Hughie is set in the lobby of a small midtown hotel on the West Side of Manhattan where Erie Smith, a drunken, small time hustler, is mourning the recent death of the hotel’s night clerk, Hughie. Erie regales the new night clerk with tall tales of his glory days spent with Hughie. Join lead actor Forest Whitaker in his Broadway debut in conversation with director and Tony Award-winner Michael Grandage and other members of the cast and creative team.

The post Theater Talks: Hughie Presented By Schomburg Center appeared first on Broadway Black.

Eclipsed Broadway

In Eclipsed, Lupita Nyong’o stars in a complicated and brilliant story of women living in the midst of war-torn Liberia. Several captive wives define their survival in different ways while locked in the grip of a raging civil war. A young woman comes along and must decide for herself what path she will forge through the chaos. The play, penned by playwright and actress Danai Gurira (known for her role as ‘Michonne’ on the television series, “The Walking Dead”) explores themes of identity and choice in this stunning production. The production will hit Broadway at the John Golden Theatre with previews on February 23 and opens on March 6, 2016.

#BroadwayBlack | Original Cast w/ @Lupita_Nyongo Set for @EclipsedBway, Will Make History https://t.co/gZLxb16kzy pic.twitter.com/SdySfxB4fl

— BROADWAY BLACK! (@BroadwayBlack) December 8, 2015

Head of Passes

Beloved actress and Tony Winner Phylicia Rashad returns to Broadway to star in Head of Passes, a play that speaks to audiences of faith, acceptance and family. Head of Passes will begin previews on March 15, 2016, at the Newman Theater. Opening night is set for March 28.

At the mouth of the Mississippi River, Shelah’s family and friends have come to celebrate her birthday and save her from a leaking roof. But in this contemporary parable inspired by the Book of Job, unexpected events turn the reunion into the ultimate test of faith and love. As her world seems to collapse around her, Shelah must fight to survive the rising flood of life’s greatest challenges.

JUST IN: Phylicia Rashad Will Star in @octarell's Head of Passes @PublicTheaterNY https://t.co/y77h9qgBs7 pic.twitter.com/kqLLjBvkZ0

— BROADWAY BLACK! (@BroadwayBlack) November 11, 2015

Shuffle Along

Shuffle Along is an African-American musical revue with music and lyrics by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, and a connecting plot about a mayoral race, written by Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles. Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Victor Dixon, Joshua Henry, and Billy Porter make this a show not to miss! Shuffle Along will begin previews March 15, 2016, and open April 28, 2016 at Music Box Theatre in New York.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUxTDUzHiNg

Whorl Inside A Loop (Broadway)

In Whorl Inside a Loop, a well-regarded actress agrees to teach six inmates how to tell their stories behind the bars of a men’s maximum-security prison. Sharing intimate and sometimes hilarious details of their former lives (while portraying characters of varying age, gender and race), this unlikely group forms a bond—even as the actress’ life outside spins out of control. And when what happens in prison doesn’t stay there, no one is sure whom to trust.

There’s quite a bit of buzz about this show making a Broadway debut in 2016 and we sincerely hope so! Although we’ve reported on the possibility of a Broadway transfer after it’s successful run at Second Stage Theatre, there is no official word about this work heading to Broadway. Stay tuned to Broadway Black for details on when and where to catch this production. (We’re crossing our fingers!)

Hughie

Oscar winner Forest Whitaker will make his Broadway debut in this limited engagement at the Boothe Theatre. Previews begin February 8, 2016, and Opening Night is February 25, 2016.

Summer, 1928. New York City. Beyond the bright lights of the Great White Way, a small-time gambler and big-time drinker returns to the faded hotel he has made his home. He encounters a new night clerk at the front desk and as the early hours of the morning give way to another dawn, he continues to chase the American Dream in order to survive. Hughie is a rarely seen theatrical masterpiece that beautifully investigates the themes of loneliness and redemption and offers a unique insight into the human condition.

Smart People

Kenny Leon directs this humorous offering by Lydia R. Diamond. Previews begin January 26, 2016 at the Tony Kiser Theatre with Opening Night set for February 11, 2016.

