If you haven’t caught Lewis on stage, what better time than now to experience the warm presence of one of Broadways’s most versatile actors in the intimate setting of Broadway’s favorite supper club.

Apparently this has been a goal of the Tony-nominated leading man for quite some time.

He shared with 54 Below:

To be in the heart of Manhattan at this time of year and share the holidays with an audience is something I’ve always dreamed of doing. It’s like having your own TV Christmas Special…Only LIVE! I am really looking forward to it and we’ve already started rehearsing …so I’m ready for some surprises. I also plan on inviting some SPECIAL GUESTS to join me for each of the nights.

Norm Lewis Wishes You a Swingin’ Christmas will be directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, the past director of Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s american company. Come expecting to hear some of the songs he’s made famous, along with others you’d never expect him to sing. Of course he’ll be ringing in the holiday cheer with Christmas classics, but he’ll be adding a twist.

Special guests will be announced at a later date.

For tickets visit  54below.com or normlewis.com. 

The post Norm Lewis Hosts Swingin’ Holiday Concerts appeared first on Broadway Black.

Pop and R&B princess Mariah Carey has had a record breaking eighteen number one singles on the Billboard charts. Carey also boasts over 200 million album sales and is the best-selling female artist of all time. Currently, the 5 octave chanteuse is performing for her residency in Las Vegas at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.  Carey’s show “Mariah #1 to Infinity” will be the first time she will perform all 18 of her number one hits in one concert. And while the Las Vegas show has been met with some not so nice reviews , there is no doubt that she has cemented her name as a dominator of the charts. No one croons about the highs and lows of love and courtship quite like Mimi!

Regardless of the Vegas reviews, a Mariah Carey tribute is still the perfect accompaniment to the fine dining at 54 Below. The swanky top nightspot affectionately dubbed Broadway’s Supper Club, “offers an unforgettable New York nightlife experience, combining performances by Broadway’s best with world class dining in an elegant setting. 54 Below has become Broadway’s living room; a home away from home for Broadway professionals and audiences alike” according to the website.

For more information on how to purchase tickets for this fabulous night of food and fresh vocal arrangements of the Mariah Carey’s hit, check out www.54below.com

The post Mmm…Mmm…Mimi! 54 Below Serves Up Mariah Carey’s Hottest Hits appeared first on Broadway Black.

Selected as a Time Out NY Critics’ pick, Villain: DeBlanks is a murder mystery with a following, complete with its own website and an ever-growing list of well-known, award-winning “rogues,” or stars. This performance’s all-Black cast includes: returning rogue Brenda Braxton (Chicago, Cats, Dreamgirls, Jelly’s Last Jam, Smokey Joe’s Café), Kingsley Leggs (Sister Act, Color Purple) and Angela Robinson (Color Purple). Robinson has also appeared as Veronica Harrington in “The Haves and Have Nots,” the primetime soap opera created by Tyler Perry and airing on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Trent Armand Kelly (Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Hair, Chess, Into the Woods), Carly Hughes (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Pippin, Book of Mormon, Ragtime) and Bernard Dotson (Finian’s Rainbow, Imaginary Friends, Dreamgirls, Ragtime) round out the on-stage talent.

54 Below is located at 254 West 54th Street, below famed Studio 54. Doors open at 8:45pm. 54 Below is described as Broadway’s Supper Club and boasts a Tony-award winning pedigree that rivals those of the stars it showcases and the VIPs who make the famous address a preferred venue. Fill in the blanks on your Tuesday night in a seat no more than 24 feet from the stage and kick back in “Broadway’s living room,” while indulging in “world-class dining.”

Proceeds benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. Ticket prices range from $25-$60 with an additional food and beverage cost of $25 and a cover charge of $5 at the door. Tickets can only be attained by calling (646) 476-3551 at this time.

The post One Night Only: Villain: DeBlanks at 54 Below Tonight appeared first on Broadway Black.

Inspirational albums for Hughes’ record player include: Calypso by Harry Belafonte; Broadway My Way by Nancy Wilson; Salt by Lizz Wright; Lioness: Hidden Treasures by Amy Winehouse; and Funky Divas by En Vogue. Hughes is very much in vogue these days and has, well, been giving her audiences something they can feel. For her time at Broadway’s supper club it will be no different, only more intimate.

Fans will have a chance to see the Columbia, Maryland native in this solo performance before she reprises her debut Broadway role as Velma Kelly in the current revival production of the Tony-winning Chicago. She will be the vaudevillian and murderess for 16 performances from Aug. 22-Sep. 4, replacing Amra-Faye Wright during her hiatus. Amy Spanger (Rock of Ages) also returns to Roxie Hart for a two-week engagement from Aug. 4-16, after Grammy Award winner Brandy Norwood took her bow Aug. 2 from the nearly four-month stint.

In its 19th year on Broadway, Chicago – featuring the tunes of John Kander and Fred Ebb – tells the story of dancer Roxie Hart, who murders her lover after he threatens to leave her, and works over the press by hiring a slick criminal lawyer.

