You’ll see some familiar faces in this musical comedy sketch. Rodney Hicks, best known for his roles in the original companies of RENT & Scottsboro Boys, takes on the role of a commentator. He throws a little shade at Beyonce but we’ll let him live. Also, Krystal Joy Brown, known as the last Diana Ross on Broadway in Motown: The Musical, is seen here as a moderator for the Super Bowl discussion. Watch the video below!

CAST:
Rodney Hicks as Commentator 1
Scott Richard Foster as Commentator 2
Krystal Joy Brown as Moderator

CREW:
Written by David Ingber
Producer: Todd Pellegrino & Pete Iannucilli & New Wave Entertainment
Director: Evan Kaufman
Music Composition: Brian Usifer

The post Rodney Hicks & Krystal Joy Brown Spit Fire In The Super Bowl Mixtape appeared first on Broadway Black.

We see you NBC. You have a taste for that live theater again don’t you. We’re not mad.

And now that you have kinda announced yet another spectacular live broadcast, this time, “Hairspray,” we are all abuzz. We feel we need to make a suggestion.

First off! Good choice! This musical,set in 1962 Baltimore, is light with enough emotional and political weight to get people’s attention. And the productions dealing with racial injustice will be interesting to see on the small screen.

Having said all that, we feel we need to make a suggestion.

Please, Please, Please Put Jenifer Lewis in as “Motormouth Maybelle.” Here are our top 5 reasons why.

1. She already played the role on Broadway in 2008.

2. Who is Jackie Washington? If you have to ask this question you have not watched the absolutely laugh out loud hilarious comedy “Jackie’s Back“. This move was like a comedic primer for actresses. Her over the top delivery is so well placed here. You are laughing from beginning to end, and proving that Ms. Lewis has the gravitas to take any role and make it her own.

3. If you watch Black-ish then you have yet another reason for why she is a comic genius. Her one-liners are sometimes better than an entire episode.

4. Jenifer is a wonderful singer in her own right.

5. Finally, Ms. Lewis is unpredictable live. I saw her at an event in New York, and she had people laughing even as she won an award for her career. Her sole goal seems to be to make us laugh, and she would be perfect on that stage in front of a live audience.

So go on NBC. Keep churning out the musicals, but don’t forget the right talent can make or break it. And we are betting that Jennifer Lewis would be a home run on any stage especially as Motormouth Maybelle.

Sincerely,

A Few Concerned Theater Geeks

The post Who Should Play Motormouth Maybelle for Hairspray Live 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.

Miranda’s works bring an energy and zest to the theatre that have drawn the praise of Jennifer Lopez, Joss Whedon and President Barack Obama. Cleverly fusing hip hop and salsa into the score of In the Heights and doubling back for more hip hop with a healthy splash of R&B for Hamilton, Miranda seems to be on a winning streak. But a Broadway smash does not guarantee that the musical will work on film.

In 2008, Manuel was excited when Universal Pictures acquired the film rights for his Tony Award-winning Best Musical, In the Heights. At the time, Miranda was expected  to reprise the role of leading man, Usnavi, with  Quiara Alegría Hudes, who wrote the Tony-nominated book, and was set to write the screen adaptation. But after concerns about signing on a big enough Latino star who would sell internationally, and an enormous $37 million dollar budget, the concept simply did not work as originally planned.

A lot of the reason the Universal version of Heights went away is that they were afraid they didn’t have a big enough Latino star to bankroll this movie. The people I dealt with at the studio who wanted to make this movie were very passionate about it. We had a very strong hand at the wheel with Kenny Ortega, who has made some of the great musical movie moments of all time, from Newsies to Dirty Dancing. But the bean counters were like, “Well, they don’t sell international.” You know this speech very well. That’s Hollywood being scared, and that’s everyone there having to answer to somebody else. And one of the things I learned was, the less money that’s involved, the more power you have.

