The Antonyo Awards were originally conceived in 2020 by Drew Shade of the multimedia company Broadway Black, which is dedicated to highlighting the achievements and successes of African American theatre artists on and off the Broadway stage. 

The inaugural ceremony, presented on Juneteenth 2020, was live-streamed on YouTube and was heralded by international press, including The New York Times, NPR and the BBC. The 2020 Antonyo Awards were the first awards show to feature non-gendered categories.

“The Antonyo Awards were born to remind ourselves of the joy that Black theatre artists have created in a fractured country,” Shade commented. “For almost 10 years Broadway Black has championed Black voices in many different ways and we are thrilled to move from the well-received initial streaming broadcast in our first year to a fully produced awards ceremony at the legendary Apollo Theater, the centerpiece of live performance in Harlem.”

Nominations for the 2022 Awards were announced on Monday, June 20, 2022 (Juneteenth Observed).

The nominating committee consisted of theatre professionals Alaina Newell, Ayanna Prescod, Brittani Samuel, Juan Michael Porter II, Eric Emauni, Drew Shade, Judith Lovell, and Cody Renard Richard.

Nominations for the 2021-2022 Antonyo Awards are: 

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY (OFF-BROADWAY) 
Abena, Merry Wives
Stephanie Berry, On Sugarland
Billy Eugene Jones, On Sugarland
Andrea Patterson, Confederates
Andrea Patterson, Cullud Wattah
Alicia Pilgrim, Cullud Wattah
Britton Smith, To My Girls

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY (BROADWAY)
Ron Cephas Jones, Clyde’s
Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind
Brandon J. Dirden, Skeleton Crew
Luke James, Thoughts of a Colored Man
Tendayi Kuumba, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Kenita R. Miller, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Kara Young, Clyde’s

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (OFF-BROADWAY)
Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo
Adrianne Danrich, Intimate Apparel
Alysha Deslorieux, The Visitor
Tamika Lawrence, Black No More
Ephraim Sykes, Black No More
Lillias White, Black No More

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (BROADWAY)
Charity Angel Dawson, Mrs. Doubtfire
Sidney DuPont, Paradise Square
Ayana George, MJ: The Musical
Jared Grimes, Funny Girl
James Jackson Jr., A Strange Loop
L Morgan Lee, A Strange Loop
Tavon Olds-Sample, MJ: The Musical

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Bill T. Jones, Chloe Davis, Gelan Lambert, Paradise Square
Raja Feather Kelly, A Strange Loop
Darrell Grand Moultrie, Space Dogs
Adesola Osakalumi, Skeleton Crew
Ellenore Scott & Ayodele Casel, Funny Girl
Ellenore Scott & Jeffrey Alkins, Mr. Saturday Night

BEST DIRECTION (OFF-BROADWAY)
Saheem Ali, Merry Wives
Saheem Ali, Nollywood Dreams
Stori Ayers, Confederates
Candis C. Jones, Cullud Wattah
Awoye Timpo, Wedding Band
Whitney White, On Sugarland

BEST DIRECTION (BROADWAY)
Lileana Blain-Cruz, The Skin of Our Teeth
Steve H. Broadnax III, Thoughts of a Colored Man
Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Zhailon Levingston, Chicken & Biscuits
Charles Randolph-Wright, Trouble in Mind
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Skeleton Crew

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Kathy A. Perkins, Trouble in Mind

Stacey Derosier, Wedding Band

Alan C. Edwards, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

BEST SCENIC DESIGN
Chris Cumberbatch, Gong Lum’s Legacy
Lawrence E. Moten III, Chicken & Biscuits

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Rena Anakwe, Wedding Band
Justin Ellington, Clyde’s
Justin Ellington, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Jimmy Keys, Confederates
Twi McCallum, Little Girl Blue
Mikaal Sulaiman, On Sugarland

BEST COSTUME DESIGN (OFF-BROADWAY)
Dede M. Ayite, Merry Wives
Dede M. Ayite, Nollywood Dreams
Ari Fulton, Confederates
Kara Harmon, Cullud Wattah
Toni-Leslie James, Suffs
Qween Jean, On Sugarland

