The six-time Tony winner will be absent from the production for three months starting Tuesday, June 21, 2016 through Sunday, September 25. It’s been announced that her absence is to fulfill a prior commitment. However, there have been no details released on what that commitment is or who will fulfill the role in her absence. McDonald is scheduled to return to the show on September 27.

Shuffle Along will present the landmark 1921 African-American musical revue Shuffle Along alongside the behind-the-scenes details that led the songwriting team of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake and librettists F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles to create this groundbreaking work. In what has been billed as a revival, McDonald will take on the role of “Lottie Gee” and Brian Stokes Mitchell will appear in the the role of “F.E. Miller.” Porter takes on the role of “Aubrey Lyles,” with Brandon Victor Dixon and Joshua Henry as “Blake” and “Sissle.”

Other cast members include Adrienne Warren from Bring It On: The Musical, Darius de Haas (Rent, Kiss of the Spider Woman), Felicia Boswell (Motown: The Musical, Memphis), and Christian Dante White, c0-creator of Broadway Legacy.

George C. Wolfe will write the book and direct and Savion Glover will choreograph the highly anticipated production. As previously announced, the rest of the creative team includes Orchestrator Daryl Waters (musical supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations), Santo Loquasto (scenic design), Ann Roth (costume design), Scott Lehrer (sound design), Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer (lighting design), and Shelton Becton (musical director).

In 2014, the extraordinarily talented McDonald made Broadway history with a record-setting sixth Tony Award, for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. She also has the distinction of being the first person to receive awards in all four actress acting categories. She has also won Tonys for Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, and Porgy and Bess.

Shuffle Along begins previews at the Music Box Theatre on March 14, 2016. For more information on tickets, click HERE.

The post Audra McDonald to Take Shuffle Along Hiatus appeared first on Broadway Black.

Nikki Renee Daniels

Her Broadway credits include The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess “Clara,” Les Miserables “Fantine,” Anything Goes, Promises, Promises, Nine, Lestat, Little Shop of Horrors, The Look of Love and Aida.  Her TV/Film credits include “Chappelle’s Show,” “The Sound of Music Live!” and The Other Woman. Danniels has performed as a soloist with symphony orchestras across the country, in Canada and at Carnegie Hall. Her debut solo CD, “Home,” was released in 2012. Daniels has said her legacy inspirations are Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Ruby Dee, Audra McDonald, LaChanze, and Phylicia Rashad. Currently, she is appearing on Broadway as “Nabulungi” in The Book of Mormon.

broadway_legacy's photo https://t.co/EM9Xk44js3 love this photo by Brent Dundore for @BroadwayLegacy! @dantechristian

— Nikki Renee Daniels (@nikkireneesings) August 19, 2015

Amber Iman

Making her Broadway debut as the High Priestess of Soul, Nina Simone, in “Soul Doctor,” Amber Iman earned rave reviews and a nomination for the prestigious Clive Barnes Award.

Amber Iman graduated magna cum laude, with a BFA in Musical Theatre, from Howard University. After graduation, she returned to Atlanta, where her performances included “Woman #1” in The Colored Museum, “Lady in Orange” in For Colored Girls…., and “Erzulie” in Once on this Island. She was nominated for an IRNE for Best Supporting Actress as “Cheryl” in Stick Fly (Arena Stage/Huntington Theatre).  Off-Broadway, she played “Mrs. Jefferson/Seasons of Love Soloist” in RENT (New World Stages), and “Hannah” in A Civil War Christmas (NY Theatre Workshop). Most recently she appeared in the role of  “Aldonza” in Man of la Mancha at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC. Iman credits her legacy inspirations as Ella Fitzgerald, Bernardine Mitchell, Dinah Washington, India Arie, Audra McDonald, Viola Davis, and her mother Margo Moorer.

Find out more about the Broadway Legacy Series here. 

The post Broadway Legacy: Nikki Renee Daniels & Amber Iman Dazzle! appeared first on Broadway Black.

Every other week, Broadway Legacy focuses on a different individual’s accomplishments and inspirations. The series features Broadway veterans such as Chuck Cooper who won a Tony for The Life, Tony nominee Charl Brown, Derrick Baskin, best known for his role of “Comfort Counselor Mitch Mahoney” in the popular Broadway show, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Ben Harney, who won the 1982 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as “Curtis Taylor, Jr.” Dreamgirls.

BRANDON VICTOR DIXON

© Brent Dundore Photography – All Rights Reserved.

CAPATHIA JENKINS

© Brent Dundore Photography – All Rights Reserved.

CAPATHIA JENKINS

This Brooklyn-born and raised actress most recently starred as ‘Medda’ in the hit Disney production of Newsies’ on Broadway. She made her Broadway debut in The Civil War, where she created the role of Harriet Jackson. She then starred in the Off-Broadway 2000 revival of Godspell, where she wowed audiences with her stirring rendition of ‘Turn Back, O Man’ which can still be heard on the original cast recording. She returned to Broadway in The Look of Love and was critically acclaimed for her performances of the Bacharach/David hits. Ms. Jenkins then created the roles of ‘The Washing Machine’ in Caroline, Or Change and ‘Frieda May’ in Martin Short-Fame becomes me where she sang ‘Stop the Show’ and brought the house down every night. Her Television credits include 30 Rock, the Practice, Law & Order SVU, the Sopranos, Law & Order. She can be seen in the 2012 film ‘Musical Chairs’ directed by Susan Seidelman. She can be heard on the following film soundtracks: Nine, Chicago, Legally Blonde 2.

www.capathiajenkins.com

Find out more about the new editions to Broadway Legacy 2.0 & see more photos on BroadwayLegacy.com

The post Brandon Victor Dixon & Capathia Jenkins Shine In Broadway Legacy appeared first on Broadway Black.