Mr. Jones’s Broadway career began in 1957, and in 1958 Mr. Jones played his first role at the Cort Theatre in Sunrise at Campobello. Over the following six-and-a-half decades Mr. Jones rose to star in countless stage and screen productions (including twenty-one Broadway shows), becoming one of a small number of lifetime “EGOT” (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winners. Mr. Jones’s Tony awards include Best Actor in a Play for The Great White Hope (1969) and Fences (1987), as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. He has additionally won seven Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honor. 

“The Shubert Organization is so incredibly honored to put James—an icon in the theatre community, the Black community, and the American community—forever in Broadway’s lights,” said Robert E. Wankel, Shubert CEO and board chair. “That James deserves to have his name immortalized on Broadway is without question.” 

“For me standing in this very building sixty-four years ago at the start of my Broadway career, it would have been inconceivable that my name would be on the building today,” said Mr. Jones of Shubert’s decision to rename the Cort Theatre in his honor. “Let my journey from then to now be an inspiration for all aspiring actors.” 

During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shubert has performed extensive renovation and construction work at the site of the Cort Theatre (including construction of a new, contemporary wing off of the building’s western face). The work is planned for completion in the summer of 2022, and when the building reopens for productions, Shubert will hold a formal dedication ceremony. 

Mr. Jones has appeared in fourteen Broadway productions at Shubert theatres, including two at the Cort Theatre. Most recently Mr. Jones portrayed Weller Martin across from Cicely Tyson’s Fonsia Dorsey in the 2015 Broadway revival of Donald L. Coburn’s The Gin Game at Shubert’s John Golden Theatre. 

The Cort Theatre opened in 1912, having been designed in the style of an Eighteenth-Century French palace by renowned theatre architect Thomas Lamb to house productions of theatre impresario John Cort. The building was sold to the Shubert brothers in 1927. 

THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION 

The Shubert Organization is America’s oldest professional theatre company and the largest theatre owner on Broadway. Since the dawn of the 20th century, Shubert has operated hundreds of theatres and produced hundreds of plays and musicals, including the current Broadway shows Come From Away, Company and Macbeth and the upcoming Some Like It Hot. Shubert currently owns and operates 17 Broadway, six Off-Broadway theatres, and the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia. Under the leadership of Robert E. Wankel, Chairman and CEO, The Shubert Organization continues to be a leader in the theatre industry. Shubert delivers innovative ticketing solutions via its Telecharge interface, API distribution, and private-label technology, offering unparalleled distribution and marketing to the theatre industry and beyond. Its consumer-facing brands—Telecharge for retail ticket sales and Broadway Inbound for group buyers, tour operators, and the travel industry—sell millions of tickets each year. The Shubert Foundation, sole shareholder of The Shubert Organization, Inc., is dedicated to sustaining and advancing live performing arts in the United States. The Foundation provides general operating support to not-for-profit theatres and dance companies. Foundation grants in 2021 totaled $32.1 million. 

The board members of Shubert are Laura Forese, Wyche Fowler, Jr., Pamela Newkirk, Diana Phillips, Richard J. Poccia, Lee J. Seidler, Stuart Subotnick, and Robert E. Wankel. 

The post The Shubert Organization Announces The Naming of The James Earl Jones Theatre appeared first on Broadway Black.

Courtesy of @Crossroadstheatrecompany/IG

On February 20th, 2021 Douglas Turner Ward (playwright, actor, director, and theatrical producer) a pillar in the Black theatre community passed away. Ward founded The Negro Ensemble Company with Robert Hooks and Gerald Krone in 1967. By the time Ward had come together with Krone and Hooks to create The Negro Ensemble Company, he had already been on Broadway in the original 1959 cast of A Raisin in The Sun. He was cast in a small role while understudying Sidney Portier. In the mid 1960s Ward created a play called Day of Absence that was about Black people disappearing from a southern town. In the production, Black actors wore whiteface makeup in order to play white characters left alone without their Black neighbors, and it showcased Ward’s scathing satirical humor when it came to writing. The production was accompanied by an article in The New York Times written by Ward titled “American Theater: For Whites Only?” The article called for a Black repertory theatre company. A year after the production, a grant in the amount of $434,000, was awarded to Ward and with the funds, The Negro Ensemble Company was created with Ward as the Artistic Director and Krone and Hooks in other leadership roles.

