Hosting a variety of ticket options, including Open Bar, Halloween night is sure to be all that you need it to be.

Plan your costumes now for the cash prize costume contest. It may be called “The Reckoning,” but pick the costume that works best for you or just come as you are– costume not required.

DJ ARI GROOVES will keep it lit all night. Guaranteed.

Expect a few surprises and a real good time!

MUST BE 21+

COVID-19 Regulations: Photo ID required, also required: proof of vaccination or proof of a PCR test within 72 hours or rapid antigen test within 6 hours.

A portion of the proceeds will go towards programming for BFRJ.

BUY TICKETS BELOW

OR

GO DIRECTLY TO THE EVENTBRITE HERE: THE RECKONING

MUST BE 21+

QUESTION? LARGE PARTY? LET US KNOW!

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For years, African-Americans have struggled to have their voices heard on all platforms, which is why we seek out opportunities to create spaces for us, by us. When others won’t do right by us, it’s the hope that at least we will. This is why I wasn’t the least bit surprised by the error written by playbill.com when announcing the actress/singer stepping into those silver slippers as Dorothy for NBC’s The Wiz Live. Playbill.com incorrectly reported that Grammy-nominated R&B songwriter Shanice (Wilson) had been cast as Dorothy. While on the surface this may not seem like a problem, it’s actually adding to a larger problem that African-Americans face: erasure. Not only is it problematic that it was published before it being fact-checked or edited for errors, but it’s an insult to 18-year-old Shanice Williams, who rightfully earned her debut role.

Mistakes are common and human error is possible, but when your entire website deals with content pertaining to all things Broadway and theatre and you’ve been covering the story for months, a little more attention to detail is crucial. It’s times like this that we gravitate towards those that are actually in our corner, like Broadway Black.

Created in 2011 with one goal in mind, Broadway Black prides itself on being dedicated to highlighting the achievements and successes of African-American theatre artists on and off the Broadway stage. That’s why I was interested in becoming a Contributing Writer. As an artist, I love coming to Broadway Black to read what is happening on the Black theatre scene. It is enlightening, it is refreshing and it is about time. Errors like that of Playbill have no room in our space because this is our mission. Our articles require thorough research to do the show and/or actor justice. During a time when we are facing pain as a community, I tend to view Broadway Black as a sliver of hope. Seeing this young, fresh-faced 18-year-old Black girl from New Jersey live out her dreams in such a big way is monumental. Her story deserves to be told accurately by people who are wholeheartedly invested, not just because it was another assignment.

That’s why I ALWAYS choose Broadway Black.

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For those of you that might not be familiar with what being trans is like Cox had this to say

“There’s not just one trans experience. And I think what they need to understand is that not everybody who is born feels that their gender identity is in alignment with what they’re assigned at birth, based on their genitalia. If someone needs to express their gender in a way that is different, that is okay, and they should not be denied healthcare. They should not be bullied. They don’t deserve to be victims of violence. … That’s what people need to understand, that it’s okay and that if you are uncomfortable with it, then you need to look at yourself.”                                                                 –

                                          -“The Orange Is the New Black star on politics, happiness and why genitalia isn’t destiny”, Time Magazine.

Broadway Bares is an annual fundraising event that not only promotes awareness of HIV/AIDS but also helps to fund its research. Cox’s Burlesque inspired performance got the audience going as she stepped onto the stage in nothing but stockings, a corset and sequined pasties. Performing to the Banarama 80’s classic “Venus” club version,and  she gave us moves like Beyonce! This may not be commonly known about Cox but she started studying dance at a very young age. Her back up dancers were full of energy and of course her male dancers were scantily clad and ripped.

For more information on the good works of Broadway Bares visit this link with highlights from Sunday nights performance as well as information on future events and ways to donate. Also, for your social justice fix as well as an opportunity to see clips of her personality follow @Lavernecox on twitter here.

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The post Laverne Cox Almost Bares It All For Broadway Bares appeared first on Broadway Black.

Ellington was born in the District of Columbia and went to New York in the 1920s. He is said to have composed over one thousand pieces of music and lead his band from its inception in 1923 until his death.  A career that spanned more than fifty years. The Duke was known for recording and performing music that not only highlighted the unity within his orchestra but individual musicians of particular talent.

Those of us who are theatre enthusiasts are no stranger to the talent of Jennifer Holliday.  She had her Broadway debut in 1971 and later performed in Dreamgirls where she received her Tony and also a Grammy for her recorded performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.”  Holliday is also the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 2000.

The spectacle of the affair does not stop at the full onstage orchestra, but extends to tap dancers, elaborate costumes, and incredible jazz vocalists. Set in the famous Cotton Club in Harlem. Holliday will perform Ellington hits such as:  “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)“, Sentimental Mood“, “Sophisticated Lady“, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore“, and “Old Man Blues”. The cast also features : Brandon O’neal, J.P. Qualters, Afra Hines, Brian Whitted, Kenny Williams, and Chanel Haynes-Schwartz.

This show will be opening in Austin on July 15, 2015 and running until August 23, 2015 at the Zach Theatre in the Topfer Theatre on the Karen Kuykendall stage. For more information or to purchase tickete click here.

