The cast of the Tony winner for Best Musical, Hadestown, is sharing their underground holiday sound with their cast album “If the Fates Allow (A Hadestown Holiday Album).” Led by the ladies who play The Fates in the musical – Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, and Kay Trinidad – the album features other members of the cast including Tony-winner Andre De Shields who lends his jazz and blues notes to the classic “Blue Chrismas.” 

 

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Hamilton: An American Musical alum, Leslie Odom, Jr. reimagines Christmas with his second holiday album, “The Christmas Album.” The Tony- and Grammy-winning crooner sings some holiday classics, as well as introduces new sounds and guest features with songs like “Ma’oz Tzur” featuring wife, Nicolette Robinson, “Winter Song” with Tony winner Cynthia Erivo, and “Little Drummer Boy” with the Mzansi Youth Choir from South Africa. If you liked his first holiday venture “Simply Christmas,” you’re definitely going to enjoy this soon-to-be classic.

 

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“White Christmas” by Grammy-nominated Jawan Jackson (Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations), is what Santa would be blasting in his sleigh as he goes from home to home. His velvety bass notes take us on a journey that tempt our desire to be with our loved ones for Christmas. 

 

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Carly Hughes (Pippin) brings a little fun and a lot of wonder with her Chistmas album “Mistletoe & Carly.” The Broadway leading lady playfully takes on the Eartha Kitt classic “Santa Baby” with an upbeat flair that’s sure to make Rudolph blush. 

 

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Another Tony-winning Hamilton alum, Daveed Diggs, takes Hannukkah and throws some stank on it. His new single “Puppy for Hanukkah” is a dream for every kid wanting a canine companion to call their own. The song takes us through the eight nights of the traditional Jewish holiday with lyrics like, “Night two, what it do, candles get lit. Latkes, sour cream is the best dip…” Check out the music video too! 

Other holiday albums to check out from other Broadway alum:

Fantasia (After Midnight and The Color Purple) – “Christmas After Midnight”

Broadway Inspirational Voices – “Great Joy – A Gospel Christmas” and “Great Joy II: Around the World”

John Legend (Jitney) – “A Legendary Christmas (Deluxe Edition)” 

Download them all today on Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, or Amazon.

The post I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas…Broadway Edition! appeared first on Broadway Black.

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The holiday season is in full swing, and what the world needs now more than ever is some joy. Even though family gatherings may look a bit different this year and celebrations have been scaled back, the Broadway community continues to be a beacon of light during an unexpected dark time.

The Tony Award-winning and Grammy-nominated Broadway Inspirational Voices is a diverse choir of Broadway artists united in changing lives through the power of music and service. Founded in 1994 by Michael McElroy (Rent, The Wild Party), the annual concert, much like many other special musical programmings this holiday, will be live-streamed for FREE on Sunday, December 13 7:00 pm.

The concert “A Season of Hope and Inspiration,” will feature special guests, Billy Porter, Leslie Odom Jr., Daniel J. Watts, and Shoshana Bean; with special appearances by Leslie Uggams, Debbie Allen, Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Phylicia Rashad, Vaness Williams, and more.

McElroy has described the evening as a “moment of unity to bring comfort, healing, and great joy.”  And if you’re interested in hearing some pieces from past holiday concerts, you can check out their albums Great Joy: A Gospel Christmas and Great Joy II: Around the World.

The post Broadway Inspirational Voices’ A Season of Hope & Inspiration, Free Virtual Holiday Concert appeared first on Broadway Black.

McElroy is the founder/director of BIV, a multi-ethnic, multi-denominational choral ensemble made of actors and musicians from Broadway and off‐Broadway shows. The ensemble members have appeared on stage in Aladdin, Book of Mormon, Cinderella, Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots, The Lion King, Motown: The Musical, Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked. The BIV’s mission is “strengthening and unifying the New York community through the transcendent power of music. “

Porter, who just wrapped up an award-winning two-year run as “Lola” in Kinky Boots, is joining an all-star cast who has amassed a long list of stage credits. In addition to Kinky Boots, Porter also has appeared on Broadway in Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Moe, Grease, Smokey Joe’s Café, and Dreamgirls. In Shuffle Along, he’ll star alongside Henry whose stage credits include Violet, The Scottsboro Boys, Porgy and Bess, American Idiot, and In the Heights. Goldsberry is currently starring in the smash hit Hamilton and also has appeared in Good People, The Color Purple, Rent, The Lion King. And, James’ credits include Motown the Musical, In the Heights, Rent, and NBC’s “The Wiz Live!”

The concert begins at 7:30 pm with doors opening at 6 pm. General admission tickets are $30. Reserved seating VIP tickets begin at $75. Telly Leung, Mike Karns, and Rich Aronstein are producing the concert and tickets can be purchased here.

The post Broadway Inspirational Voices Concert Stars Billy Porter, Renee Elise Goldsberry, & More appeared first on Broadway Black.

What is sure to be an uplifting and inspiring night, Michael McElroy and Broadway Inspirational Voices (BIV) are back at Harlem’s First Corinthian Baptist Church (1912 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd) on Monday, December 14th at 7:00 p.m.

BIV’s holiday concert will feature holiday classics as well as new music from their upcoming CD, “Great Joy II: Around the World!” written and/or arranged by McElroy and music director Joseph Joubert.

Tickets for the show are currently on sale here and range between $20 for Balcony seating, $30-$50 for Box and Mezzanine seating, $50 for Orchestra and $100 for VIP.  Tickets will also be sold at the door where both cash and credit cards will be accepted.