“Just to lighten up the heavy political raps, I started writing primarily satirical things.  And, ultimately wrote my first performance piece. It was called Star of Liberty, concerning the rebel slave Nat Turner. This little play, which was only a half hour long, was performed before an audience of nearly 5,000 people at a rally. Well, the response to this play at the rally was very thrilling. I was nineteen years old when I wrote this piece and that led me in the direction of trying to write more directly for the theatre.  Because up until then, I’d been messing around with short stories and other genres.  Sports writing had been my primary interest, but now drama was beginning to take the focus.”

The Negro Ensemble Company has a notable roster of alumni such as Debbie Allen, John Amos, Angela Bassett, Roscoe Lee Browne, Adolph Caesar, Godfrey Cambridge, Rosalind Cash, Keith David, Giancarlo Esposito, Antonio Fargas, Laurence Fishburne, Frances Foster, Al Freeman, Jr., Danny Glover, Louis Gossett, Jr., David Alan Grier, Moses Gunn, Jackée Harry, Sherman Hemsley, Kene Holliday, Samuel L. Jackson, Cleavon Little, Delroy Lindo, S. Epatha Merkerson, Debbi Morgan, Garrett Morris, Denise Nicholas, Ron O’Neal, Phylicia Rashad, Esther Rolle, Richard Roundtree, Clarice Taylor, Glynn Turman, Denzel Washington, and Lynn Whitfield, and many more. His 1981 production of A Soldier’s Play, who’s original cast included David Allen Grier, Denzel Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson was revived in January 2020 and has earned 7 pending Tony nominations. In the years after it’s founding The Negro Ensemble Company produced some important works such as The River Niger, written by Joseph A. Walker, which later opened on Broadway and won the 1974 Tony Award for best play, with Ward as director and performer. There was a 1976 film adaptation that starred Cicely Tyson, James Earl Jones and Louis Gossett, Jr.

 

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Ward was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 1996 and has won many awards over his career such as an Obie, a Tony, and a Drama Desk Award. The Negro Ensemble Company earned a special Tony award.

The post You Should Know: Douglas Turner Ward and The Negro Ensemble Company appeared first on Broadway Black.

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.

Courtney B. Vance

In 1987, August Wilson’s biggest hit, Fences opened on Broadway starring Courtney B. Vance as Cory Maxson. At 27 years old Courtney was receiving his first of three tony nominations alongside James Earl Jones leading the ship as Troy Maxson. After his turn as Cory, Courtney’s career exploded. He began working in the same year on the film, Hamburger Hill and has been consistently working in stage, film, and television ever since.

Hugh Quarshie

In 1989, Hugh Quarshie starred in the first production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in the UK. Then Quarshie was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company but his performance as Levee launched him into stardom on the British stage and screen. Since then Hugh has appeared on Doctor Who, Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace, and last took lead the RSC’s Othello.

Laurence Fishburne

In the beginning of his career, Larry Fishburne (his name at the time), was a stage actor that split some time with the screen when he could. In 1988, Laurence starred in Spike Lee’s School Daze and followed it with the 1991 classic Boyz N the Hood but in 1992 his life changed. Laurence opened the original Broadway company of Two Trains Running as Sterling and won the tony for Best Featured Actor in a play. In the same year, He won his first Emmy and the rest is history.

Ruben Santiago Hudson

To many, Ruben Santiago Hudson is known as one of the greatest black directors of all time with greats like George C. Wolfe and Kenny Leon. But Ruben’s first rendezvous with August Wilson’s work was as Canewell in the original Broadway cast of Seven Guitars starring Viola Davis and Keith David. He won the tony in 1996 for Best Featured Actor has not looked back since. Now he’s considered an expert on the Pittsburgh cycle and continues to spread August Wilson’s legacy across the country.

