Like most family gatherings during the pandemic, this barbecue will be virtual. In light of the coronavirus outbreak that has plagued the world since the beginning of the year, Broadway had to dim its lights for the unforeseeable future since March. Some shows had to close as a result of the pandemic, while others have revitalized their standing in the theatre community with special programming, guest appearances, and virtual readings. Robert O’ Hara’s comedic dive into the dark family woes of the O’Mallerys has found a new home for a one-night-only event in support of The Actor’s Fund. Through a new partnership with Broadway’s Best Shows and Today Tix called Spotlight on Plays, O’Hara’s Barbecue culminates the fall season with a family gathering just in time for the holidays.

Photo cred: Zack DeZon

As the O’Mallerys meet in the park for an intervention for their younger sister (played first by a white cast), they are soon met with conversations of race, stereotyping, and family drama (transitioning to a Black cast). The virtual reading will premiere on Thursday, December 10 at 8:00 pm and will be available on-demand until December 14th. The reading will feature an all-star cast of Broadway greats that include Colman Domingo (The Scottsboro Boys) and S. Epatha Merkerson (While I Yet Live). Patrons can purchase a ticket through Today Tix for $5. Pull up a chair, grab you a nice helping of potato salad, and enjoy some time at the family barbecue. 

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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.

As previously reported, the cast will also feature Becky Ann Baker, John Earl Jelks, Arden Myrin, Paul Niebanck, Tamberla Perry, Constance Shulman, Heather Alicia Simms, Samantha Soule, Benja Kay Thomas, and Kim Wayans.

Johnson most recently appeared in Lucky Guy alongside Tom Hanks. His additional theater credits include Much Ado About Nothing, The Brother/Sister Plays, Measure for Measure, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Brothers Size and Mr. Fox: A Rumination. His film and TV credits include: It Runs in The Family, Grace & Glorie, Sweet and Lowdown, Army Wives, Rescue Me and The Sopranos.

The official Barbecue synopsis:

The O’Mallerys have gathered in their local park to share some barbecue and straight talk with their sister Barbara, whose spiral of drugs and recklessness has forced her siblings to stage an open-air intervention. But the event becomes raucous and unpredictable as familial stereotypes collide with hard realities, and racial politics slam up against the stories we tell—and maybe even believe—about who we were and who we become.

Robert O’Hara  (Playwright). His credits for The Public Theater include his play Insurrection: Holding History; as well as directing Wild With Happyand The Brother/Sister Plays (Part 2). His recent Off-Broadway and regional credits include Bootycandy (Obie Award) at Playwrights Horizons,In the Continuum (Obie Award) at Primary Stages, Marie Antoinette at Steppenwolf Theater Company, Five Guys Named Moe and The Mountaintop at Arena Theater. He is currently the Mellon Playwright in Residence at Woolly Mammoth Theater.

Member tickets are available now, and single tickets, starting at $50, can be accessed by calling (212) 967-7555, visiting www.publictheater.org, or in person at the Taub Box Office at The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street.

We’re so excited for this show and we love the work that O’hara has done previously (especially with Bootycandy) that we’re doing a TICKET GIVEAWAY! Win tickets to a preview of Barbecue on Wednesday Sept 23rd at The Public Theater. This is a special insiders’ event for the world premiere of BARBECUE.

The evening will begin at 6:30 pm with a reception and meet and greet with the playwright and the director (Kent Gash). At 7:30 pm, the performance of BARBECUE begins, featuring Kim Wayans in her New York theatre debut. Afterward, there will be drinks with the cast.

1. Follow @BroadwayBlack on Twitter & Instagram.

2. Like our Facebook Fan Page.

3. Tell us who your favorite Broadway Black star is and what you think they would bring/contribute to a #BwayBlkBarbecue!

4. Make sure to use the hashtag #BwayBlkBarbecue! You can do this on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or comment below! Each platform equals (1) entry. However, you must be following us on all 3 platforms!

