Audible Inc., the leading creator, and provider of premium audio storytelling is pleased to announce An Evening with Amber Iman, the next live event from Audible Theater, running for three nights only from Thursday, April 21 to Saturday, April 23. An Evening with Amber Iman will be recorded live from the Minetta Lane Theatre and released to a global audience as an Audible Original.

Amber Iman, star of Shuffle Along and Soul Doctor, invites you to a celebration of pure, uplifting joy in a powerful three-day concert at the Minetta Lane Theatre. A founding member of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition and Black Women on Broadway, Amber will be blending personal stories with a selection of soulful songs sure to get you swaying in your seat. Join her and “the baddest band in the land” on a journey filled with the music that touches her heart, reminding us all to revel in the delights of life.

Today & tomorrow only, use code AMBER to unlock early access tickets and celebrate pure, uplifting joy at this 3 NIGHT ONLY experience! (Ends 11:59 PM EST on 3/29)

CLICK HERE TO GET TICKETS NOW ON TICKETMASTER!

Through songs and storytelling, An Evening with Amber Iman takes the audience on a journey through love, loss, rejection, heartbreak, and joy, in a performance that challenges, encourages, and uplifts, reminding us to take it one day at a time.

“The ability to put on short-run shows focused on a single incredible performer is a specialty of Audible Theater’s work at the Minetta Lane Theater. As the first actress to return to Broadway following the pandemic, we are especially honored to work with Amber Iman to bring her original work live on stage and available to millions more through Audible.”

Kate Navin, Artistic Producer of Audible Theater

Amber Iman is a performer, filmmaker, and activist. Amber made history as the first woman to perform on Broadway after the pandemic shut down, as part of the NY PopsUp festival, which welcomed audiences back into Broadway theatres. Amber is one of the most sought-after theatre artists and vocalists working today. She debuted on Broadway as the High Priestess of Soul, Nina Simone, in Soul Doctor, earning rave reviews and a Clive Barnes Award nomination. Since, she has been seen in George C. Wolfe’s Shuffle Along beside theatre luminaries Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Billy Porter; she was seen in the National Tour of the megahit musical, Hamilton, and she has performed Off-Broadway and regionally with New York Theatre Workshop, New World Stages, Two River Theater, the Kennedy Center, and many more, earning Helen Hayes and IRENE Award nominations, and winning the Ovation Award and the prestigious Emery Battis Award for Acting Excellence from Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC.

On TV, Amber has been seen on High Maintenance for HBO, and her self-produced short film Steve has been a critical darling at film festivals across the country. This summer, Amber will star in two highly anticipated Broadway-bound musicals: Lempicka at La Jolla Playhouse and Goddess at Berkley Repertory Theatre. As an activist, Amber is the proud Co-Founder of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition and Black Women on Broadway. In 2021, Amber was honored with a Tony Award for her work with BAC.

Tickets for An Evening with Amber Iman go on sale to the public on Wednesday, March 30 at www.Audible.com/MinettaLane. Audible Theater is proud to collaborate with TodayTix to offer mobile Rush tickets beginning at 10 am each performance day. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis exclusively through the TodayTix app.

The post Exclusive Presale: Audible Theater’s “An Evening With Amber Iman’ appeared first on Broadway Black.

Their announcement via Instagram BAC states, “Symbols of change do not always represent the action of change. This forum is the catalyst of actionable change.”

BAC was founded in 2016 by members of the Broadway community and is an arts-based advocacy organization working to create equitable spaces and build the capacity of individuals and organizations to dismantle racism. Their recent work includes the three-day forum Broadway for Black Lives Matter and launching the Cody Renard Richard Scholarship program.

WHAT. A. YEAR.
2020 has been a wild ride, filled with transformative triumphs and heartbreaking losses. We would like to take a moment to THANK YOU for supporting and standing in solidarity with us. Here’s a timeline of BAC’s impact this year. Love to all! pic.twitter.com/73X8FH3mBE

— Broadway Advocacy Coalition (@BwayAdvocacyCo) December 28, 2020

How are you doing today? No, really though… how ARE you? The BAC team wanted to check in as we set some intentions and set the year off right. pic.twitter.com/8XRJIhP1FQ

— Broadway Advocacy Coalition (@BwayAdvocacyCo) January 16, 2021

You can join PART 1 // A forum looking to the work ahead on Broadway on Monday, February 15^th from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm EST. Registration is currently open.