Samuel L. Jackson

Sam’s big break came a little later but without his work, we would not know two of August Wilson’s best pieces. Samuel L. Jackson developed and starred in the first productions of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson and Two Trains running at Yale Repertory Theatre. He was unable to continue with the projects because he’d developed an addiction to alcohol but after years of rehabilitation and steady work, Samuel L. Jackson became the highest grossing movie star we know him to be today.

Viola Davis

There are few actors to this day that know August Wilson’s work as intimately or fiercely as Viola Davis. Davis’ Broadway debut was in Seven Guitars in 1996 with Ruben Santiago Hudson. In 2001, the Juilliard grad won her first tony playing Tonya in Wilson’s King Hedley II alongside Brian Stokes Mitchell. Nine years later, she became the second black woman to win the tony for Best Actress in a play for her work as Rose Maxson in the 2010 revival of Fences starring Denzel Washington. Then in 2017, Viola won an Oscar for her work as Rose in the film adaptation of Fences. It is hard to find more ways to clearly show that Viola is the greatest of all time, and a true student of August Wilson’s work.

The post 6 Actors that got their “Big Break” doing August Wilson shows appeared first on Broadway Black.

BB: So is this a good transition for you into the theatre community?

AR: Yes. (laughs) I already knew you were gonna ask me that. 

BB: Is there an ideal role that you have?

AR: Yes there is and I can’t talk about it yet. 

BB: For another time?

AR: (Still laughing) Yes for another time. 

The post Amber Riley Will Play Effie in ‘Dreamgirls’ on the West End appeared first on Broadway Black.

Henry will be joined on stage by actress and singer Caissie Levy in “Life is a Cabaret: The Songs of Kander and Ebb” to celebrate composer John Kander’s 90^th birthday. Over five decades, Kander and his songwriting partner, Fred Ebb, have composed songs for several hit Broadway shows, including Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Scottsboro Boys, and Chicago.

It’s obviously fitting that Henry would perform in a tribute to this icon as he secured a Tony Award nomination for his role as “Heywood Patterson” in Kander and Ebb’s musical The Scottsboro Boys in 2010.

As we previously mentioned, Henry is joining the stellar all-star cast of Shuffle Along when previews begin on March 14, at the Music Box Theatre, with official opening set for April 21. The production will present the landmark 1921 African-American musical revue Shuffle Along alongside the behind-the-scenes details that led the songwriting team of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake and librettists F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles to create this groundbreaking work. Henry will take on the role of Noble Sissle with Brandon Victor Dixon playing Eubie Blake.

“Life is a Cabaret: The Songs of Kander and Ebb” will be performed on Friday, March 10, 2017, at 8 PM, Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. The New York Pops led by music director Steven Reineke, has announced its 2016-17 five-concert subscription season at Carnegie Hall.

The post Joshua Henry Joins The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall appeared first on Broadway Black.

The play, written by Lanie Robertson and directed by Lonny Price, tells the story of the legendary jazz icon’s loves and losses through a turbulent but extraordinary life. Providing the backdrop to these stories are the moving and stirring songs that Holiday is most famous for – “God Bless the Child,” “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” “Strange Fruit,” “Crazy He Calls Me,” and “Taint Nobody’s Biz-ness.” The production will play at Wyndham’s Theater from June 25 to September 3. The official opening is scheduled for July 5. 

In Shuffle Along, McDonald will take on the role of “Lottie Gee” and Brian Stokes Mitchell will appear in the role of “F.E. Miller.” Billy Porter takes on the role of “Aubrey Lyles,” with Brandon Victor Dixon and Joshua Henry as “Eubie Blake” and “Noble Sissle.”

McDonald made Broadway history with a record-setting sixth Tony Award for her perfomance in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. She also has the distinction of being the first person to receive awards in all four acting categories. She has also won Tony’s for Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, and Porgy and Bess. We’ll cross our fingers and hope that her performance in the West End production will wow British audiences as much as it did those on Broadway and bring her an Olivier Award.