The quest for love, achievement and identity is universal, but what role does race play in the story of our lives? On the eve of Obama’s first election, four Harvard intellectuals find themselves entangled in a complex web of social and sexual politics in this provocative and funny new play by Lydia R. Diamond.

https://t.co/GB0rUSz0KC | #MahershalaAli & @TThompsonYES Will Star in Smart People @2STNYC https://t.co/tIgXEblKZ5 pic.twitter.com/HsIAfzi6zw

— BROADWAY BLACK! (@BroadwayBlack) November 2, 2015

The Color Purple

The Color Purple heralds the debut of powerhouse Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson. The show began previews on Nov 10, 2015 and Opened Dec 10, 2015 and is currently running at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

This unforgettable and intensely moving new production mesmerized audiences when it premiered at London’s acclaimed Menier Chocolate Factory, where critics hailed it as “a revelation” (Mark Shenton, The Stage). Now, this American classic comes to Broadway with a powerhouse cast including celebrated London star Cynthia Erivo, who will recreate her electrifying performance as Celie, along with “Orange is the New Black” star Danielle Brooks.

We would LOVE to know your thoughts about this line up and whether you will be making plans to attend. Tweet us @BroadwayBlack!

The post Broadway Black Approved: The Productions You Should See in Spring 2016 appeared first on Broadway Black.

Whitaker will star alongside stage veteran and Tony Award winner Frank Wood in the short two-character play set in the lobby of a small hotel on a West Side street in midtown New York during the summer of 1928. The play is what’s known as a two-hander — essentially a monologue — about the recently deceased night clerk of a grim hotel on Manhattan’s West Side who’s still mourned by “Erie Smith,” a drunk hustler keen on impressing Hughie’s replacement, “Charlie Hughes,” with reminiscences of past hijinks and adventures.

Whitaker will star as “Erie Smith and Wood will take on the role of “Charlie Hughes.” Tony winner Michael Grandage will direct the play.

Whitaker has built an impressive resume in films such as “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “Bird,” and “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.” In 2007, he won an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 2006’s “The Last King of Scotland.” He also is a noted director who helmed the iconic girlfriend film “Waiting To Exhale” starring Whitney Houston, Loretta Devine, and Angela Bassett.

Wood won a Tony Award in 1999 for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Side Man. He also played “Bill” in the Broadway production of August: Osage County.

Hughie was last seen on Broadway in 1996 at the Circle in the Square Theatre in a production directed by and starring Al Pacino.

For more information about Hughie and to purchase tickets, visit here.

The post Forest Whitaker’s Hughie Pushes Back Start of Previews appeared first on Broadway Black.

In the series, a ratings sensation when it first aired in January 1977 over an eight-day period, Rose will play “Kizzy, “ the “cherished, smart daughter of Kunta Kinte who maintains her family pride and warrior spirit.” And, Whitaker will play Fiddler, a slave who risks his life trying to mentor and aid in the escape of “Kunta Kinte.” Leslie Uggams and Louis Gossett, Jr., originated those roles, respectively, in the 1977 miniseries.

Rose and Whitaker join previously announced cast members Laurence Fishburne, Anna Paquin, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Chad L. Coleman, Erica Tazel, Derek Luke, Clifford “T.I.” Harris, Jr., Mekhi Phifer, along with newcomers Malachi Kirby and Regé-Jean Page.

Although the remake doesn’t have an air date yet, it’s scheduled to run as an eight-hour, four-night miniseries, and will air on the History Channel, A&E and Lifetime.

As if seeing Rose in “Roots” wasn’t enough, it was recently announced that she’ll join the cast of the highly-rated Starz drama series “Power” next season. She’s slated to play “LaVerne Thomas” a streetwise cop from the neighborhood where Ghost and Tommy grew up in a multi-episode storyline. “Power” stars Omari Hardwick and Naturi Naughton.

Rose is a stage veteran who won a Tony Award for her role in the Tony Kushner-Jeanine Tesori musical Caroline, Or Change and was nominated for her role as “Beneatha Younger” in the 2014 revival of A Raisin In The Sun. However, she may best be known for her role as “Princess Tiana” in Disney’s “The Princess And The Frog” and as Lorell in the film adaptation of “Dreamgirls.”

The post Anika Noni Rose & Forest Whitaker Set For Roots Remake appeared first on Broadway Black.

Hughie is a short, two-character play by Eugene O’Neill set in the lobby of a small hotel in midtown New York during the summer of 1928. The play is what’s known as a two-hander, a term for a play with only two main characters. It’s about the recently deceased night clerk of a grim hotel on Manhattan’s West Side who’s still mourned by “Erie Smith,” a drunk and hustler keen on impressing Hughie’s replacement, “Charlie Hughes,” with memories of past hijinks and adventures.