BEST COSTUME DESIGN (BROADWAY)
Montana Levi Blanco, The Skin of Our Teeth
Sarafina Bush, Pass Over
Sarafina Bush, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Toni-Leslie James, Paradise Square
Emilio Sosa, Skeleton Crew
Paul Tazewell, MJ: The Musical

BEST WIG/HAIR DESIGN (BROADWAY)
Cookie Jordan, Clyde’s
Cookie Jordan, The Skin of Our Teeth
Nikiya Mathis, Nollywood Dreams
Nikiya Mathis, Confederates
Earon Chew Nealey, Cullud Wattah
Earon Chew Nealey, On Sugarland

BEST DIGITAL THEATER PRODUCTION
After Midnight, Signature Theatre Streaming On Demand
The Last 5 Years, Out of the Box Theatrics and Holmdel Theatre Company
Semblance, New York Theatre Workshop

BEST AUDIO THEATER PRODUCTION
Dreamgirls on Clubhouse, Leroy Church
The Lion King on Clubhouse, Noelle Chesnut Whitmore
Mugabe, My Dad & Me, Tonderai Munyevu, Audible Theater
Paradise Blue, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Audible Theater

BEST MUSICAL ENSEMBLE
Black No More
Caroline, Or Change
Intimate Apparel 
MJ: The Musical
Paradise Square
A Strange Loop
The Visitor

BEST PLAY ENSEMBLE
Clyde’s
for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Skeleton Crew
The Skin of Our Teeth
Thoughts of a Colored Man
What To Send Up When It Goes Down
Wedding Band

BEST MUSIC IN A PLAY
Starr Busby, On Sugarland
Justin Ellington, Tambo & Bones
Justin Hicks, Cullud Wattah
Alphonso Horne, Wedding Band
Te’La and Kamauu, & Keenen Scott II, Thoughts of a Colored Man
Jimmy Keys, Skeleton Crew
Bill Sims Jr., Lackawanna Blues

BEST ORCHESTRATION
Joseph Joubert, Caroline, or Change
Daryl Waters, Black No More
Jason Michael Webb, MJ: The Musical

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Masi Asare, Paradise Square
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
James Posner, Daryl Waters, Anthony Tidd, Tariq Trotter, Black No More

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Kwame Kweo-Armah, The Visitor
Lynn Nottage, Intimate Apparel
Lynn Nottage, MJ: The Musical
John Ridley, Black No More

*NOTE: A Strange Loop was ineligible, as it won this category in 2020. Productions are ineligible for nomination if they have previously won the category for the same work.

BEST SOLO PERFORMANCE
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Lackawanna Blues
Laiona Michelle, Little Girl Blue

BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY (OFF-BROADWAY)
Kyle Beltran, Case for the Existence of God
Crystal A. Dickinson, Cullud Wattah
Susan Kelechi Watson, Merry Wives
Kiki Layne, On Sugarland
Kristolyn Lloyd, Confederates
Jacob Ming-Trent, Merry Wives
Daniel J. Watts, The Last of the Love Letters

BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY (BROADWAY)
Uzo Aduba, Clyde’s
Gabby Beans, The Skin of Our Teeth
Laurence Fishburne, American Buffalo
LaChanze, Trouble in Mind
Ruth Negga, Macbeth
Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew
Namir Smallwood, Pass Over

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (OFF-BROADWAY)
Justin Austin, Intimate Apparel 
Kearstin Piper Brown, Intimate Apparel
Brandon Victor Dixon, Black No More
Britney Nicole Simpson, Penelope, or How the Odyssey Was Really Written
Bryonha Marie Parham, A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet
Tariq Trotter, Black No More

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (BROADWAY)
Sharon D. Clarke, Caroline, or Change
Myles Frost, MJ: The Musical
Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square
Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop

BEST REVIVAL
Macbeth
Skeleton Crew
Trouble in Mind
Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
Merry Wives
The Skin of Our Teeth

**NOTE: for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
was ineligible, as it won this category in 2020. Productions are ineligible for nomination if they have previously won the category.