For tickets and more information about the West End production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill visit here.

BREAKING! @audraequalitymc will take a break from #ShuffleAlong to do @LadyDayWestEnd! #br… https://t.co/ud5ogDQFZn pic.twitter.com/IYpDc6lh1n

— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) January 15, 2016

The post Audra McDonald To Make West End Debut In Lady Day appeared first on Broadway Black.

Hamilton 

What is a best of 2015 list without Hamilton? Not a list at all. The hip-hop musical about America’s most controversial founding father with its diverse cast and #hamiltunes that will be stuck in your head forever earns its prized spot on the list. Any show capable of selling out for over a year is a winner in my book. #HamilTonys

Invisible Thread 

Did I mention I saw this show four times? I’m not kidding. The only reason it wasn’t more is because I’m not rich and I went home for Christmas break. The show that tells the story of one man’s incredible journey of self and the people’s lives he impacts was a no-brainer on my list. The dancing, the acting, and the singing is enough to bring you in and take you to new places. #Belamusana

The Color Purple 

Of course, The Color Purple was going to make this list. Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks and Jennifer Hudson make their Broadway debuts and they enter with a big ol’ splash. The simplistic styling of this musical requires the actors to give their all and bare it on the stage, which they do every night. I see Tonys in their future.

Whorl Inside A Loop 

No wonder it’s going to Broadway!  It’s that darn good. Second Stage is doing some pretty awesome things over there on 43rd Street, if this show is any indication. It tells the story of an actress teaching prisoners how to tell and act out their personal stories. This show definitely tugged at my heartstrings and now, hopefully, many more will be able to witness its brilliance.

The Gin Game 

Legendary. James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson sharing the stage again was one of the most amazing moments of 2015. Being able to just be in that room and watch these masters grace the stage effortlessly was a big deal. Black don’t crack, and neither does our ability to memorize scripts and get out there and be amazing eight nights a week.

Barbecue 

The Public Theater also has some hits on their hands. Barbecue centered around family, addiction, and making difficult choices. Written by Obie Award Winning Playwright Robert O’Hara, the play was full of twists and turns that left audiences gasping and guessing about what was going to happen next.

Paradise Blue

Our girl Dominique Morisseau came through. The production is directed by the always amazing Ruben Santiago-Hudson and stars Tony Award-nominee De’Adre Aziza (Passing Strange), Golden Globe-nominee Blair Underwood (A Street Car Named Desire), and Andre Holland. This show, which is the first in a trilogy, made waves at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Like Morisseau herself, I doubt it’s the last you’ll hear about it.

An Octoroon 

An Octoroon (the term “Octoroon” is a person who is one-eighth Black) is all about race in the United States. The brilliant show written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins got its start at Soho Rep and uses satire to get at the United States’ horrible legacy of slavery. Incorporating Black face, red face and everything in between, this show took it there unapologetically. An Octoroon can make an entire audience uncomfortable and force them to face the harsh realities of this “great” nation all in one. After all, art is an imitation of life, right?

Amazing Grace

Gone too soon. The song I sang as a child suddenly held more weight when I finally was able to see this show in the summer. Beautifully and thoroughly executed, Amazing Grace was a gracious piece of theatre that wasn’t afraid to go there. While it may have left Broadway, the cast recording will be enough to keep me going.

Eclipsed 

This is another one that moved from Off-Broadway because of its stellar cast and amazing story. Danai Gurira is genius. Set during the Liberian Civil War, Eclipsed tells the stories of the captive wives of a rebel officer who band together to form a fragile community—until the balance of their lives is upset by the arrival of a new girl. Heartfelt, funny, and mesmerizing are just a few adjectives to describe how great of a show this is.

Special Mention: The Wiz Live!