The experience has now led to a revamp of the screenplay and a $15 million dollar budget. Manuel feels these changes are much better and should move the project forward.

In terms of a possible movie from his current hit Hamilton, Manuel says,

I have been amazed at the filmmakers who have expressed interest in adapting Hamilton. I would insist that the movie be exactly the same in terms of diversity. That conversation’s a ways off: It’s not happening anytime soon. What I learned from my go-round with In the Heights is that it’s tough to make a movie. In Hollywood, even the people in charge have people in charge.

For now, there is no clear answer of when, or if, either of these amazing productions will hit movie theaters. And that’s okay, because if it does happen, it’s quite clear that Manuel is determined not to lose the essence of either show just to sell movie tickets. That’s the kind of integrity that’s currently lacking in Hollywood. Even the venerable and iconic film maker Spike Lee agrees,

” I haven’t seen anything this DOPE on stage or screen in years…Game recognize game.”

The @SpikeLee in the 3rd row at the matinee…I felt like John Starks on that stage! Thanks maestro. #HamiltonPublic pic.twitter.com/MLyxdX2GR5

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) March 21, 2015

And that is exactly how we like it! For more information on In the Heights or Hamilton click here.

The post In The Heights & Hamilton In Talks For Hollywood appeared first on Broadway Black.

You could say it’s in the genes. While Jennifer Hudson gears up for her Broadway debut as Shug Avery in The Color Purple, her son five-year old David Daniel Otunga Jr. could well be on his way to join her on the Great White Way.

A few weeks ago, Hudson posted a video on Instagram of the duo singing Wiz Khalifas “When I See You Again”, and as you probably figured it was adorable. Captioned as “Boss Baby felt like singing too,” little David is clearly singing his heart out and giving his all.

Boss baby felt like singing

A video posted by Jennifer Hudson (@iamjhud) on Jul 12, 2015 at 5:37pm PDT

Jennifer sat down with the Today Show last week to discuss her upcoming role on Broadway and her little future Broadway star that she says, “has the gene [singing gene].” Like mother, like son. And if you thought the five-year old was afraid of the Big Apple, think again.

“He’s excited,” said Hudson. “He’s like, ‘Mommy? So we’re moving to New York? When are we moving?’ And every time we come throughout the summer, he’s like, ‘Are we here to stay now?'”

Boss Baby will get his wish soon enough, as The Color Purple begins previews at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre November 10, with opening night set for Thursday, December 3

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Alice Walker, The Color Purple features a book by Marsha Norman with music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. Also starring in the revival are Cynthia Erivo and Danielle Brooks. The Color Purple tells the story of a woman named “Celie” as she navigates her life in rural Georgia in the early 1900s. The original Broadway production opened in 2005 with LaChanze, who won a Tony for her performance in the leading role of “Celie”. This revival will be directed by John Doyle, whose stripped-down production opened in London on July 15, 2013. The new staging cuts approximately 30 minutes of material from the original musical.

Tickets are available now online here and by calling Telecharge at 212.239.6200. Tickets will be made available in person at the box office starting this fall. In the meantime, Jennifer Hudson’s version of “Too Beautiful For Words” is still available to download, that should be enough to hold you over until November, just like Boss Baby David, we’re excited too.

The post Jennifer Hudson’s Son Could Be Next In Line For Broadway appeared first on Broadway Black.

Of course, everyone has their opinion on who would be an ideal fit, and I am no exception.  Caveat: the following picks were chosen because of how I think their voices would sound on particular songs, not necessarily because they have the dramatic chops to pull off the role. (which reflects how these things are perceived sometimes to be cast)

With that in mind, these are my casting choices for The Wiz:

Dorothy: There are several artists who could perform this role (e.g., Janelle Monae, Jordan Sparks), but I think an interesting choice would be Tamia. Tamia is one of those singers who is a success but completely underrated.  Tamia has vocal control, tone, emoting, and range. She would be a great choice.  And as this clip shows, not only can she sing, but she harmonizes well, which is critical in most of the songs Dorothy sings.