BEST PLAY
Clyde’s by Lynn Nottage
Confederates by Dominique Morisseau
Cullud Wattah by Erika Dickerson-Despenza
Nollywood Dreams by Jocelyn Bioh
On Sugarland by Aleshea Harris
Thoughts of a Colored Man by Keenan Scott II
What To Send Up When It Goes Down by Aleshea Harris

BEST MUSICAL
Black No More
Caroline, or Change
Intimate Apparel
MJ: The Musical
Paradise Square
A Strange Loop

LORRAINE HANSBERRY AWARD
This award is given to a Black female-identified or nonbinary femme playwright/book writer whose contributions to the stage have exemplified the balance of dynamic storytelling and social justice ideologies. 

Erika Dickerson-Despenza

LANGSTON HUGHES AWARD
This award is given to a Black male-identified or nonbinary masc playwright/book writer whose contributions to the stage have exemplified the balance of dynamic storytelling and social justice ideologies.

Mansa Ra

THE DOORS OF THE THEATRE ARE OPEN AWARD OR THE DR. BARBARA ANN TEER AWARD
This award is presented to a theatre company or brick-and-mortar theatre that has demonstrated a fervent commitment to celebrating and uplifting the full breadth of Black people’s humanity. 

Karamu House in Cleveland, Ohio

THE WELCOME AWARD OR THE KYLE JEAN-BAPTISTE AWARD
This award is presented to newcomers in the New York Black Theatre scene who show great promise to contribute a great deal to our community.

Esco Jouléy for their work in Wolf Play

THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT ANTONYO AWARD

Leslie Uggams

Shows by nominations:

Black No More – 10 
On Sugarland – 9
Cullud Wattah – 8
MJ: The Musical – 8 
Skeleton Crew – 8
A Strange Loop – 7 
Clyde’s – 7 
Confederates – 7  
Paradise Square – 7 
Intimate Apparel – 6 
Merry Wives – 6
The Skin of Our Teeth – 6 
Thoughts of a Colored Man – 5 
Wedding Band – 5 
Caroline, or Change – 4 
for colored girls… – 4 
Nollywood Dreams – 4 
Trouble in Mind – 4
Chicken & Biscuits – 2 
Funny Girl – 2 
Lackawanna Blues – 2 
Little Girl Blue – 2 
Macbeth – 2 
Pass Over – 2 
Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 – 2 
The Visitor – 2
What to Send Up When It Goes Down – 2 
After Midnight – 1 
American Buffalo – 1 
Case for the Existence of God – 1
A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet – 1
Dreamgirls on Clubhouse – 1 
Gong Lum’s Legacy – 1 
Kimberly Akimbo – 1
The Last 5 Years – 1 
The Last of the Love Letters – 1
The Lion King on Clubhouse – 1 
Penelope, or How the Odyssey Was Really Written – 1
Mr. Saturday Night – 1  
Mrs. Doubtfire – 1 
Mugabe, My Dad & Me – 1
Paradise Blue – 1 
Semblance – 1 
Space Dogs – 1 
Suffs – 1 
Tambo & Bones – 1
To My Girls – 1

The post The 2nd Annual Antonyo Awards To Be Presented Live at the Legendary Apollo Theater appeared first on Broadway Black.

Antonyo Award nominations will be announced Tuesday, June 9th at 7:00 pm EST on Broadway Black’s YouTube and Facebook pages by Bryan Terrell Clark and Kristolyn Lloyd and the public will vote on their favorites.  The Online voting will be open from June 9th, 7:30 pm EST through midnight on June 12th at BroadwayBlack.com. 

The Antonyos will take place at 7:00 pm EST on June 19, 2020, Juneteenth, and will be shown on Broadway Black’s YouTube and Facebook pages.  The streamed ceremony will include a pre-show virtual red carpet, original musical numbers, star presenters and performers, and more.  Four special “Kinfolk Awards”  – the Lorraine Hansberry Award, the Langston Hughes Award, Welcome Award and The Doors of the Theatre are Open Award – will also be presented to members of the Black theatre community as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award to be announced prior to the event.

