Courtesy of Howard University

All those having a Hot Girl Semester can end it with a special treat to honor one of the OG Hot Girls, Ma Rainey. Howard University and the August Wilson Society (AWS) will host “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Virtual Jam Session” on Saturday, December 19th, at 5 pm EST in partnership with Netflix. 

The session will not only honor the work of August Wilson, but it will also pay respects to entertainment giant and Howard alum Chadwick Boseman, in the final film he shot before passing. The Jam Session will also hold a unique panel discussion about the differences between the piece in its original play format and the new film. 

The two-part event, led by AWS president Shandra G. Shannon, Ph.D., will feature Phylicia Rashad, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and Ebony Jo-Ann. Additionally, there will include an exclusive interview with the Tony Award-winning director and icon George C. Wolfe and the  Tony, Olivier, and NAACP award-nominated actor Colman Domingo, who plays Cutler in the film. 

You can register for this FREE event HERE! 

The film itself is out Friday, Dec 18th, on Netflix. Check out the trailer below!

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Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020): Viola Davis as Ma Rainey. Cr. David Lee / Netflix

When August Wilson said, “Have a belief in yourself that is bigger than anyone’s disbelief,” I’m sure he could not have imagined the lasting impact and legacy his works would have on American theatre. During a time when his voice is permeating the ethos of our artistic souls, his classic work Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom has reemerged as a testament to the brilliance that comes out of Black artistry. Viola Davis (three-time Tony Award winner) plays the title character, Ma Rainey, approaching the bluesy chanteuse’s nuances with gravitas. As she is no stranger to the words of August Wilson – having played leading female characters of his works on stage and screen – her role in this film hits chords that echo Black Lives Matter.

This film adaptation tells the story of Ma and her band recording several songs over a hot afternoon in the studio while also attempting to calm tensions between her white manager and producer. Throughout the film, she stands her ground, exuding confidence and courage that is reminiscent of the leadership Davis displays as a Black actress. She shares the screen with the late star of Marvel’s “Black Panther,” Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in August (his final on-screen role), Glynn Turman (A Raisin In the Sun and “A Different World,”) Colman Domingo (The Scottsboro Boys and “Selma,”) Michael Potts (Cabin In the Sky and Jitney,) Taylour Paige, Dusan Brown, Jonny Coyne, and Jeremy Shamos. It is directed by Tony Award-winning director George C. Wolfe, adapted for the screen by Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and produced by Tony Award winner Denzel Washington.

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” begins streaming on Netflix on December 18, 2020.

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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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Dot, which has been called a “testament to the enduring bonds of family,” tells the story of “Dotty,” a family matriarch who’s dealing with dementia and squabbling children during the holidays. The play features a stellar cast including Marjorie Johnson who originated the title role when the production premiered at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville, Ky. Johnson’s stage credits include The Little Foxes on Broadway and Hoodoo Love, M: The Mandela Saga, The House of Bernarda Alba off-Broadway. She’s also appeared on the big screen in American Gangster, Boiler Room, Life Breath, Hill and Gully, and Fleecing Led Zeppelin.

Sharon Washington, Stephen Conrad Moore, Libya V. Pugh, Colin Hanlon, Michael Rosen, and Finnerty Steeves join Johnson in the New York production. Susan Stroman, who won a Tony Award for The Producers, will direct Dot.

This isn’t Domingo’s first foray into playwriting. The Tony-nominated actor also penned a one-man autobiographical play A Boy and His Soul, for which he won a GLAAD Award: Outstanding New York Theater: Broadway & Off–Broadway. He also wrote and starred in Wild with Happy.

Dot is scheduled to run through April 3, 2016 at the Vineyard Theatre. For tickets and more information visit vineyardtheatre.org.

Featured photo by Carol Rosegg

So nice to share opening night with my Selmafam. @vineyardtheatre pic.twitter.com/YJqzTD9APB

— Colman Domingo (@colmandomingo) February 22, 2016

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In the Shealy family home just a few days before Christmas, Dotty and her three middle-aged children gather with so much more than the holidays on their minds. Their anxieties go far beyond finding a suitable blue spruce for the living room: this wild and moving dark comedy, served with a large helping of the crackling humor that only families can incite, grapples with aging parents, midlife crises, and the heart of an inner city neighborhood.

Dot touches the spirit in a way that’s gut wrenching and glorious; it hits you in the heart while it hurts right down to your funny bone. It’s no surprise that Dot is so good. Domingo has made a career out of being great at what he does garnering Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, and Drama League Award nominations and an OBIE and Lucille Lortel Award. Currently the diverse entertainer is also starring in AMC’s ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ ( a winning television show franchise that also boasts Danai Gurira (Michonne, ‘The Walking Dead’ and writer of the amazing play Eclipsed starring Lupita Nyong’o).

Dot is directed by five time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman, who is returning to The Vineyard Theatre after her masterful work directing and choreographing The Scottsboro Boys a musical in which  Domingo was also a member of the cast  receiving a Tony nomination for his performance.  Dot  premieres Off Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre February 3rd through March 20th 2016.