Evilene: This was a tough call. There are a lot of singers who can belt out a song. The main requirements for “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News” are that the singer needs to blow the roof off of the theatre and needs to take the listeners to church. But what also needs to be conveyed is some serious attitude. I dare you to watch this and not think that Ledisi won’t have you ready for the offering plate and scared out of your ruby red slippers at the same time.

Glinda; Hands down, my choice is Patti LaBelle.  “Home” is obviously the centerpiece song of the musical, but “Believe in Yourself” is a powerful song that can move one to tears in the hands of the right singer. If LaBelle’s rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is any indication, there won’t be a dry eye in the audience.

Cowardly Lion: This was a bit tough, as finding a true tenor isn’t as easy as one might think.  But after much thought, Anthony Hamilton came to mind. His recent tribute to Percy Sledge and B.B. King shows that his voice would be well suited for “(I’m a) Mean Ole Lion.”

Tin Man: Obba Babatunde (Dreamgirls), no stranger to the Broadway stage, would be a great fit for Tin Man.  The Tony nominated actor dances, sings, plays instruments, and would add much needed gravitas to “What Would I Do If I Could Feel.”

Scarecrow: This is an interesting one. After going back and forth trying to decide between a few options, it came down to young Chris Brown (the pre-tattoos and jail version). He can sing, dance, and act well enough to convey the sense of sincere naïvete for the Scarecrow. A predictable choice? Perhaps, but one that would be a simple fit.

The Wiz: Dave Chappelle would be an unorthodox choice. His comedic timing is obvious, but since walking away from the spotlight, Chappelle has acquired a bit of seriousness, even in his standup routines, which could translate to his ability to make The Wiz a sympathetic character.  It’s a risky choice, but could yield a huge payoff.

Obviously this list is quite the dream, but I’m anxious to see what NBC will do with their final castings.  No matter who is chosen, I’ll be watching.

The post How It Could Go Down: The Wiz Live Cast appeared first on Broadway Black.

The way my high school history books were written, every single one of those historical figures was white. Manuel did something here. He could have maintained historical “accuracy.”  However, this musical wasn’t about that. He threw out the typical format and hired people of color to fill these roles and guess what? It didn’t matter. Hamilton became an instant hit and no one is criticizing it for its colorblind casting because it’s just that good. The actors make these characters believable regardless of their skin color. What Manuel wanted to create was art, and art doesn’t have a race. It has an impact.

I remember going to see Keke Palmer in Cinderella back in 2014, looking around the theatre, and being brought to tears. I cried because I saw hundreds – and I’m not exaggerating — of young Black girls in tiaras and pretty dresses in the theatre. They were there to see Keke and to experience theatre, some for the very first time. And there was a Black girl playing the princess on the stage. I was so overcome with happiness and joy because it was so important for them, and me, to see. When I was leaving the theatre, a little girl said, “Mommy, I want to do that!” And she can!

What if this could happen all the time? I know we have shows like The Color Purple and Motown, which have no choice but to cast Black actors. However, those shows come and go (that’s another article, for another time). What I’m talking about is something a little different. Oftentimes when I’m catching a show on Broadway, I rarely see faces of color on the stage in lead or featured roles. Sure, I usually can spot them in the ensemble or they may be the understudy, but where’s our full-time Black Elphaba? Does Captain Hook have to be white? Aren’t there Black LGBTQ youth too? Black people go to Paris, right? I’m sure there are tons of Black girls and boys that never want to grow up, so where is their Finding Neverland?

There’s a term in theatre and film called “non-traditional” casting. That term is basically code for non-white actors. For the life of me, I’ve been trying to figure out why they call actors of color “non-traditional.” Are our stories and lives not “traditional?” Do we lack a certain trait to make us “traditional?” What does this even mean?

