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“Julia and I met doing Hamilton, and I have been a fan of both her voice & her spirit ever since. The pandemic finally gave us the time & opportunity to create something together, and it’s brought me so much joy and light in such a challenging time. “Make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.”

If this puts a smile on your face, share with someone you know.

Also, check out last year’s Santa Baby video below.

 

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The post Amber Iman & Julia Harriman Bring Us “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” 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 featured historic speeches by many civil rights leaders performed by some of today’s 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.

It was said by the host, Ryan Coogler that the original artist of “Be Free,” J. Cole was unable to perform his own song because it was too painful. So, when Ryan Coogler introduced the performance and said that Anika Noni Rose would be singing the song, we fell out. Watch the entire performance below.

We will include more performances from this event as they become available.

Anika Noni Rose – Be Free

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Beyond Vietnam” read by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Shirley Chisholm’s Presenditial Campaign Announcement of 1972 read by Condola Rashad

India.Arie – I Am Light

We’ve uploaded a few of our favorite performances & speeches but there is so much more to see & witness. Watch the entire event or skim thru it below! Don’t forget the great speech by Harry Belafonte at the 2:55:00 mark.

The post Anika Noni Rose Sings Be Free By J. Cole + #MLKNow Performances appeared first on Broadway Black.

The other gift of musicals is the cast album. While an amazing play can leave you gasping for air, a great musical has you singing and annoying people on the A train all the way back to Harlem. (An unfortunate true story.)

So I was more than a little jazzed to learn that the revival of The Color Purple, which premiered last week at the Bernand B. Jacobs Theatre, announced that a cast album will be recorded this week and released via Broadway Records.

This latest version of Purple brings Grammy and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson to the Broadway stage. This woman has not met a medium she can’t tackle. She takes on the complicated role of “Shug Avery.” Might I also opine that Broadway is the sweet spot for a person with that powerful a voice. “Orange is the New Black” star Danielle Brooks takes over the role as “Sophia.”

And then there is Cynthia Erivo as “Celie.” All I can suggest you do is watch her and Ms. Hudson perform the title song to the musical in this official music video for the show.

The Color Purple has gone through its own transformations first as the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by author Alice Walker, to the acclaimed and controversial film directed by Steven Spielberg.

And then the film version’s Sophia, an unknown named Oprah Winfrey put her strength into pushing a Broadway production of Purple in 2005. The story is all about black women and their strength against odds and circumstances that would kill most of us dead.

The revival of Purple premiered at the Jacobs Theatre Dec 10th, 2015. To see what Broadway Black thought of the show click here. The cast album is set for a January 29^th release date. But…you can pre-order the music now. And click here to order your tickets to The Color Purple now.

The post iTuned In: The Color Purple Cast Album appeared first on Broadway Black.

“Christmas With Nova Y. Payton and Friends,” which opened December 8, is filled with some of Payton’s holiday favorites, including “This Christmas,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Santa Baby,” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” and many more. Music director Darius Smith, along with a chorus and band, join Payton during the evening.

Payton is known for her powerhouse voice. For years, she sang backup for legendary songstress Roberta Flack, joining Flack’s international tour to over 150 major cities across the U.S, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Europe. She also has toured with shows such as the blues-to-classical showcase Three Mo’ Divas with Laurice Lanier and Jamet Pittman as well as Smokey Joe’s Café, the juke joint-set musical revue of the songs of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

Payton made her Signature Theatre debut as “Motormouth Maybelle” in Hairspray for which she won a 2012 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Resident Musical. She also received the 2005 Barrymore Nomination for Best Actress for her role as “Effie White” in Dreamgirls at Prince Music Theatre. Payton recently reprised her role in the Milwaukee Repertory Theater production of the musical. The DC native also has appeared in regional productions of The Happy Elf, and Ain’t Misbehavin’.

Payton’s musical chops are clearly genetic as her mother is singer Thomascena Nelson, widely considered to be the “First Lady of Gospel Jazz.” According to Payton’s biography, it was Nelson who exposed Payton to “all things creative and artistic.”

Payton’s cabaret runs through December 24 and tickets can be purchased here.

