“Witchcraft,” “I’ve Got the World on a String,” “On the Sunny Side of the Street” – these are just a few of the hits that Frank Sinatra immortalized into the Great American Songbook. With his sultry voice, impeccable phrasing and everyman appeal, this son of the Hoboken working class came to epitomize American popular music.

With such great talent, it is only fitting that a tribute concert in his honor feature some of today’s very best performers. Super soulful singer and our collective homegirl, Grammy winner Fantasia will be adding her talent to the line-up which also includes Tony-winning Broadway performer, pop singer, film and television actor Billy Porter among others.

SNEAK PEEK: We're singing Sinatra and celebrating the Legacy…Dec 18th y'all..on PBS! #Sinatra100 #LFLC https://t.co/kIwy08ufuO

— Billy Porter (@theebillyporter) December 13, 2015

SINATRA: Voice for a Century airs Friday, 12/18 at 9pm on @PBS. Check your local listings. pic.twitter.com/CXc1QDNGD0

— Fantasia Taylor (@TasiasWord) December 12, 2015

Fantasia has sold over  three million records and won numerous awards since storming onto the music scene after winning American Idol in 2004. And like Sinatra, Fantasia has made her mark in more than just the music industry. Her Broadway debut was in The Color Purple and was followed with After Midnight.  Billy Porter has recently racked up awards for his portrayal of ‘Lola’ in the Broadway show Kinky Boots, a role that he originated. Check out Fantasia and Porter’s thoughts about Frank Sinatra in the video below.

Sinatra: Voice for a Century, part of the Live from Lincoln Center series, will air on PBS December 18. For more information on how you can see the show, check your local PBS listings.

UPDATE: Performances from the show are below!

The post Fantasia and Billy Porter Sing Sinatra at Lincoln Center appeared first on Broadway Black.

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.

The post Brenda Braxton Stars in After Midnight on the High Seas appeared first on Broadway Black.

Hall’s docu-series is a behind the scenes look at his “creative factory” and introduces viewers to the passionate troupe of creative collaborators and individuals who pour their hearts and souls into his weekly videos.

But just because Toddy has made his way to the small screen, it doesn’t mean he will be leaving YouTube anytime soon. “I really don’t want to come off YouTube,” Hall explained to reporters during the Television Critics Association summer press tour, clarifying how doing so would “make me lose my street cred.” The former Idol contestant said that he brands himself as a YouTuber, and so his fans need to see him on the digital video platform. Hall said MTV has been “so awesome” and very understanding of his need to stay digital, and the performer hopes his digital life can intertwine with whatever other projects he works on in TV in the future (which he is actively trying to pursue).

Todrick Hall was a semi-finalist on Season 9 of American Idol and has appeared on Broadway as part of the ensemble of the Tony-winning hit musical Memphis. Hall was also seen on Broadway in The Color Purple (in which Hall appeared in the ensemble and was an understudy for the role of Harpo), alongside American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino. In addition to his acting, Hall is a playwright, director and choreographer. He wrote and staged OZ, the musical, an updated version of The Wizard of Oz that played around the country.

Watch the first episode of the series here and catch him every Monday night on MTV!

If you haven’t checked out Todrick’s YouTube channel yet, stop what you are doing and check it out right now. Need to get inspired? Here is one of my many favorite videos that Todrick has done that made me fall in LOVE.

Also watch his show every Monday night on MTV!

The post Todrick Hall Rocks On New MTV Show appeared first on Broadway Black.

Recipient of 7 Tony Award Nominations and the winner for Best Choreography, After Midnight was a play focusing on the popular, prohibition-era hot spot The Cotton Club and was scheduled to include residencies from Fantasia Barrino, Patti LaBelle, Natalie Cole, Gladys Night and numerous other notable singers. The majority of the positive reception took place at the anchoring of Barrino, but it was during LaBelle’s stay that the curtains closed. Undoubtedly disappointed that she wasn’t able to see her time on stage, Natalie had some choice words about Ms. Labelle’s performance that were relayed to Dish Nation via a source close to the production:

Natalie was overheard telling friends that Fantasia really made the show work, but Patti was just not up to par. People were saying that Patti would get tired in middle of her set and would just mouth the words instead of singing them. Natalie didn’t hold back — she went on to say that Patti had lost her touch — saying she was too old and too tired to make the performance work.

This comes as no surprise as no surprise as Natalie is known to be outspoken and opinionated. A few other celebs and names close to the production were said to have felt similarly but none with the Natalie’s intensity. Fantasia was definitely amazing during her tenure at After Midnight but did any of you who got a chance to see Ms. LaBelle have any notable feelings about the performance she gave? Or do you think this could just be Natalie venting her frustrations at not being able to have her full time on stage? Let us know in the comments!

**Photo Credit

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