweaks to the cultural references, this duo could possibly pull off “the biggest flop in history.”

Nicholas Christopher & Nikki Renee Daniels – The Music Man
I’ve seen Christopher in a few roles, mostly contemporary pieces, and to say he is charming would be an understatement.  But many aren’t familiar with his straight-toned, classical music style and I’d love to see him bring that to the stage as the smooth-talking, fast-walking Professor Harold Hill with Daniels as the sensible and sensitive Marian…the Librarian.  Daniels’ performance in Porgy and Bess proved that she has the vocal timbre to handle the traditional Meredith Wilson score and, quite honestly, I’d just love to see their chemistry on stage.

Audra McDonald – St. Louis Woman
This show is already traditionally done with an all-Black cast. Most recently, it was seen as part of the City Center Encores Series with Vanessa Williams starring as the belle of St. Louis, Della Green.  However, I dream that Ms. McDonald recreates the role of Lila, the scorned, jilted lover who murders her cheating man, because that’s pretty much what we expect from an Audra performance and what she does best – dark with just a twinge of crazy.

In my excitement to devise my Broadway wish list, I came across only one problem: my performer list was too short.  I found myself coming up with the same male lead or the same female protagonist, reminding me that though the pool is expanding, we have yet to reach the level of equality that we strive for in this field.  We are still outnumbered and often discounted, but art is universal and diversity is on the rise.  We’re heading towards an era where inclusive casting won’t even need to be articulated.  Go ahead and take it in: non-traditional is the new normal.

The post BB Casting Agency: The Music Man & More appeared first on Broadway Black.

1. Hamilton in Cabinet Battle #1

“A civics lesson from a slaver. Hey neighbor, your debts are paid cuz you don’t pay for labor.”

Meaning: We all know slaves were the backbone of this entire country. Hamilton wasn’t afraid to remind Jefferson of that. It’s the thing we probably would have said to Jefferson if we could.

2. Angelica in “Satisfied”

“So this is what it feels like to match wits with someone at your level. What the hell is the catch?”

Meaning: Pretty self explanatory. Everyone wants their equal. However, what makes this line so cool is Angelica is the only sister that gets to rap in the play, and quite fast. Angelica is truly the only one that can keep up with him in a way. I see you, Lin.

3. Lafayette in “Guns & Ships”

“I’m taking this horse by the reins making Redcoats redder with bloodstains.”

Meaning: This entire song is rapped so fast, I miss most of it. However, this line particularly about the Redcoats getting redder with blood stains is awesome, violent, and bold.

4. Angelica in “Schuyler Sisters”

“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”

Meaning: This is a line in the Declaration of Independence. But when they said “all men,” they mean land-owning white men. To have a Black woman recite these lines that weren’t mean for us, followed with the lines “When I meet Thomas Jefferson, I’mma compel him to include women in the sequel.” The greatest.

5. Thomas Jefferson in “Washington On Your Side” 

“If Washington isn’t gonna listen to disciplined dissidents, this is the difference; this kid is out.”

Meaning: Did Jefferson just quit? I think so. Also, the alliteration of these lyrics is amazing.

6. Hamilton in “Cabinet Battle #2”

“A game of chess, where France is Queen and Kingless.”

Meaning: Burn! Chess is alluded to a lot in this musical. Queen and King are the most important pieces in a game. Hamilton is relating the current state of France to chess to show they really aren’t worth the fight.

7. King George III in “You’ll Be Back”

“You’ll be back soon; you’ll see. You remember you belong to me.”

Meaning: He’s talking about the U.S of A, you know? Britain thought they owned us for a period of time, and they did. But soon we broke “free.” This entire song is like a cheesy break-up song, saying we’ll be begging to come back, but look at us now!

8. Thomas Jefferson in “What Did I Miss?”

“I’ve been in Paris meeting lots of different ladies…”

Meaning: One of the ladies? Angelica Schuyler. BOOM! Remember when she said she would compel him to include women in the sequel?

9. Aaron Burr in “We Know”

“Alexander, rumors only grow. And we both know what we know.

Meaning: People will find out about the affair eventually. Plus, Hamilton knows all about Burr’s affairs too so it’s fair game.

10. Hamilton/Angelica in “Take A Break”

“My dearest, Angelica.”

Meaning: THE COMMA. It changes the meaning. Grammar is a funny thing. “My dearest, Angelica” vs “My dearest Angelica,” changes everything. The former saying that Angelica IS his dearest, where the latter is letter formality, it could be written to anyone. It was also Lin-Manuel’s way to add to the already underlying romantic tension between the two.  He calls it Commasexting. LOL.