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As we previously reported, Uggams was scheduled to play the family matriarch who’s dealing with dementia and squabbling children during the holidays. However, she opted to join the cast of the smash hit Fox network drama, “Empire,” in a recurring role instead.

In the Vineyard Theatre’s production, Johnson will be joined by Stephen Conrad Moore and Sharon Washington.

Johnson’s stage credits include The Little Foxes on Broadway, and Hoodoo Love, M: The Mandela Saga, and The House of Bernarda Alba off-Broadway. She’s also appeared on the big screen in “American Gangster,” “Boiler Room,” “Life Breath,” “Hill and Gully,” and “Fleecing Led Zeppelin.” Johnson has received a Best Actress Audelco Award for her portrayal of “Winnie Mandela” in M: The Mandela Saga, a Best Supporting Actress Audelco Award for “The Candy Lady” in Hoodoo Love, and a Philadelphia Critics Award Nomination for “Mrs. Antrobus” in The Skin of Our Teeth.

Dot, which has been called a “testament to the enduring bonds of family,” isn’t Domingo’s first foray into playwriting. The Tony-nominated actor also penned a one-man autobiographical play A Boy and His Soul, for which he won a GLAAD Award: Outstanding New York Theater: Broadway & Off–Broadway. He also wrote and starred in Wild with Happy.

Susan Stroman, who won a Tony Award for The Producers, will direct Dot. The play premiered in the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville, Ky., earlier this year.

Dot is will begin previews on February 4 with an official opening on February 23 at the Vineyard Theatre. The play is scheduled to run through April 3, 2016. For tickets and more information visit vineyardtheatre.org.

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In Domingo’s latest work, Uggams will play “Dotty,” a family matriarch who’s dealing with dementia and squabbling children during the holidays. This will mark her first extended run on a New York stage since she appeared in The First Breeze of Summer in 2008. Stephen Conrad Moore and Sharon Washington will also join Uggams in Dot.

Uggams grew up performing for audiences, getting her start in show business when she was seven years old playing Ethel Waters’ niece on the sitcom “Beulah.“ She then went on to perform on the “Lawrence Welk Show” and was a regular on “Sing Along with Mitch,” with record producer/conductor Mitch Miller.

She’s had a long and illustrious career on stage beginning with her 1967 Broadway debut in the musical Hallelujah, Baby! Her performance earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical as well as a Theatre World Award. She’s also appeared on Broadway in the revue Blues in the Night in 1982 and in Jerry’s Girls, the musical revue of the works of Jerry Herman in 1985. Uggams replaced Patti LuPone as “Reno Sweeney” in the Lincoln Center revival of Cole Porter’s musical Anything Goes on Broadway in 1989. Her other roles have included “Muzzy” in Thoroughly Modern Millie and “Ethel Thayer” in On Golden Pond. In 2001, Uggams was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in August Wilson’s King Hedley II.

Dot, which has been called a “testament to the enduring bonds of family,” isn’t Domingo’s first foray into playwriting. The Tony-nominated actor also pennd a one-man autobiographical play A Boy and His Soul, for which he won a GLAAD Award: Outstanding New York Theater: Broadway & Off–Broadway. He also wrote and starred in Wild with Happy.

Susan Stroman, who won a Tony Award for The Producers, will direct Dot. The play premiered in the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville, Ky., earlier this year.

Dot is scheduled to open on February 4, 2016 and run through April 3, 2016 at the Vineyard Theatre. For tickets and more information visit vineyardtheatre.org.

The post Leslie Uggams To Star in Colman Domingo’s DOT appeared first on Broadway Black.

It’s fitting that the conversation will include a discussion on Black theatre as Domingo, who starred in the historical dramas “The Butler” and “Selma,” is no stranger to topics regarding equal rights for African Americans and the LGBT community. Last December, he was photographed with “Selma” director Ava DuVernay and fellow “Selma” cast members David Oyelowo, E. Roger Mitchell, Wendell Pierce, Omar Dorsey, John Lavelle, Stephan James, Kent Faulcon, Lorraine Toussaint, Andre Holland, and Tessa Thompson at the film’s New York premiere wearing “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts and raising their arms in the “don’t shoot” pose in a striking statement against police brutality.

In a previous interview for “The Advocate,” Domingo, who is gay, spoke on his role in social activism. “What my community asks of me, what the world asks of me, is to be useful and to use my gifts, and to hopefully shine a light on something which hasn’t been said, or to write something I feel needs to be added to the experiences not only of African-Americans, but of humans and human nature,”

The Tony nominated actor is currently appearing in a recurring role as “Strand” in the AMC series “Fear the Walking Dead” and is slated to appear in the Cinemax series “The Knick.” Domingo’s stage credits include Scottsboro Boys, for which he received his Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. He also was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical when the show opened in London. Domingo also starred as “Billy Flynn” in the Broadway revival of Chicago. He most recently directed the Actors Theatre of Louisville’s production of August Wilson‘s Seven Guitars.

Domingo also is a heralded playwright, penning a one-man autobiographical play A Boy and His Soul, for which he won GLAAD Award: Outstanding New York Theater: Broadway & Off–Broadway. He also wrote and starred in Wild with Happy in which New York Times reviewer Charles Isherwood called him a “ magnetic, versatile actor.”