The post Broadway Advocacy Coalition Offers Open Dialogue With Industry Leaders appeared first on Broadway Black.

Amber Iman Photo by Drew Shade

Black Theatre Coalition, in partnership with Playbill, bring Broadway Black stars Brandon Victor Dixon (Motown the Musical and Hamilton: An American Musical), Amber Iman (Shuffle Along), Daniel J. Watts (Tony-nominated for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical), Bebe Winans (writer and creator of the Broadway-bound musical Born for This) together to lend their talents for a virtual concert honoring Black creatives’ contributions throughout the generations and beyond.

Upon These Shoulders will be live-streamed with various interviews, performances, and testimonials by Black artists, paying tribute to Black artistry. It will be a time to highlight and emphasize Broadway’s past, but also the importance of the future of Broadway and what the community can do to accelerate a safe and diverse opening. 

Additional casting and information will be announced in further days

The concert will debut on February 27 at 8:00 pm by visiting On the Stage.

To donate to Broadway Theatre Coalition, please visit HERE.

The post Broadway Stars Set for Black Theatre Coalition’s <em>Upon These Shoulders</em> Virtual Concert appeared first on Broadway Black.

Jesse L Martin, Fredi Walker-Browne, and Kristen Lee, all original cast members, will now join Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Wilson Jermaine Heredia during the event on March 2nd which will also include original composition from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, creators of Dear Evan Hansen.

Additionally, more than 130 RENT cast alums will be featured in the virtual celebration including Broadway Black’s own Amber Iman, Jordan Fisher, Josh Grisetti, Brennin Hunt, Amy Spanger, Taylor Trensch, and Mike Wartella, and many more!

The official announcement was made on January 25th, 2021, exactly 25 years after the Off-Broadway premiere in 1996. On this same day, the theatre community mourned the loss of the show’s writer Jonathan Larson who died from an aortic dissection the morning of RENT’s first preview.

The gala will be on March 2nd at 8 PM EST and tickets are $25 and are now avaliable! Visit HERE for more information!

 

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1.Without You – Leslie Odom Jr.  

Now, we BEEN knew about Leslie since Venice (shoutout to the people who remember that gorgeous show.) We also already know this man is not only a phenomenal singer but an actor as well. I believe the Tony chilling at the crib answered that for anyone unsure. However, his solo work and concerts have shown where his true artistry lies. Rent is one of my favorite musicals of all time, as it is for many people, yet one song I never liked, is this one. I never understood it’s full weight until this cover. Leslie’s ability to take a song, digest it, and embody it is downright despicable. The man has so much control over his instrument. He manipulates his tone and air continuously to create the exact sound he wants, like a violinist adjusting their pressure or speed. I am in awe of his skill every time I watch a performance of his. 

2.I Won’t Complain – Amber Iman ft Cynthia Erivo 

You can find the gifted voices by looking at who other powerhouses love. This is a prime example of that. Cynthia Erivo brought out Amber Iman to sing I Won’t Complain for a performance back in 2016 and my GOD. The balance between the sultry, fresh jazz improv mixed with the top tier vocal training puts Amber in a league of her own. And that range!! I am always much more impressed with those deeper, rich low notes than the whistle tones. Both are impressive, but the people don’t respect the skill that those low notes take. Also, musicality. You cannot riff and run if you do not know where to run to. Let that sink in. You need to know how chords and scales work to figure out how to make all of the movement make SENSE. I’ll get off my soapbox and move on. EVEN THE MUSICIANS BEHIND HER WERE SHAKING THEIR HEADS IN DISBELIEF!

3. Take It Slow – Joshua Henry and Ciara Renée 

I love a quality duet and this is as quality as it comes. Now both of these performers are TRAINED and I do mean TRAINED. The evidence is in the blend and the placement. Crystal clear all around. The R&B style song truly shows a side of both of these artists that we don’t get from them on the Great “White” Way. However, their impeccable intonation isn’t even my favorite part of this piece. It’s chemistry. The storytelling is something to behold. Look at them still possess beats and an arc even in a stand-alone performance. I don’t know anything about this plot and yet I got a full story. This article is about vocals, but vocals mean nothing in this industry if you don’t have some acting skills to back it up. Period. 