Nova Y. Payton singing “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”

The post Christmas with Nova Y. Payton & Friends At Signature Theatre appeared first on Broadway Black.

This year is the 40th Anniversary of The Wiz and we are so thankful that NBC has been showing respect in so many great ways. The newest of ways is in the People.com web exlcusive. You’ll see Stephanie Mills & Shanice Williams along with Broadway musical director Zane Mark. As Mark plays the piano, the two amazing talents duet and sing “Home” with such ease and grace it will blow your mind. We also love that a “Sing, Shanice!” was thrown in there because we were saying the same thing on our end. This is just a piece of heaven.

Stephanie Mills, who was the original Dorothy in the Broadway production of The Wiz in 1975 and for the revival in 1984, will play Aunt Em in NBC’s live production of the musical December 3.

Watch Mills & Williams sing “Home” from The Wiz in intimate performance below. 

The post When Dorothy Meets Dorothy: Stephanie Mills & Shanice Williams Duet “Home” From The Wiz appeared first on Broadway Black.

Get ready to hit the road with this star-studded cast in #TheWiz! https://t.co/DmoZVHGiKT pic.twitter.com/V4dVpcRoty

— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) November 2, 2015

Now we have a bit of news that’s so wonderful, we couldn’t wait to share it! Ne-Yo, who has been cast as the “Tin Man,” is not only a wonderful singer and dancer but a prolific songwriter. He has penned hits such as “Let Me Love You” for Mario, Rihanna’s “Unfaithful” and “Take a Bow” and Beyonce’s girl power anthem “Irreplaceable.” Elijah Kelley, who has been cast as “Scarecrow,” is also a phenomenal singer, dancer and actor known for roles in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” and the film adaptation of “Hairspray.”  These two got together with members of “The Wiz Live!” creative team, hitmaking super producer Harvey Mason, Jr. and Broadway musical director and orchestrator Stephen Oremus, and have written a brand new song for “The Wiz Live!” This tantalizing information was announced during a Q&A session at the Apple Store in Soho. The new song is a part of the effort to make this version of the beloved adaption of “The Wizard of Oz” fresh and exciting for new audiences. Fans can expect to hear the song sung by the yellow brick quartet of “Dorothy,” “Cowardly Lion,” “Tin Man,” and “Scarecrow.”

We cannot wait to hear the new music and look forward to the live performance of “The Wiz Live!” on NBC. It has been a favorite of audiences for years and we are sure that this new iteration of an iconic Black classic will be just as delectable as the original that we know and love.

Pre-order the album from Amazon HERE!

The post Ne-Yo & Elijah Kelley Pen New Song for The Wiz Live! 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.

The Grammy and Oscar Award winner has a lot going on these days: moving from her hometown of Chicago to New York, being scouted to play one of the most iconic vocalists of all time, and oh yeah, her BROADWAY DEBUT! J-Hud recently took some time out of her busy rehearsal schedule to chat it up with Time Out New York about her big move, playing Aretha Franklin, and preparing for her empowering role in The Color Purple. And believe it or not – she’s nervous!

Right now, stepping out and doing something like this and not knowing what’s to come, how it’s going to work…. To me, there is no more frightening world to walk into than Broadway, because it’s probably the industry I’ve always respected the most.

It’s hard to believe that a woman who has performed at the Super Bowl, lead the Whitney Houston Tribute at the Grammys, and faced off with Simon Cowell would have anything to be nervous about. However, Hudson admits that even she was surprised when she was offered the role of sassy sexpot Shug Avery in the new production.

If any of them, I probably would have seen myself playing Celie [the meek, guarded protagonist]. I think the most surprising role to see me in is Shug. She’s so glamorous, and I don’t think people see me like that. When they called me about playing the role, I was like, Weird. But then I realized, I do got some Shug in me… Celie has a vulnerable innocence about her, a box of emotion that people always tap into, and that’s a huge part of me, too, you know.

Following rave reviews in London, American fans of the original production are eager to experience director John Doyle’s stripped down revival of The Color Purple as it makes its way to the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre November 10.