The winners will each receive (2) tickets to the Wednesday Sept 23rd performance. We will announce the winners via social media and in the comment section below on Wednesday, Sept 23rd, at 1pm EST.

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The complete cast of Barbecue features Becky Ann Baker, John Earl Jelks, Arden Myrin, Paul Niebanck, Tamberla Perry, Constance Shulman, Heather Alicia Simms, Samantha Soule, Benja Kay Thomas, and Kim Wayans.

The O’Mallerys have gathered in their local park to share some barbecue and straight talk with their sister Barbara, whose spiral of drugs and recklessness has forced her siblings to stage an open-air intervention. But the event becomes raucous and unpredictable as familial stereotypes collide with hard realities, and racial politics slam up against the stories we tell—and maybe even believe—about who we were and who we become. Kent Gash directs this new play that proves family can be a bigger vice than any other addiction.

Robert O’Hara  (Playwright). His credits for The Public Theater include his play Insurrection: Holding History; as well as directing Wild With Happy and The Brother/Sister Plays (Part 2). His recent Off-Broadway and regional credits include Bootycandy (Obie Award) at Playwrights Horizons, In the Continuum (Obie Award) at Primary Stages, Marie Antoinette at Steppenwolf Theater Company, Five Guys Named Moe and The Mountaintop at Arena Theater. He is currently the Mellon Playwright in Residence at Woolly Mammoth Theater.

Kent Gash (Director). His credits include Langston in Harlem at Urban Stages, which earned the AUDELCO Award for Best Musical; Brokeology at Julliard; Miss Ever’s Boys and Home for the Melting Post Theatre; and Beggar’s Holiday at the York Theatre Company. He received his B.F.A. from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama and his M.F.A. in Directing from UCLA. He is the Founding Director of NYU Tisch, New Studio on Broadway.

John Earl Jelks was recently seen in Lemon Andersen’s Toast at The Public Theater. His Broadway credits include Holla If Ya Hear Me; August Wilson’s Radio Golf, and August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean. He has performed Off-Broadway in Fetch Clay, Make Man; Sunset Baby; The Break of Noon; Magnolia; and Two Trains Running.

Tamberla Perry  has appeared regionally in Race; In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play; Eclipsed; The North Plan; The Brothers/Sisters Plays; Fedra; The Overwhelming; Bus Stop; Icarus; The Piano Lesson; Black Diamond; among others.

Heather Alicia Simms  has appeared at The Public Theater in The Brothers/Sisters Plays, Part 1 and 2. Her Broadway credits include Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Gem of the Ocean, A Raisin in the Sun, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Her additional Off-Broadway credits include A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of Great Lakes and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.

Kenja Kay Thomas has appeared Off-Broadway in Robert O’Hara’s Bootycandy. Her additional theater credits include Insurrection: Holding History; Unspeakable; Pearl’s Gone Blue; Intimate Apparel; Steal Away; The Bow Wow Club; Brave Brood; American Menu; and God, The Crack House & The Devil. She has appeared in film in The Cycle, the Dying Truth, The Warrior Class, and A Gun for Jennifer.

Kim Wayans appeared on television in “In Living Color” from 1990 to 2001. Her numerous additional film and television credits include Pariah; Dance Flick; Talking about Sex; “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood; A Low Down Dirty Shame; Juwanna Mann; “In the House;” “Waynehead;” “The Wayans Bros;” “Reckless;” “Hawaii Five-O;” and “The Soul Man;” among others.

Member tickets are available now, and single tickets, starting at $50, can be accessed by calling (212) 967-7555, visiting www.publictheater.org, or in person at the Taub Box Office at The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street. Free tickets to the first preview on Tuesday, September 22 will be available via TodayTix mobile lottery, launching Tuesday, September 15. Winners will be notified by email and push notifications between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on the day of the first preview. Winners must confirm their winning tickets in the TodayTix app within one hour of being notified.

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