4. She Used To Be Mine – Tiffany Mann

This song has a lot of covers that HIT, ok? However, this flips the song on its head. Tiffany Mann has always had the kind of voice that makes you have to get up and run a lap. Tiffany was actually in this show, and her knowledge of the text is incredibly evident. The gospel arrangement elevates the piece and the lines pack a punch I have never felt with this piece. Now, of course, there is soul all over this piece, but do you hear the placement? The dynamics? The range? I do! The end of the piece is taken up by SEVERAL steps and she is full voicing without strain. You cannot do that without training. Impossible. Being a true musician, she moves with the accompaniment and truly makes this a whole performance, not just someone doing a cover. We stan Ms. Tiffany Mann. 

5. Defying Gravity – Mykal Kilgore

If you need a mental reset. If you feel lost. Play this one. Play it in the house, in the car, in the gym. His range is a rubber band, stretching to wherever he sees fit. It feels like there is almost nothing his voice cannot do. He can give you soul, he can give you standard MT. He can give you a straight tone, and he can give you riffs and runs. He is unlimited, but just like the others, the vocal is not the only thing to gain from this piece. What starts as a gorgeous, vibrant cover turns into the inspirational speech you’ve been waiting for. Mykal’s attention to detail when it comes to music is mystifying. If you haven’t listened to his album, A Man Born Black, go now. This man cannot be torn down. His light, his skill, his vision, it’s unbreakable. His music makes me feel the same. 

The post 5 Times Our Broadway Black Faves Gave Us a Vocal Masterclass appeared first on Broadway Black.

Crytsal Monee Hall

Asking the question “Can you hear us?,” Crystal Monee Hall releases a video of her soul-stirring gospel arrangement of “A Beautiful Noise,” originally written by Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile.

“I wrote this arrangement in celebration and support of the women, Stacey Abrams included,” says Hall, “…who are on the front lines of the fight for democracy and justice in Georgia.” The activated artist Hall continued, “…And if enough of us gather our voices and sing in unison, we will make change. This is about using your voice, and being heard. Standing up and being counted.”

Here are the heavy-hitting supporting vocalists you may recognize and love on this project:  Allyson Kaye Daniel, Adee David, Rosharra Francis, Angela Grovey, Celisse Henderson, Amber Iman, Anastacia McCleskey, Kristina Nicole Miller, Rashidra Scott, Tasha Michelle Smith, Anastasia Talley, and Rebecca Covington-Webber. With music by the incomparable Michael O. Mitchell and Joe Bagale.

Watch the video below & be activated!

The post Crystal Monee Hall Releases “A Beautiful Noise” Reimagined For Change appeared first on Broadway Black.

 

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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.

In this divine union of Black Broadway brilliance, Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed is the reimagining of the classic 1921 musical.  The star-studded cast, including Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter, chatted with “Sunday Morning” about the process and the progress.

“I actually threw some tap shoes on a few months back just to see what would happen, and my timing was very awful, you know,” joked Mitchell.  “But it came back after a while!”

Now, Shuffle Along is back, nearly 100 years after becoming one of the first hit musical comedies starring, written and directed by African Americans.  For all of the strides and successes it made in its time, its significance remained unearthed for decades following its closing.

“And then history stepped in and said, ‘Thank you — and maybe we’ll remember you, and maybe we won’t,” said Tony Award-winning director George C. Wolfe.

The all-star team is lead by Wolfe and his Jelly’s Last Jam protegé, famed choreographer Savion Glover. By all accounts, Glover’s unique tap style is less than old hat for the Broadway Vets.

“I learned how to tap traditionally… I can say this: I learned how to tap from the white folks!” Porter cackled.  “I was at a ballet bar. It was very technical. Now, it’s like learning a whole ‘nother language.”

Even the seemingly flawless Ms. McDonald is still trying to find her groove.

“Because Savion doesn’t necessarily say, ‘This step is a left flap-ball-change-shuffle.’ He goes, Ba-da-da ba-da-da … it’s just call-and-response with him. That’s how he teaches.”