Whitaker will star as “Erie Smith” and Wood will take on the role of “Charlie Hughes.” Tony winner Michael Grandage, who also helmed the Tony-winning Red and the current West End production Photograph 51 starring Nicole Kidman, will direct the play.

Most of us are accustomed to seeing Broadway newcomer Whitaker in films such as “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “Bird,” and “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.” In 2007, he won an Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 2006’s “The Last King of Scotland.” He also received Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards for his performance. He is slated to appear next on the big screen in “Star Wars: Rogue One.” Whitaker is also a noted director having directed the iconic film “Waiting To Exhale” starring Whitney Houston, Loretta Devine, and Angela Bassett.

Wood won a Tony Award in 1999 for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Side Man. He played “Bill” in the Broadway production of August: Osage County.

Hughie was last seen on Broadway in 1996 at the Circle in the Square Theatre in a production directed by and starring Al Pacino. Previews for the production will begin on February 5.

The post Forest Whitaker Gets Co-Star & Official Dates For His Broadway Debut appeared first on Broadway Black.

Hughie is a short two-character play by Eugene O’Neill set in the lobby of a small hotel on a West Side street in midtown New York during the summer of 1928. The play is essentially a long monologue delivered by a small time hustler named Erie Smith to the hotel’s new night clerk Charlie Hughes, lamenting how Smith’s luck has gone bad since the death of Hughie, Hughes’ predecessor. The play runs about an hour.

The show is to be directed by Tony winner Michael Grandage and is set to play at a Shubert Organization theatre to be announced spring 2016. Casting for the show’s other role, a night clerk, will be announced soon. Whoever gets that role and works directly beside Whitaker is going to get the experience of a lifetime.

Forest Whitaker, primarily known as a film actor, will next appear on the big screen in the anticipated “Star Wars: Rogue One.” If you didn’t know, Whitaker directed the iconic Waiting To Exhale starring Whitney Houston, Loretta Devine, & Angela Bassett. He also studied opera at the University of Southern California and was later accepted into the school’s Drama Conservatory. This all leads us to understand why he he is an Emmy, Golden Globe, Oscar,

The play, Hughie, was last seen on Broadway in 1996 at the Circle in the Square Theatre in a production directed by and starring Al Pacino.

This Broadway season gets sweeter & sweeter. We welcome the powerhouse actor Forest Whitaker to the Broadway stage and can’t wait to bear witness to what he leaves on the stage.

Who would you like to see co-star with him as the night clerk? Sound off in the comments below!

The post Forest Whitaker Will Make His Broadway Debut in Hughie By Eugene O’Neill appeared first on Broadway Black.

An awesome achievement for a film whose cast boasts some of the best in professional Black theatre.  We could not be any happier or prouder.

Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) and Academy Award nominated-Broadway producer Oprah Winfrey (The Color Purple) lead this cast of brilliant artists as Cecil and Gloria Gaines.

David Oyelowo is Louis Gaines the eldest, headstrong, son of Cecil and Gloria.  Oyelowo is a British actor who began his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company.  He was the first Black actor to play an English king in a major Shakespearean production.

Tony Award nominee Colman Domingo (The Scottsboro Boys, Passing Strange) is the reluctant maître d’ Freddie Fallows.  He brings a smile to our faces each time he appears onscreen.  We adore him.

Tony Award winner Adriane Lenox (Doubt, Kiss Me Kate) is Gina, the wife of Terrence Howard‘s adulterous character Howard.  We absolutely loved the pairing of these two actors.  Terrence Howard made his Broadway debut in the all Black cast of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 2008.

Tony Award nominee Clarence Williams III (Slow Dance on the Killing Ground, The Long Dream) makes an appearance as Maynard, the man responsible for Cecil’s White House appointment.

Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Jerry McGuire) is comic relief as head butler Carter Wilson.  Cuba is currently making his Broadway debut with Tony Award winner Cicely Tyson in The Trip to Bountiful.

We hope the success of The Butler creates even more opportunities for Black theatre artists to thrive on the silver screen just as they have on The Great White Way.

The post BroadwayBlack Stars Conquer the Box Office In Lee Daniels’ The Butler appeared first on Broadway Black.