In addition to his roles in “Selma” and “The Butler,” Domingo also has appeared in “Lincoln,” and the Spike Lee films “Red Hook Summer,” “Passing Strange,” and “Miracle at St. Ana.”

The Live & Outspoken series features live music, theatrical readings, dance, and provocative interviews and conversation. Tickets can be purchased here.

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August Wilson’s work is getting a lot of much-deserved love and attention this upcoming theatre season. Actors Theatre of Louisville, one of the United States’ most prominent Tony-Award winning regional theatres, will be producing Seven Guitars, directed by accomplished theatre artist, Colman Domingo. Seven Guitars is one of the plays in Wilson’s well-known Century Cycle. It follows the story of blues musician Floyd Barton as he tries both to gather the pieces of his life he left behind as well as navigate the world as a Black man in 1940s Philadelphia.

Domingo leads a powerhouse cast that includes Joniece Abbott-Pratt (The Good Negro at the Public Theater), Joaquina Kalukango (Holler If Ya Hear Me, Godspell), Forrest McClendon (The Scottsboro Boys), J. Alphonse Nicholson (Autumn’s Harvest at Lincoln Center), Harold Surratt (Impressionist, Serious Money), Sharon Washington (The Scottsboro Boys) and Bowman Wright. Seven Guitars features original music and composition by Jon Spurney.

#Repost @j_fonz with @repostapp.
・・・
As we finish our last note session with our fearless, brilliant director @kingofbingo, we take a moment to bless the stage and invite our ancestors to join us. I’m so blessed to share this powerful story given to us by August Wilson with some of the most talented artist I know. @geecheegal @forrestmcclendon @jabbottpratt @joaquinakalukango @bowmanwright #HaroldSurratt All of you are true Queens and Kings of your craft. Thank you for sharing your gifts and allowing me to be apart of your family. Much love to everyone. Happy Opening! xoxo #lifeofanartist #blessed #steadygrind #family #bite #callmeFloyd @actorstheatre

A photo posted by Actors Theatre of Louisville (@actorstheatre) on Sep 3, 2015 at 12:14pm PDT

#Repost @kingofbingo with @repostapp. ・・・ The women of Seven Guitars at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Each one thrills. I am honored and blessed with each one. Happy Opening Night. @geecheegal @jabbottpratt @joaquinakalukango @actorstheatre A photo posted by Sharon Washington (@geecheegal) on Sep 3, 2015 at 7:20am PDT

#Repost @kingofbingo with @repostapp. ・・・ The men of Seven Guitars at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Happy Opening Night. I think you make Mr. Wilson proud. I know I am. So much love. @actorstheatre @forrestmcclendon @j_fonz @bowmanwright #haroldsurratte

A photo posted by Sharon Washington (@geecheegal) on Sep 3, 2015 at 7:18am PDT

Missing my brother-director-collaborator-friend. The multi-talented, multi-hyphenate @kingofbingo. We’ll have to play without him for the next two weeks! #SevenGuitars #AugustWilson @actorstheatre #classic #Repost @aktanov_domingo with @repostapp. ・・・ This man… So grateful to be inspired by his brilliance. He is KILLING it as a director of August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars” #Louisville #actorstheatre #multifaceted #polyglot A photo posted by Sharon Washington (@geecheegal) on Sep 7, 2015 at 6:24am PDT

Domingo, whose extensive resume includes Academy-Award nominated film, Selma, as Reverend Ralph David Abernathy and starring on AMC’s hit television series, Fear The Walking Dead, is also an accomplished playwright. Domingo’s play, A Boy and His Soul, has been performed for both British and Australian audiences to rave reviews. Additionally, his play Wild with Happy made its debut at the Public Theater. When he is not writing, gracing the stage or screen, or directing, Domingo is on the Board of Directors of the Vineyard Theater in New York and has taught in many theatres around the country, including UNC Chapel Hill, the Savannah College of Art and Design, and University of Wisconsin.

Here at Broadway Black, we know that Domingo will bring a refreshing view to this classic entry in African-American theatre. To receive more information about Seven Guitars, as well as ways to purchase tickets, visit the Actors Theatre of Louisville website.

Sound off in the comments with your thoughts about the focus on August Wilson’s plays and whether the Century Cycle continues to remain relevant.

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This August, AMC will premiere a companion series entitled Fear the Walking Dead. Colman Domingo, Tony award nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in The Scottsboro Boys, will play a character named Strand, described as “a smart and sophisticated man with a mysterious past.” Domingo’s role will be recurring on the Fear the Walking Dead series, which is set at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse in Los Angeles or, as I like to refer to it, “West Coast/Best Coast.”

It is not often that we are graced with a show like The Walking Dead that spans people’s interest across so many different demographic categories. I might consider the show a phenomenon, perhaps an anomaly; because no matter what walk of life people come from, you can always find someone that loves The Walking Dead.

For more information you can visit the AMC website and follow Colman Domingo on Twitter, @ColmanDomingo.

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