Broadway Inspirational Voices is a diverse choir of Broadway artists united to change lives through the power of music and service.

The company was founded by Michael McElroy in 1994 as the Broadway Gospel Choir and in 1999 reincarnated to its current name. In 2010, BIV became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission consists of providing HOPE to INSPIRE and TRANSFORM youth in need through music and the arts.

If you need something to hold you over until December 14th, check out this BIV performance at the Hamilton #Ham4Ham Lottery with Hamilton star and BIV member, Renee Elise Goldsberry.

The post Broadway Inspirational Voices Holiday Concert appeared first on Broadway Black.

It’s almost time to start dreaming of a white Christmas, hanging mistletoe, decking the halls, and jingling those bells. Each year during the holiday season, we’re treated to a feast of music including traditional carols, religious hymns, and pop standards. However, if you’re tired of your favorite artist’s warbling chart-middling rendition of holiday classics, then prepare your ears for the melodic holiday sounds of Broadway Inspirational Voices (BIV). The esteemed choir will perform in a holiday concert at Harlem’s First Corinthian Baptist Church on December 14.

This isn’t the BIV’s first foray into holiday music. Last year the choir performed with Grammy Award-winning pop queen Mariah Carey in her Christmas show at the Beacon Theatre. In 2005, the choir released a holiday CD entitled “Great Joy: A Gospel Christmas” for which BIV founder and director Michael McElroy received a Grammy nomination.

Broadway Inspirational Voices is a multi-ethnic, multi-denominational choir ensemble made up of actors and musicians from Broadway and off‐Broadway shows such as Aladdin, Book of Mormon, Cinderella, Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots, The Lion King, Motown: The Musical, Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked. The BIV’s mission is “strengthening and unifying the New York community through the transcendent power of music. “

The choir was founded in 1994 by Tony nominee, actor, singer, and director McElroy and became the place where he could express his unique arrangements of known and unknown songs in and out of the American gospel and theatre songbooks. Tony Award‐winning actress and singer Phylicia Rashad serves as board president for the choir.

BIV sing Joy To The World from Great Joy: A Gospel Christmas

The BIV’s holiday concert will feature holiday classics as well as new music written and/or arranged by McElroy and music director Joseph Joubert.

Tickets for the BIV holiday concert go on sale November 1. For more information, visit here.

#SaveTheDate for our @BIVoices Holiday Concert, 12/14 @FCBC_NYC! pic.twitter.com/I1yatmhdfv

— Broadway Insp Voices (@BIVoices) October 19, 2015

The post Broadway Inspirational Voices to Perform Holiday Concert appeared first on Broadway Black.

It was a moment many had been hoping for and believed was long overdue. Although that was the climax of Williams’ appearance at the pageant, another highlight of the evening, and less talked about by mainstream media, was her stirring rendition of Amy Grant’s “Oh How the Years Go By” with the Broadway Inspirational Voices (BIV).

The BIV joined Williams center stage for the opening performance of the pageant. Their performance of the moving ballad caused the audience to erupt into thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

What a great night!! Performing with friend and @bivoices supporter @vwofficial #missamerica #nbc http://t.co/MEefaUnVN8

— Broadway Insp Voices (@BIVoices) September 14, 2015

Broadway Inspirational Voices is a multi-ethnic, multi-denominational choir ensemble made up of actors and musicians from Broadway and off‐Broadway shows such as Aladdin, Book of Mormon, Cinderella, Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots, The Lion King, Motown, Phantom of the Opera and Wicked. The BIV’s mission is “strengthening and unifying the New York community through the transcendent power of music. “

The choir was founded in 1994 by Tony nominee, actor, singer, and director Michael McElroy and became the place where he could express his unique arrangements of known and unknown songs in and out of the American gospel and theatre songbooks. In 2005, McElroy received a Grammy nomination for his work on the choir’s holiday CD, “Great Joy: A Gospel Christmas.”

The BIV is next scheduled to perform at Pope Francis’ Mass at Madison Square Garden on September 25. Other performers scheduled to appear include Harry Connick Jr., Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Hudson, Kelli O’Hara, Martin Sheen, James (D Train) Williams, and Norm Lewis.

The post Vanessa Williams Performs at Miss America Pageant with Broadway Inspirational Voices appeared first on Broadway Black.

Hudson and Broadway leading man Norm Lewis join a long list of entertainers scheduled to perform at a two-hour show preceding the Pope’s Mass at Madison Square Garden on Friday, September 25. The program, entitled “A Journey of Faith,” will be filled with prayer and worship music performed by a variety of artists, including Harry Connick, Jr., Gloria Estefan, James (“D Train”) Williams, Martin Sheen, and The Broadway Inspirational Voices.

Fans of Hudson know that she is no stranger to devotional music as she recorded the powerful gospel song “Jesus Promised Me a Home Over There” on her “Jennifer Hudson” CD. She also lent her incredible vocal range to the gospel standard “Be Grateful” on the “Black Nativity” soundtrack.

Stage veteran Lewis’ vocals are also well known as the first Black actor to star in Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera. He was nominated for Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for his role in Porgy and Bess. Lewis also received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as “Nathan” in Dessa Rose. In 2008, he released his first solo album, “This Is The Life!”

The Pope began his visit to the U.S. on September 22 greeted by President Barack Obama in Washington, DC. He arrived in New York on September 24 and departed the city on September 26. After his New York trip, the Pope traveled to Philadelphia.

UPDATED: Performance videos included

The post Jennifer Hudson Norm Lewis & Broadway Inspirational Voices Perform for Pope appeared first on Broadway Black.