But in true professional fashion, each of the players are up to the challenge.

“I’ll say, like, ‘Oh, I can simplify that for you.’ And they say, ‘No, give me the harder one. I wanna learn that,'” Glover said. “That makes me feel great!”

Glover and Wolfe have been successfully working together for 23 years, since Glover was a teenager.  Wolfe directed the piece in which Glover earned his first Tony award for choreography, Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk.  

“In our early years of working together, I was there, I was present, but the need to want to learn more wasn’t there,” Glover said of his younger experiences. “Versus this time, I’m learning as we’re working.”

Now, the duo is working together to retell this backstage story about the making of one of the first all-Black Broadway musical hits.  The original production, which launched the careers of greats including Josephine Baker and Paul Robeson, made fans of then New York City shakers George Gershwin, Fanny Brice, Al Jolson, and Langston Hughes.

The large cast of 30, which also includes Brandon Victor Dixon, Joshua Henry, Felicia Boswell, Amber Iman and Adrienne Warren, begins official rehearsals in January and we’re not sure who’s more excited, them or us!

“It is such an honor and such a gift to be able to actually exist inside of your dreams,” Porter told DuBois. “This is actually the dream. I am living the dream. It’s extraordinary; it really is.”

The post Shuffle Along Gets Behind-the-Scenes Treatment on CBS appeared first on Broadway Black.

The crooner will offer soulful renditions of holiday favorites with the help of her Rent co-stars Amber Iman (The Soul Doctor) and Marcus Paul James (Motown, The Wiz).

Listen to Hall’s wonderfully imaginative version of Germono Toussaint’s arrangement of “Seasons of Love” at last year’s concert below.

A native of Arlington, Virginia, Hall grew up in the church and went on to perform in high school and direct the gospel choir for her alma mater, University of Virginia.  Before being featured on the national tour and Broadway production of the cult-favorite, Rent, Hall replaced Jennifer Hudson on Disney Cruise Line’s production of Hercules.  Since then, Hall has branched out as a solo artist, serving as the lead vocalist for The Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart Band, a back-up singer for Mariah Carey at her Beacon Theater Christmas residency and launching her debut album “River Train.”

 Rachel Swan of the East Bay Express says that the title track (River Train) “sounds like an old spiritual”, and that “Hall sings in a style that recalls protest singers of the Sixties and Seventies: liquid, chillingly pure, full of vibrato without being ostentatious.”

“Season of Love Concert: Crystal Monee Hall & Friends” will take place on Saturday, December 12th at 9 p.m.  Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 day of show.  Note there is a one drink minimum and the show is 21+.

The post Crystal Monee Hall Headlines Season of Love Concert appeared first on Broadway Black.

The Howard University graduate has also appeared Off-Broadway, as “Hannah” in Civil War Christmas and as “Mrs. Jefferson/Seasons of Love Soloist” in Rent.  And while it hasn’t always been smooth sailing the chanteuse with the velvet pipes seems to have hit her stride. That’s why it’s no surprise that Iman has been named as one of this year’s recipient of the Emery Battis Award for Acting Excellence. The award, given by The Shakespeare Theatre Company, recognizes  two actors per season who have demonstrated exceptional skill and technique on the stage. Iman was chosen for her riveting and smokey hot  Mainstage performance during the 2014-2005 season as Aldonza in Man of La Mancha. 

Michael and I enjoyed Man of La Mancha @ShakespeareinDC. Amber Iman's charismatic Aldonza is a performance to remember.

— Jonathan Rauch (@jon_rauch) March 18, 2015

The award is named after Dr. Emery Battis, a beloved character actor who during the span of his 70 year long career acted in all but one of Shakespeare’s plays. He specialized in bringing to life secondary characters. The Shakespeare Theatre Company focuses on works with profound themes, complex characters and heightened language written by Shakespeare, his contemporaries and those playwrights he influenced.

Amber Iman is still in the arly stages of her career and we look forward to seeing what she has planned next for fans.  There is no doubt, however, that she has already put the world on notice that she has what it takes to be a Broadway Black star and we wish her continued success and congratulate her on receiving this outstanding award!

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