Watch the original cast give the essence of Sophisticated Ladies below

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Other Broadway credits attributed to Ms. Jones are: American Idiot, Kinky Boots and Passing Strange. Outside of Broadway Jones has appeared in Dracula, Tarzan, 42nd Street, CATS and The Toxic Avenger. On July 22nd you can see Taye Diggs take on the role of Hedwig for a lead cast chock full of actors of color.

Broadway.com did a feature web series following Rebecca and her performances in Hedwig.  Not only do we get a backstage look for a Broadway show we get to enjoy Rebecca Naomi Jones’ bubbly and vibrant personality. You can also hear about and watch her get into drag. Spoiler alert: she does wear a prosthetic while she performs. To get to know a little bit of the woman behind the voice and other cast member check out the episodes. Episode one you can watch below!

For ticket information visit www.hedwigonbroadway.com. Plus, you can also follow Rebecca Naomi Jones on Twitter @rebeccasername here.

The post Rebecca Naomi Jones Transforms As Yitzhak In Hedwig And The Angry Inch appeared first on Broadway Black.

James, an alumni of the famous Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, has just completed a run in Les Miserables on Broadway.  Other performances include :Romeo and Juliet (Stratford Festival), Caesar and Cleopatra (Stratford Festival), The Wiz (La Jolla), and many others.

PRELUDES is written by Dave Malloy and developed with and directed by Rachel Chavkin with Or Matias  on piano.  This new piece will play for a limited engagement May 23-July 19, and opening on June 15, 2015 at the LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater in the Claire Tow Theater.

There is nothing we love to see more here at Broadway Black than actors of color having the opportunity to play roles that offer a little more variety. If you are able to see this show, you should take it in- not just for the sheer talent quotient of the cast (AMAZING), but to show the world that we are more diverse than we are sometimes given credit for.
All tickets for this production are $30 and can be purchased at www.lct.org/shows/preludes/  LTC is located at 150 W. 65th St. NYC, NY.

You can also follow her on Twitter @nikkimjames .

The post Nikki M. James Takes The Stage In PRELUDES appeared first on Broadway Black.

Motown: The Musical, Coming to a Stage Near You?

Motown: The Musical has been sweeping the country telling Berry Gordy’s stories of Motown. This also served as a great promotion for the musical which will be headed to London next year. Find out more on the snazzy London website for the musical. You can also see the show on tour across the U.S. right now. Find more information on seeing Motown:The Musical while it is on the national tour HERE.

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The play, written by Nicholas Wright, is based on the book of the same title by Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela. It is directed by Jonathan Munby and consists of only two characters (one of which is chained to a table) conducting a conversation set in Pretoria Central Prison. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela (played by Olivier Award winner Noma Dumezweni), a psychologist who worked with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, is expressive and even empathizes with the man who slaughtered political leaders of the anti-apartheid movement. Eugene de Kock (played by Matthew Marsh) is a policeman who ran a counterterrorism unit with the primary focus of killing anti-apartheid leaders. With the affectionate nickname of “Prime Evil”, he is polite to the point of being absurd and reviewers maintain that his dry humor borders on charming. de Kock was granted parole earlier this year from two consecutive life sentences as well as 212 years for other crimes.

The play has a running time of 80 minutes but in that tiny slice of time you can truly see the unfolding of five years of what I dare to call an intimate relationship play out.  Dumezweni brings an unbelievable sensitivity to the stage by trying to portray Gobodo-Madikizela as a woman of not only fierce strength but incredible patience and depth of character.

“A genuine apology focuses on the feelings of the other rather than on how the one who is apologizing is going to benefit in the end. It seeks to acknowledge full responsibility for an act, and does not use self-serving language to justify the behavior of the person asking forgiveness. A sincere apology does not seek to erase what was done. No amount of words can undo past wrongs. Nothing can ever reverse injustices committed against others. But an apology pronounced in the context of horrible acts has the potential for transformation. It clears or ‘settles’ the air in order to begin reconstructing the broken connections between two human beings.”
― Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, A Human Being Died That Night

A Human Being Died That Night is playing at BAM’s Fishman Space in Brooklyn, NY until June 21, 2015. Tickets are available at BAM!.org

The post A Human Being Died That Night: An Uncommon Look at Post-Apartheid South Africa appeared first on Broadway Black.

Berry Gordy created the book for this show based on his 1994 autobiography To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown. The play follows Gordy’s life as he creates and runs Motown with an all-too-familiar cast of characters.  Major players in the musical are Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, and Michael Jackson.

The show was nominated for four Tony awards: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Musical) (Valisia LeKae); Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role (Musical) (Charl Brown); Best Orchestrations (Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook); and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Peter Hylenski). Despite all of the rave reviews for this show it did not receive a nomination for Best Musical.

Rumors have bubbled up several times since this show hit stages that a film would be certain to come.  However, there has not seemed to be a solid answer from Gordy or a definitive timeline.

“Oh yeah, it’s always in the works — been in the works a long time with different people talking to us about it. But we’re just focusing on this right now. The movie will come when it comes.” says Gordy in an interview with The Detroit News this past October.

For now, you can get your Motown: The Musical fix with the national tour that started in April 2014. In addition, Motown is scheduled to return to Broadway in Summer 2016 and make it’s debut on The West End in February 2016. For more information on the show or how to get tickets visit Motownthemusical.com

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