John is a brilliant director and interpreter,” praised Hudson. “He has an incredible talent for shifting the focus to the emotion of the story. I think that is what’s most exciting about working with him.

There have also been rumors that the powerhouse may star in an upcoming Aretha biopic from “Straight Outta Compton” producer Scott Bernstein. She played coy about that one, but did discuss why the role would be important to her:

I feel like that would probably be the most challenging and the most motivational for me to play since Effie. I feel like that would be the next, most similar thing and challenging at the same time… I grew up listening to my older cousins, and they were obsessed with Aretha. They were heavily influenced by her, and I took it from them. But I love her now. I love all her music. I just love that era. Atlantic, Motown—I wish we made music like that today.

Read the interview in its entirety HERE! The Color Purple, also starring Cynthia Erivo and Danielle Brooks begins previews Nov. 10 with a Dec. 10 opening.  To purchase tickets, visit here.

The post Jennifer Hudson Saw Herself Playing Celie In The Color Purple appeared first on Broadway Black.

Joining the principal cast members are Grasan Kingsberry (The Color Purple original 2005 cast) and Kevyn Morrow (A Chorus Line) will be Dwayne Clark (Spiderman), Lawrence Clayton (Bells Are Ringing), Carrie Compere (Holler If Ya Hear Me), Bre Jackson (Book of Mormon), 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 make their Broadway debuts with The Color Purple revival.

From The Color Purple Website;

Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson(Dreamgirls) has dazzled the world with her matchless talent. This fall, she makes her long-awaited Broadway debut as the sultry Shug Avery in the joyous and triumphant musical The Color Purple.

This unforgettable and intensely moving new production mesmerized audiences when it premiered at London’s acclaimed Menier Chocolate Factory, where critics hailed it as “a revelation” (Mark Shenton, The Stage). Now, this American classic comes to Broadway with a powerhouse cast including celebrated London star Cynthia Erivo, who will recreate her electrifying performance as Celie, along with “Orange is the New Black” star Danielle Brooksas Sophia.

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.

The new staging cuts approximately 30 minutes of material from the original production. Tickets for the musical are on sale to the general public, the prices range between $75.00 and $145.00. The production begins previews Nov. 10 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Opening night is set for Dec. 10. You can purchase your tickets here or by calling 212.239.6200.

The post Full Cast of The Color Purple Starring Jennifer Hudson, Cynthia Erivo, & Danielle Brooks Announced appeared first on Broadway Black.

According to the creative team, Polkadots: the Cool Kids Musical follows 8-year-old Lily Polkadot who  just moved to the “Squares Only” small town of Rockaway. As the first Polkadot in an all Square school, Lily faces an almost impossible task of gaining acceptance from her peers. After constant bullying from mean girl Penelope, Lily’s quest seems hopeless until she meets Sky, a shy Square boy whose curiosity for her unique polkadot skin blooms into an unexpected friendship. Inspired by the events of The Little Rock 9, Polkadots: the Cool Kids Musical serves as a colorful history lesson, reminding us all that our individual differences make us awesome, not outcasts.

The song, “Sticks & Stones,” is performed by Brittney Johnson (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), who appeared as Lily Polkadot in the industry reading in August 2015. Directed by Amy Anders Corcoran, the cast also featured  Gerard Canonico (Spring Awakening) as Sky Square,  Talia Thiesfield (HBO’s “Veep”) as Penelope Square and Sara King (Hair) as Mrs. Square/Mama Square. Creator Douglas Lyons (Five Points: An American Musical) is the show’s lyricist and co-composed the score alongside Greg Borowsky (Sony ATV). The book is by Melvin Tunstall III (BlooM! the Musical).

Check out a clip of the amazing song below and make sure to download the full thing for yourself on Monday. It will be available via Soundcloud!

UPDATE: It’s HERE!

@sunnybrittney recording “Sticks & Stones” from our demo session today! pic.twitter.com/DEmv2EBjfg

— Polkadots Musical! (@Polkadotmusical) September 9, 2015

The post Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical Release Free Download for World Day of Bullying Prevention appeared first on Broadway Black.