Recipient of the prestigious national Princess Grace Award for Acting and Excellence in the Arts, Hughes was most recently The Leading Player in Pippin, arriving to the stage September 2014 as the final replacement (after Ariana DeBose and Ciara Renee) for original cast member Patina Miller before the show’s close in January. Prior to that, she was Lucille/Shirley of the Shirelles in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. In January, Hughes was among the voices of BROADWAY SINGS P!NK to showcase new arrangements of her Broadway songs from these two shows. At the 2014 Tony Awards, she performed an unforgettable rendition of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” from Beautiful.

And, yes, we will still love Carly Hughes tomorrow… and the next day, and the day after that, and… forever.

The 14-year acting veteran – whose additional Broadway credits include Ghost, The Book of Mormon, Ragtime, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – isn’t done for the year, though. Her vocal stylings will soon be seen alongside Jason Alexander, Nikki M. James and the late Dennis Farina in the upcoming movie musical Lucky Stiff, adapted for the screen by Tony Award winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime).

Tickets for Carly Live at 54 Below! can be purchased at 54below.com.

The post Carly Hughes Makes Solo 54 Below Debut & Chicago Musical Return appeared first on Broadway Black.

#BroadwayBlackFriday!

Melba Moore made her Broadway debut as Dionne in the original production of Hair in 1967. She won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical in 1970 for her performance in Purlie as Lutiebelle. In 1978, she returned to Broadway in Timbuktu.

Be sure to catch what is sure to be a memorable night with a spectacular talent! Check out a preview for her performance below!

Tickets for Melba Moore at 54 Below can be purchased by visiting 54below.com.

54 Below -Broadway’s Supper Club is located at 254 W. 54th St., New York, NY 10019.

Join Grammy nominee and Tony Award winner Melba Moore as she takes the 54 Below stage! Hailing from a musical family, Ms. Moore graduated from the famed Arts High School in Newark, New Jersey. At the encouragement of her parents, she went on to pursue music education at Montclair State University where she earned her Bachelor of Music Education Degree. However, her inner voice told her to see if she could make it as a performer. After listening to that inner voice, she landed roles in classic shows such as Hair, Les Misérables, and Purlie, for which she earned her Tony Award. Although Ms. Moore enjoyed working on Broadway, she never forgot her first love of music. She has recorded several albums and has enjoyed great success musically with such chart topping songs as “Love’s Comin’ At Ya,” “Living For Your Love,” and “Read My Lips,” for which she received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal.

Now hear Ms. Moore’s musical versatility live at 54 Below! Guests can expect to hear everything from the works that earned her star status on the Great White Way to the chart topping hits from her recording career.

The post Melba Moore Live In Concert At 54 Below appeared first on Broadway Black.

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!

The post Broadway Black Box Featuring James Monroe Iglehart appeared first on Broadway Black.

Hilarity and silliness ensues as Robin De Jesus tries to figure out why learning, growing up, turning 30 and “becoming a better person” sucks. Expect to hear Broadway standards, 90′s pop, today and tomorrow’s hits.

After starring on Broadway in Rent, In the Heights, and La Cage Aux Folles Robin can currently be seen on Broadway in the hit musical Wicked. Robin is also known to many from the hit indie movie Camp where he played the central role of Michael Flores. This is Robin’s second show at 54 Below after his successful run with Crush to Crushed.  “Don’t be surprised if you leave Robin De Jesus’s cabaret, Crush to Crushed, with a little crush of your own.” (Orlando Sentinel). Photo by Monica Simoes.

Featuring Taylor Louderman (Bring It On, NBC’s Peter Pan Live!) and Daniel Quadrino (Wicked, Newsies)
Music Direction by Benjamin Rauhala
Directed by Yvette Kojic

The post [WATCH] Robin De Jesus At 54 Below #TheStruggleIsReal appeared first on Broadway Black.

Helmed by the talented Andrew Kober (Les Mis, Hair), KOBERET promises to be a heart-warming, sometimes intimate, but overall fun-filled look at the personal life and misadventures of the star himself. For now, KOBERET will be a one-night only affair, but given the success of it’s run in the midwest, many supporters are hoping, and even confident, that could change in the near future.

Joining this run of KOBERET are some of Kober’s Les Miserables castmates, such as Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon), Keala Settle (Hands on Hardbody), Cassie Levy (Hair), and Samantha Hill (The Phantom of the Opera) singing original music by some of New York’s very own, as well as classic covers of songs by Otis Redding and Billy Joel.

KOBERET hits the stage at 54 Below on August 18th at 930pm, with tickets for $25 and a $25 food and beverage minimum. Get your tickets at 54Below.com or by calling (646) 476-3551 the day of the event. 

The post Nikki M. James Joins Andrew Kobers KOBERET at 54 Below appeared first on Broadway Black.

Remember the last time we got excite about The Wiz?! Check out the video below of R&B songstress Ashanti as Dorothy in The Wiz at City Center 2009. Accompanying her you’ll see lots of familiar current Broadway faces (Including a 2014 Tony Award winner) and be sure to get your tickets for what will undoubtedly be an amazing night in entertainment!

The Wiz at City Center 2009. Orlando Jones as The Wiz, Tony winner LaChanze as Glinda, Ashanti as Dorothy, Tichina Arnold as Evillene, Dawnn Lewis as Addaperle, Joshua Henry as the Tinman, James Monroe Iglehart as the Lion and Christian White as the Scarecrow.

The post 54 Sings The Wiz! appeared first on Broadway Black.