The Jukebox musical that garnered Tony award nominations for Broadway Black stars Victor Trent Cook, B.J. Crosby and the illustrious Brenda Braxton, is set for a revival, with rehearsals starting around the end of May, according to an Actors Equity audition posting.  Previews are scheduled for July 19

Original producers Richard Frankel, Steve Baruch, Tom Viertel and Marc Routh are joining original cast Tony-nominated director Jerry Zaks to revive the hit revue.   The show features songs by writers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, including fan favorites “Hound Dog,”  “Jailhouse Rock,” “I’m a Woman,” and “On Broadway.”  After Midnight Choreographer,Warren Carlyle, has also signed on, along with musical direction by Sonny Paladino.

Smokey Joe’s opened on Broadway March 2, 1995 and despite harsh critical reviews, had substantial commercial success.   The revue earned five Tony award nominations in 1995 including Best Featured Actress, Best Featured Actor, Best Choreography, Best Direction of a Musical and Best Musical.  It also won the Grammy for Best Musical Show Album in 1996.  After a nearly five year run and a bevy of special appearances, including Gloria Gaynor, Lou Rawls and Gladys Knight, the show closed Jan of 2000 after 2,036 performances.

In 2014, nearly 20 years after the first performance, Braxton directed original cast members for reunion concert performance of Smokey Joe’s at the famed Feinstein’s/ 54 Below.

“There’s so much history with us,” Braxton shared with the second of two sold-out crowds. “We weren’t just [together] on Broadway, we were a family.”

Production has yet to announce a venue.

Be sure to check in with Broadway Black for all the latest information!

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“I would say that [work on] Bombshell slowed down a tiny bit because Bob Greenblatt asked us to focus on The Wiz,” Zadan told Entertainment Weekly.  “The moment The Wiz is up and running, we’ll go back and focus on Bombshell. So once this airs, we’ll be jumping in on Bombshell.”

According to Meron, they are “currently putting together the creative team.”

A musical within a musical, so to speak, “Smash” premiered on NBC in the spring of 2012.  According to NBC, “Smash” was a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross-section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire – to be a “Smash.” Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the series featured names like Jennifer Hudson, Brenda Braxton and breakout star (and our favorite villain) Leslie Odom Jr.  After struggling in its second season, the show was cancelled in 2013, citing low ratings.  However, Bombshell, the primary musical featured in “Smash,” has produced somewhat of a cult following.  The major demand for an encore resulted in a one-night-only concert version of the production this summer, featuring original cast members and fans’ favorite songs as part of a fundraiser for The Actor’s Fund.

“There is a still a lot of love for ‘Smash’ and a rabid fan base out there, and we’re thrilled to be able to keep the dream alive as we work towards bringing Bombshell to theatre audiences,” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment.

Bombshell features a score by Tony Award-winning songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.  Emmy Award-winning and Tony-nominated choreographer Joshua Bergasse will return to stage his stunning dances for the full production.

While “The Wiz Live!” premieres on NBC Dec. 3, no timeline for a Bombshell premiere has been given.

We’re wondering if maybe Odom and Hudson can pull double duty and do both their shows and Bombshell?  I say it’s worth a shot!  A girl can dream…

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The premiere cruise line announced in January that they would be bringing the jazz-filled spectacle to their newest ship, the 4,200 passenger Norwegian Escape. Playing weekly in the vessels’ 800-seat Escape Theater, the Broadway experience is just one of many notable features of the ship.

Since Braxton’s Broadway debut, just a year out of high school, the Diva (as I like to call her) has appeared in Dreamgirls, Jelly’s Last Jam, and Cats. She’s become a frequent favorite of the long-running Fosse hit Chicago and in 1995 she earned a Tony Award nomination for her famous portrayal in Smokey Joe’s Cafe. In addition to her work on TV shows “Smash” and “Nurse Jackie,” the Golden Girl also recently launched “ACT 2…Now What?,” a “series of seminars and workshops for women over 50 looking to make the Act 2 of their lives spectacular on their own terms.”

After Midnight opened in the fall of 2013 and despite its short run, was a critical success from the start. Earning seven Tony Award nominations, the City Center transfer welcomed the stunning artistry of musical greats including Gladys Knight, Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle, Toni Braxton, Babyface, Vanessa Williams, and Fantasia Barrino.