Current presenters and performers include: Audra McDonald, Tituss Burgess, Alex Newell, Jordan E. Cooper, Teyonah Parris, Ephraim Sykes, LaChanze, Derrick Baskin, Nicolette Robinson, Jelani Alladin, Christiani Pitts, James Monroe Iglehart, Amber Iman, Kalen Allen, Nzinga Williams, Jackson Alexander, Cody Renard Richard, Ashton Muñiz, Shereen Pimentel, Kirsten Childs, Aisha Jackson, Antoine L. Smith, Griffin Matthews, Michael McElroy, Jocelyn Bioh, and L Morgan Lee.

Voting is open to the public right now. Visit the booth and cast your vote here.

Check out the entire list of nominations for The Antonyo Awards.

The post The Antonyo Awards to Celebrate Black theatre on Juneteenth…Audra McDonald, Tituss Burgess & more to appear! appeared first on Broadway Black.

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.

Hughie is a short, two-character play by Eugene O’Neill set in the lobby of a small hotel in midtown New York during the summer of 1928. The play is what’s known as a two-hander, a term for a play with only two main characters. It’s about the recently deceased night clerk of a grim hotel on Manhattan’s West Side who’s still mourned by “Erie Smith,” a drunk and hustler keen on impressing Hughie’s replacement, “Charlie Hughes,” with memories 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, who also helmed the Tony-winning Red and the current West End production Photograph 51 starring Nicole Kidman, will direct the play.

Most of us are accustomed to seeing Broadway newcomer Whitaker 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 received Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards for his performance. He is slated to appear next on the big screen in “Star Wars: Rogue One.” Whitaker is also a noted director having directed the iconic 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 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. Previews for the production will begin on February 5.

The post Forest Whitaker Gets Co-Star & Official Dates For His Broadway Debut appeared first on Broadway Black.

Inglehart – who has been granting wishes since March 2014 when Aladdin opened at New Amsterdam Theatre – shared the stage with Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical) and Josh Strickland (Tarzan: The Broadway Musical), as they performed musical selections and shared backstory from several Disney theatrical productions.Inglehart and Brown offered up duets of “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” (The Lion King), “It’s A Jolly Holiday” (Mary Poppins) and “God Help The Outcasts” (Hunchback of Notre Dame). As a trio, they performed selections from AIDA, “Son of Man (Tarzan) and “Friend Like Me” (Aladdin). Other shows highlighted were: Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Frozen and The Little Mermaid.

For Inglehart’s solo song, he gave a buoyant rendition of the catchy tune “Under The Sea” from the Hans Christian Anderson-inspired story.

If you are on a Caribbean cruise ship, the Alan Menken-composed/Howard Ashman-penned song for the 1989 The Little Mermaid film – which won an Academy Award for “Best Original Song” and a Grammy for “Best Song Written for Visual Media” – the voyage wouldn’t be complete without the Calypso beat. Or, if it’s the Delta Air Lines’ U.S. Open OPEN Mic event, you just might hear it sung by top-ranked American professional tennis player Serena Williams. On Aug. 26, at the U.S. Open pre-event in New York City, Williams – the first Black female athlete to appear solo on the cover of Vogue – took to the stage for some karaoke. Accent, dance moves, and all.

https://youtu.be/GYKEHc0GpqE

Having provided guest voice work on a 2005 episode of Playhouse Disney’s (now Disney Junior) animated kids show”Higglytown Heroes,” perhaps Broadway is in her future. I would be in the house on opening night. But, I digress…

When The Little Mermaid opened on Broadway in 2007 Tituss Burgess, with his particularly high tenor voice, originated the role of “Sebastian the Crab.” Burgess, a main cast member of the Netflix original series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” was nominated this year for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Inglehart – a native of Hayward, California – originated the role of Bobby in Memphis in October 2009, and he also played Mitch Mahoney in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as a replacement starting in April 2007.