The answer is something I’ve been trying to discern but, at this point, I don’t think it matters. In the past three years I’ve seen more actors of color in roles that for so long have been cast with predominately white actors. Taye Diggs as Hedwig? Norm Lewis as The Phantom? Condola Rashad as Juliet? Even Trip To Bountiful, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof cast all Black actors during their Broadway runs. When I see that, it’s a great feeling. My question, then, is why doesn’t it happen more? Is it so far off to believe that as people of color we, too, can live these experiences?

I say these things with a spirit of hope, as I was once a young Black girl attending the theatre. I know the impact of seeing actors on stage that look like you. I also know what it feels like to be automatically ruled out of a role based on the color of your skin. Even now as a Performing Arts teacher, I want to be able to take my students to shows where they can look at that stage and turn to me and say “Ms. Harper-Davis, I’m gonna do that.”

Yes, scholar. Yes, you will.

UPDATE: ***In the featured photo: All black cast of “Oklahoma!” at Portland Center Stage from 2011. A fantastic cast and production, and one of their best selling shows ever. In the photo are Jarran Stepney-Muse as Will Parker and Joy Matthews as Aunt Eller

The post Hamilton To Hedwig: When “Non-Traditional” Casting Becomes Traditional appeared first on Broadway Black.

Tituss Burgess

Tituss Burgess (The Little Mermaid, Jersey Boys, Good Vibrations, Guys and Dolls) is most recently known for his portrayal of Titus Andromedon in the Netflix series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” But he’s not letting any moss grow under his theatrical feet.  Burgess recently revealed, “I’m writing a musical…that I will likely star in. I [have a working title that I can’t tell you]. I can tell you that it’s based on a movie Whitney Houston did, and it’s not ‘The Bodyguard.'”

By process of elimination, it’s probably not “Cinderella,” since it was just onBroadway in 2013, and it’s obviously not “The Bodyguard.” This leaves “The Preacher’s Wife,” “Waiting to Exhale,” and “Sparkle” as possible choices.

In “The Preacher’s Wife,” a cleric begins to doubt himself and is visited by an angel. The heavenly emissary is supposed to help the good reverend over his midlife crisis, but he is distracted by the cleric’s lovely young wife (Houston). A 1996 remake with gospel music of the “The Bishop’s Wife,” with a soundtrack featuring Houston’s soaring vocals aided with the Georgia Mass Choir,”The Preacher’s Wife,” could be a natural transition to adapt this story to the stage.

“Sparkle” is a timeless story of the bonds of family, the trials of success and the power of music. Sparkle, a young woman whose big dreams seem almost impossible is warned against the pitfalls of the music industry by her protective mother (Houston), yet encouraged by the handsome and ambitious Stix. Sparkle forms a trio with her sisters. Together, they perform the soul-stirring songs that Sparkle pens. But as their fame grows, so does the risk of jealousy, self-doubt and insidious temptation. “Sparkle’s” Dreamgirls-like story and wonderful music would work well on the stage.

The most interesting and perhaps challenging idea would be “Waiting to Exhale.” Navigating through careers, family and romance, four friends bond over the shortcomings in their love lives — namely, the scarcity of good men. Both as the “other woman,” Savannah (Houston) and Robin carry on relationships with married men, each believing their lovers will leave their wives for them. On the flip side, Bernadine ends up alone when her husband divorces her for his mistress. Meanwhile, Gloria finds love with a new neighbor. “Waiting to Exhale” is a compelling story and, although music would have to be written, the story and characters are strong enough to be a draw for audiences.

No time frame has been set for the musical to be finished, but it is sure to be a hot ticket once it comes to fruition. Broadway Black will have the news on which Whitney Houston movie will become a theatrical musical as soon as it breaks!

The post A Whitney Houston Movie Turned Musical By Tituss Burgess On The Horizon? appeared first on Broadway Black.