Find more meanings & history of Hamilton lyrics on Genius.com!

The post How Lucky We Are To Be Alive Right Now, Hamilton Lyrics Decoded! appeared first on Broadway Black.

12 Angry Men, based on the book 12 Angry Men: True Stories of Being a Black Man in America Today, is a collection of personal stories of Black men from across the United States about being racially profiled. During a time when racial tensions are at an extreme high, conversations about this topic are not only necessary but extremely rewarding. The original book is a compilation of stories, essays, and personal accounts of racial profiling from Black men of various professions, backgrounds and ages. 

Each performance begins with a “talk back” conversation that will start seventy-five minutes before each show. The show stars Oberon K.A. Adjepong, Jerome Preston Bates, Sheldon Best, W. Tre Davis, Jason Dirden, Dulé Hill, Chuckwudi Iwuji, Dorian Missick, Roscoe Orman, Roger Robinson, Terrell Tilford, and John David Washington.

Shows run on Saturday, November 14th through Friday, November 20th with all performances starting at 8:00 p.m. and a 2:00 p.m. matinee on Sunday, November 15th. All performances take place at Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts at Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY. Tickets are available now and can be purchased here. 

There will be a student matinee on Wednesday, November 18 at 11:00 a.m. Email billieholiday.events@gmail.com for more information. Student seats are free and available to 8th-12th grade students, as well as college and university students, on a first-come, first-served basis.

The post 12 Angry Men Directed by George Faison Gets An Extended Run appeared first on Broadway Black.

The black-faced mask of minstrel shows is a lingering image from America’s past that still inflicts wounds today through its psychic hold…In the future if we are to be free from its terrible grip we must confront it boldly and courageously by staring back into its face and laughing at the absurdity of its representation until it no longer has the power to hurt us. Only then will it be vanquished and we are free to be. – Donald Byrd

The Minstrel Show Revisited interrogates and critiques the 19th century blackface entertainment genre that continues to play a significant role in cultural stereotyping. The work addresses current racial issues while shining the light on racist aspects of American history that are difficult to discuss. By using the conventions of the 19th century minstrel show, including the once common tradition of blackface, Byrd and his remarkable dancers confront audiences with the past and present manifestations of racism and perpetuation of stereotypes embedded in American culture and tradition.

While the original motivation for creating this piece was the racially motivated slaying of Yusef Hawkins, it’s still very relevant to the current social climate in America. With Eric Garner’s chokehold death and the deaths of Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland and many others, there isn’t a more important time for such a piece to be revisited and revised.

Donald Byrd’s work as a choreographer achieved international visibility with the creation of the Harlem Nutcracker and a Tony Award nomination for his 2006 choreography of Broadway’s The Color Purple. He has created more than 80 modern dance pieces for his own groups as well as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and The Joffrey Ballet. He was a fellow at The Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue at Harvard University for three years.

The Minstrel Show Revisited will play for three performances: October 28 and 29 at 7:30 pm and October 30 at 8 pm. Tickets are $30 – $55 and may be purchased online at www.nyuskirball.org, by phone at 212.998.4941, or in person at the NYU Skirball Center Box Office. The NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts is located at 566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square, New York, New York 10012.

The post Donald Byrd’s The Minstrel Show Revisited – Limited Engagement appeared first on Broadway Black.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy6wo2wpT2k

In my version of West Side Story, instead of Puerto Rican and white gangs, we’d replace those with African American and Latino gangs. With that switch, the perfect actress for the perfect role – the hopeless romantic female lead, “Maria,” – can only be played by Tony Award winner Patina Miller. While the “Maria” character is “supposed” to be a teenager, most of the actresses who’ve played the role on Broadway and on screen have been in their twenties. Carol Lawrence who originated the role in the 1957 Broadway production was 22 and Natalie Wood was 23 when she played the role on-screen. Miller, at 30, is older but she looks young enough to pull it off.

Miller made her West End and Broadway debuts playing “Deloris Van Cartier” in Sister Act and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her lead role in Pippin. Vocally, she will excel with the Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim tunes, although the role calls for a soprano. But, it’s my dream, so we’ll have the musical arranger work out those details. She has boundless energy and she’s multitalented enough to pull off any role. Even one that was written for a young Puerto Rican girl.

Patina Miller and the cast of the 2013 Broadway revival of the musical PIPPIN, perform the number “Simple Joys” live on the Late Show with David Letterman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI7SZnwRCJI

Seriously, is there someone out there who can make this happen?

The post BB Casting Agency: Patina Miller as West Side Story’s Maria appeared first on Broadway Black.