The post Who Sings It Best: Tituss Burguess, James Monroe Iglehart, or Serena Williams appeared first on Broadway Black.

Leading the way is Broadway veteran and Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning actress Viola Davis who was nominated for lead actress in a drama for her role as “Annalise Keating” in ABC’s “How to Get Away With Murder”. Davis won Tony and Drama Desk Awards for her role as “Rose” in August Wilson’s Fences in 2010 and Tonya in Wilson’s King Hedley II in 2001. Davis also won another Drama Desk Award for her work in the 2004 off-Broadway production of Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage.

Davis wasn’t the only actress from “How to Get Away With Murder” who received an Emmy nomination.

Stage and film heavyweight Cicely Tyson received a nomination for guest actress in a drama for her appearance as Davis’ mother. Tyson is no stranger to theatre, having appeared in more than a dozen stage plays beginning with 1957’s Dark of the Moon. In 2013, she won a Tony Award for her spectacular portrayal of “Miss Carrie Watts” in The Trip to Bountiful. She also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for the role.

Theater mainstay and Broadway star Titus Burgess was nominated for supporting actor in a comedy series for his role as “Titus Andromedon” in the Netflix hit “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”. Burgess was widely acclaimed for his role as “Sebastian” in The Little Mermaid and “Nicely-Nicely Johnson” in the 2009 revival of Guys and Dolls.

Other notable African-American Broadway veterans who received Emmy nominations include:

Reg E. Cathey

Cathey nominated for guest actor in a drama for his role in the Netflix political drama “House of Cards”, has appeared in several Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. In 2002, he won an Obie Award for Ensemble Performance for Talk.

Andre Braugher

Braugher who’s appeared in productions of The Whipping Man in 2011 and Hamlet in 2008, was nominated as a supporting actor in a comedy for “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”.

Angela Bassett

Bassett made her Broadway debut in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone in 1988. After a successful film career, she returned to Broadway opposite Samuel L. Jackson in The Mountaintop in 2012. Bassett received a supporting actress in a limited series/movie Emmy nomination for her role in “American Horror Story: Freak Show”. 

Khandi Alexander

Alexander, who appeared in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls, was nominated as guest actress in a drama for her role as “Maya Pope” in “Scandal”.

Also, Taraji P. Henson who was a Musical Theatre Major in college will make history alongside Viola Davis. The ladies will be the first African-American best actress, drama category nominees to be nominated at the same time.

We can’t forget Queen Latifah for her countless roles in musical movies (Hairspray, Chicago, & now Bessie) or Uzo Aduba who, before OITNB, appeared on Broadway in the musical Godspell and the play Coram Boy.

The Complete list for the 18 black nominees for the 67th Annual Emmy Awards:

1. Viola Davis, How To Get Away With Murder (lead actress drama)
2. Taraji P. Henson, Empire (lead actress drama)
3. David Oyelowo,Nightingale (lead actor limited series/movie)
4. Queen Latifah, Bessie (lead actress limited series/movie)
5.  Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (supporting actor comedy)
6. Anthony Anderson, black-ish (lead actor, comedy series)
7. Don Cheadle, House of Lies (lead actor, comedy series)
8. Uzo Aduba, Orange Is The New Black (supporting actress, drama series)
9. Reg. E. Cathey, House of Cards (guest actor in a drama series)
10. Cicely Tyson, How To Get Away With Murder (guest actress, drama)
11. Khandi Alexander, Scandal (guest actress, drama)
12. Keegan-Michael Kay, Key & Peele (supporting actor, comedy series)
13. Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (supporting actor, comedy series)
14. Niecy Nash, Getting On (supporting actress, comedy series)
15. Michael Kenneth Williams, Bessie (supporting actor, limited series/movie)
16. Regina King, American Crime (supporting actress, limited series/movie)
17. Angela Bassett, American Horror Story: Freak Show (supporting actress, limited series/movie)
18. Mo’Nique, Bessie (supporting actress, limited series/movie)

The post Broadway’s Black Actors Receive Record Breaking Emmy Nominations 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.