How could I make a list without The Wiz Live! on it? This show and all of its #melaninmagic captivated audiences everywhere. The old classic story of The Wiz with a modern twist appealed to audiences young and old, and brought together an entire community on Dec. 3rd. That night also made us realize Shanice Williams was going places, Stephanie Mills has still got it, David Alan Grier has some serious pipes, Uzo Aduba and Queen Latifah can do no wrong, Amber Riley was underappreciated on Glee, and “conversate” is an actual word.

Thats our list, what did you see that you put on your list? Sound off in the comments below and check out in-depth information on all of these shows on our site!

The post And The Winner Is…Broadway Black Top 10 of 2015 appeared first on Broadway Black.

The annual celebration has become the star-studded event of the season attracting A-listers from Broadway to D.C. to Hollywood.  Tyson was one of six honorees celebrated for their lifetime contributions to the arts and American culture.  Other honorees included Rita Moreno, Carole King, George Lucas and Seiji Ozawa.

Broadway Black beauties Viola Davis and Kerry Washington were on hand for Tyson’s tribute to share all the ways the timeless 90 year old had inspired them and their work.

“Cicely Tyson does not merely act,” said Washington. “She soars. She sings. She vibrates. She is music.”

Davis, who recently worked opposite Tyson as her daughter on the hit-series “How to Get Away With Murder,” had this to say about the icon: “my friend, my inspiration, my TV mother…[she] motivates others to follow her lead and her dreams.”

Since her breakthrough performance in the critically acclaimed “Sounder,” Tyson has earned a bevy of Academy, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations over the span of her 60-year career.  In 2013, she won her first Tony Award for her captivating portrayal of “Carrie Watts” in A Trip to Bountiful.  She can currently be seen on Broadway in The Gin Game with long-time friend, James Earl Jones.

In all, Tyson has nearly 100 acting credits in film, TV and stage, but as Producer Tyler Perry explained, she has always been selective in the works with which she chooses to associate herself.

“She turned down more roles than you could imagine because they didn’t lift or serve us as a people,” Perry said. “For six decades, she has been diligent in her pursuit to better us all.”

When asked how she felt about receiving the presidential honor, she simply responded, “I am still in shock,” the humility ironic against her regal sophistication. “I consider this tantamount to being honored by the queen.”

The 38th Annual Kennedy Center Honors will air on CBS on Dec. 29 at 9 P.M.

UPDATE:

Kerry Washington gives an amazing introduction for Cece Winans, Terrence Blanchard, & The Cicely Tyson Community School of Performing & Fine Arts Choir singing Blessed Assurance.

Aretha Franklin performs (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman like you’ve never seen before for another honoree, Carole King.

The post Kennedy Center Honors Featuring Cicely Tyson Airs on CBS appeared first on Broadway Black.

The musical was originally produced off-Broadway by Lincoln Center Theatre in 1994 and is inspired by Arthur Schnitzler’s 1897 play La Ronde: Hello Again. The original production earned eight Drama Desk nominations including Best Musical.

McDonald joins an all-star ensemble that includes Martha Plimpton, T.R. Knight, Tyler Blackburn, and Rumer Willis. The story follows “10 lost souls who skip across 10 periods in New York City history, slipping in and out of one another’s arms and beds in a daisy-chained exploration of lust’s bittersweet embrace of love. Its central characters are the Whore, the Nurse, the College Boy, the Young Wife, the Husband, the Young Thing, the Writer, the Actress and the Senator.”

Ash Christian, Tom Gustafson, Cory Krueckeberg, and Hunter Arnold are producing the film. Krueckebert wrote the screenplay and Michael John LaChiusa provided the music and lyrics. The film has already begun production in New York.

McDonald is no stranger to the big screen as she recently appeared alongside Academy Award winner Meryl Streep in “Ricki and the Flash.” She’s also appeared in “Seven Servants,” “The Object of My Affection,” “Cradle Will Rock,” “It Runs in the Family,” “Rampart,” and “The Best Thief in the World.” McDonald will also provide the voice of “Garderobe” in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” slated for release in 2017.

The post LaChiusa’s Hello Again Starring Audra McDonald Begins Filming appeared first on Broadway Black.