“Refracted through a contemporary lens, After Midnight celebrates Duke Ellington’s years at the Cotton Club using his original arrangements and performed by a world-class big band of 17 musicians hand-picked by living jazz legend, Wynton Marsalis. The timeless tunes set against a narrative of Langston Hughes poetry provide an authentic backdrop for an array of cutting-edge performances by 25 sensational vocalists and dancers, including special guest stars, whose interpretations shatter everything you think you know about music, nightlife and Broadway.”

Conceived by Producer Jack Viertel, the 90-minute musical will be re-created on board the Escape by its original director/choreographer, Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle, and will feature the look and feel of its original design team, including Isabel Toledo’s costumes and John Lee Beatty’s set. The Norwegian Escape will take its maiden voyage on Nov. 9.

AfterMidnight from Norwegian Creative Studios on Vimeo.

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Billy Mitchell has created a long-standing adult version of this pastime, as Clue meets Mad Libs with Broadway’s finest serving up an interactive improvisational comedy show – all in the name of fundraising for charitable organizations. Villain: DeBlanks, a Time Out NY Critic’s Pick, returns with an all-Black cast for a special performance benefiting Broadway Barks.

The monthly no-show-is-ever-the-same event will be 9pm Thursday, Sept. 3, at The Triad. The audience will help the cast determine just how villainous the life of the dead Phillip DeBlanks was in the uncensored and unrehearsed murder mystery.

The repeat cast – which we reported recently appeared in the interactive installment at 54 Below – features: Tony nominee Brenda Braxton (Smokey Joe’s Café, Chicago); Angela Robinson (OWN Network’s “The Haves and the Have Nots,” The Color Purple), Trent Armand Kendall (Bat-Boy, Five Guys Named Moe – West End); Kingsley Leggs (Sister Act, The Color Purple); and Bernard Dotson (Finian’s Rainbow, Chicago). New to the lineup is Tony winner LaChanze (If/Then, The Color Purple).

Attendees will laugh their __________ off (insert plural noun).

Presented in association with La Vie Productions/R. Erin Craig, Villian: DeBlanks will benefit Broadway Barks. Founded in 1988 by Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters, Broadway Barks will sponsor a dog and cat adoption event featuring pets from New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies.

The Triad, the original home to three of the 20 longest running Off-Broadway shows, is located at 158 W. 72nd Street (between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues) in New York. Tickets ($25) and information are available at triadnyc.com or by calling 1-888-596-1027.

The post Angela Robinson, LaChanze, & Brenda Braxton Headline Villain: DeBlanks Comedy Benefit 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.

Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of New York Times best-selling author E. Lynn Harris’ classic American love story INVISIBLE LIFE. This explosive Musical adaptation addresses the conflicts of Sexuality, Religion, HIV/AIDS and Family in America. Soul-stirring R&B mixed with Paradise Garage grooves, everybody will Sing, Vogue & Live!! RAYMOND, a college football player, dreams of a future as a lawyer and family man with his childhood sweetheart SELA, but is seduced into a Down-Low romance by star Quarterback, BASIL HENDERSON. Pressured by his Father to continue his NFL legacy, Raymond escapes to New York City and falls madly in love with a Broadway Diva, NICOLE. Raymond’s scandal-reunion with Basil, and fashionista best friends KYLE & JJ, threatens his Perfect World and forces Raymond to Live his Life in Truth…

The cast is full of Broadway star power.  Tony Award nominee Brenda Braxton (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) will portray Mama Tyler, the mother of Raymond Tyler Jr., who will be played by Gregory Williams. Raymond’s two closest friends Kyle and JJ, will be Terry Lavell (La Cage aux Folles) and Grammy- nominated Frenchie Davis (RENT)

Director Proteus Spann said in a statement recently:

“It is a tremendous honor to work with some of the most talented group of actors this industry has to offer having gone through an extremely delicate and grueling audition process where casting the most appropriate and qualified actors to breathe life into these unforgettable characters the public has come to know and love through E. Lynn’s novels was highly critical.”

And we couldn’t agree more! Get your tickets now! Find out how below!

Showtimes & Tickets:

Thurs Jun 25 at 7:30PM
Fri Jun 26 at 7:30PM
Sat Jun 27 at 3PM
Sat Jun 27 at 7:00PM
Mon Jun 29 at 7:30PM
Tues Jun 30 at 7:30PM

Apollo Soundstage
Tickets: $18
In person at the Apollo Box Office
Online at Ticketmaster.com
Phone at 800.745.3000

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