@BroadwayBlack tell your friends! https://t.co/ePtLhRPnEB

— Tituss Burgess (@TitussBurgess) June 10, 2015

The first session will be held June 22-23 from 11am-4pm and the second session will be June 29-30 from 11am-4pm.

This is an incredible opportunity for artists to get up close and personal with this great talent to learn all of his tricks of the trade and have their own talent enhanced and fine tuned! To be considered, artists must send a video of themselves singing a song of their choosing along with a current head shot and résumé to Titussmasterclass2015@gmail.com. Your admission includes two new selections for your musical theatre book chosen by Tituss to be coached by him during the class.

The admission fee is $250 and the deadline for audition submissions is June 17.

Set up your camera, sip your warm tea and sing like you want this! Remember, you are Broadway Black!

Watch the master at work below as we sings his rendition of HOME from The Wiz years before he was Unbreakable with Kimmy Schimdt.

The post It’s A Miracle! Tituss Burgess Offers Master Class appeared first on Broadway Black.

When NBC made the announcement at the end of March that its next live musical would be The Wiz the internet went into a tizzy! Immediately theatre lovers begin pitching their dream casts! Theatre names like Anika Noni Rose, Nikki M. James , Tituss Burgess, and Condola Rashad were tossed about and mainstream names like Chris Brown, Usher, Janelle Monae, and Beyonce were also thrown into the mix. There was a great concern from many theatre buffs that NBC would cast “known” names to draw in viewers instead of casting actors and actresses more familiar with the stage. To this director Kenny Leon responded with great confidence that commercial casting would not take place. “We will tell the story with the best, available cast..no tricks- no worries!”, stated the Tony Award winner. Keke Palmer, if casted, would bring both audiences; theatre and popular culture fans.

The Wiz– based on L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz- made its Broadway debut in 1975. The musical went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Original Score among other recognitions. The cast included the talents of Stephanie Mills, Ted Ross, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Mabel King. The film adaptation was released in October 1978 and included an equally impressive cast- Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Lena Horne, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross and Richard Pryor. There has not been a Broadway revival of the classic since that time so it’s no wonder everyone is over the moon with excitement! We certainly can’t wait!

Make sure you continue to follow Broadway Black for all of the updates on everything The Wiz!

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He originated the role of Bobby in the Tony-winning musical Memphis. Other NYC: The 25^th Annual…Spelling Bee and The Wiz. Film/TV: “The Good Wife” and “The Electric Company” (the Silent E Soloist). He is a member of the hip-hop improve group Freestyle Love Supreme which you’ll be able to see why in his interview towards the end. He was also seen in one of our favorite new Netflix original series The Unbreakable Kimmy Schimdt as the archnemisis of Tittus Burgess‘ character, Titus.

Fresh from his Tony Award-winning, nightly show-stopping performance in as the beloved Genie in Disney’s Aladdin, as well as Broadway performances in Memphis and Spelling Bee, James Monroe Iglehart makes his 54 Below debut with How the Heck Did I Get Here? James relives his obsession with being cool, getting girls and a becoming a star told through funny childhood stories and songs ranging from R&B, Hip-Hop, Gospel and Broadway (and maybe a country tune!). CBS New York says that “Iglehart’s performance is a classic example of traditional song-and-dance Broadway brilliance. His charisma shines almost as bright as his smile, and he has created a genie that you never want to leave the stage. It’s Iglehart’s warmth that seems to leap off the stage and into the delighted hearts of lucky theatergoers of all ages, warmth that is so charming and so magnetic that it’s almost palpable.” Come see the “fun-loving, fast-talking, smooth-singing Genie” that all of Broadway is talking about!

How the Heck Did I Get Here? May 4 & 18, 2015 

GET YOUR TICKERS HERE

Broadway Black Box host, Andrew Shade, sits down with the Tony winning performer to really find out how the heck did he get here! Check out the interview below and don’t forget to comment and tell us what you think!

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