Some nominees come as no surprise, including Leslie Odom Jr. for his portrayal as Sam Cooke in the film One Night in Miami, Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman garnered recognition for their roles in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Regina King makes history as the 2nd Black woman to earn a nomination for Best Director for Kemo Powers’ play turned movie One Night In Miami.

Movie musicals Hamilton & The Prom make appearances in the Best Picture, Musical, or Comedy category

Satchel and Jackson Lee, the children of Spike Lee and producer Tonya Lewis Lee, have been appointed as Golden Globes ambassadors marking the first time in history that two Black siblings have held the position, with Jackson being the first Black male ambassador.

The 78th Golden Globe Awards are set to take place on Feb. 28 live on NBC at 8 pm ET.

Check out the full list of nominees below:

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language

Best Director – Motion Picture

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Best Motion Picture – Animated

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

“Fight For You,” Judas and the Black Messiah
“Speak Now,” One Night in Miami…
“Hear My Voice,” The Trial of the Chicago 7
“”lo Si (Seen),” The Life Ahead
“Tigress & Tweed,” The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Best Television Series – Drama

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

The post Leslie Odom Jr., Chadwick Boseman, <em>Hamilton</em> & More Snag Golden Globe Nominations appeared first on Broadway Black.

Citing dangerous overcrowding and inclement weather, the powers that be have decided to make some improvements to the potentially treacherous lottery event before reintroducing it in the spring.

“We love seeing so many fans show up to participate in the Ham4Ham lottery and show,” Hamilton producer, Jeffrey Seller, said in a statement. “But we need to figure out how to safely accommodate our fans without blocking traffic on West 46th Street.”

Shortly after it began its run at The Public Theater, Hamilton has offered the drawing to fans who can’t afford or even access the $150+ tickets to the currently sold out run. The stage phenomenon garners, at minimum, 500 entrants per drawing: excited fans who, line, crowd and essentially dominate the slim street accessing the Richard Rodgers Theater.

An innovation made popular in 1996 by the cult-classic Rent, lottery, student rush, general rush and “standing room only” has become the poor man’s guide to Broadway.

Hamilton is just one of many Broadway productions offering an affordable digital lottery for what has become quite an expensive medium.  Kinky Boots made the switch this summer and after 18 years on top of the Broadway ticket want list, The Lion King announced in November that they would be offering an online lottery.  Introduced just in time for the holiday season, the lottery would make tickets for the musical, which generally average around $130, accessible to theatergoers at a reasonable price.

UPDATE:  As of 11 AM on Jan. 5, Hamilton has broken the internet!  Since opening the digital lottery at 9:30 AM, BroadwayDirect, the website that hosts multiple Broadway show lotteries, has read a “Service Unavailable” message.  Twitter is all abuzz, including Lin Manuel Miranda who has assured Hamilfans, while he excels at many things, IT is not one of them.  Hopefully the site will be up soon…cause we’re trying to get tickets too!

The post Hamilton Lottery Goes Digital in the New Year appeared first on Broadway Black.

Hamilton 

What is a best of 2015 list without Hamilton? Not a list at all. The hip-hop musical about America’s most controversial founding father with its diverse cast and #hamiltunes that will be stuck in your head forever earns its prized spot on the list. Any show capable of selling out for over a year is a winner in my book. #HamilTonys

Invisible Thread 

Did I mention I saw this show four times? I’m not kidding. The only reason it wasn’t more is because I’m not rich and I went home for Christmas break. The show that tells the story of one man’s incredible journey of self and the people’s lives he impacts was a no-brainer on my list. The dancing, the acting, and the singing is enough to bring you in and take you to new places. #Belamusana

The Color Purple 

Of course, The Color Purple was going to make this list. Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks and Jennifer Hudson make their Broadway debuts and they enter with a big ol’ splash. The simplistic styling of this musical requires the actors to give their all and bare it on the stage, which they do every night. I see Tonys in their future.

Whorl Inside A Loop 

No wonder it’s going to Broadway!  It’s that darn good. Second Stage is doing some pretty awesome things over there on 43rd Street, if this show is any indication. It tells the story of an actress teaching prisoners how to tell and act out their personal stories. This show definitely tugged at my heartstrings and now, hopefully, many more will be able to witness its brilliance.

The Gin Game 

Legendary. James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson sharing the stage again was one of the most amazing moments of 2015. Being able to just be in that room and watch these masters grace the stage effortlessly was a big deal. Black don’t crack, and neither does our ability to memorize scripts and get out there and be amazing eight nights a week.

Barbecue 

The Public Theater also has some hits on their hands. Barbecue centered around family, addiction, and making difficult choices. Written by Obie Award Winning Playwright Robert O’Hara, the play was full of twists and turns that left audiences gasping and guessing about what was going to happen next.

Paradise Blue

Our girl Dominique Morisseau came through. The production is directed by the always amazing Ruben Santiago-Hudson and stars Tony Award-nominee De’Adre Aziza (Passing Strange), Golden Globe-nominee Blair Underwood (A Street Car Named Desire), and Andre Holland. This show, which is the first in a trilogy, made waves at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Like Morisseau herself, I doubt it’s the last you’ll hear about it.

An Octoroon 

An Octoroon (the term “Octoroon” is a person who is one-eighth Black) is all about race in the United States. The brilliant show written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins got its start at Soho Rep and uses satire to get at the United States’ horrible legacy of slavery. Incorporating Black face, red face and everything in between, this show took it there unapologetically. An Octoroon can make an entire audience uncomfortable and force them to face the harsh realities of this “great” nation all in one. After all, art is an imitation of life, right?

Amazing Grace

Gone too soon. The song I sang as a child suddenly held more weight when I finally was able to see this show in the summer. Beautifully and thoroughly executed, Amazing Grace was a gracious piece of theatre that wasn’t afraid to go there. While it may have left Broadway, the cast recording will be enough to keep me going.

Eclipsed 

This is another one that moved from Off-Broadway because of its stellar cast and amazing story. Danai Gurira is genius. Set during the Liberian Civil War, Eclipsed tells the stories of the captive wives of a rebel officer who band together to form a fragile community—until the balance of their lives is upset by the arrival of a new girl. Heartfelt, funny, and mesmerizing are just a few adjectives to describe how great of a show this is.

Special Mention: The Wiz Live!

How could I make a list without The Wiz Live! on it? This show and all of its #melaninmagic captivated audiences everywhere. The old classic story of The Wiz with a modern twist appealed to audiences young and old, and brought together an entire community on Dec. 3rd. That night also made us realize Shanice Williams was going places, Stephanie Mills has still got it, David Alan Grier has some serious pipes, Uzo Aduba and Queen Latifah can do no wrong, Amber Riley was underappreciated on Glee, and “conversate” is an actual word.

Thats our list, what did you see that you put on your list? Sound off in the comments below and check out in-depth information on all of these shows on our site!

The post And The Winner Is…Broadway Black Top 10 of 2015 appeared first on Broadway Black.

The music of Hamilton feels true. It feels real to the listener. It hearkens back to the very best of what we know rap and the culture of hip hop can be because it tells the story of a man who desperately wanted to make it. Manuel’s songs of struggle, misunderstanding, triumph and failure in the musical make Alexander Hamilton, who many only knew as a man from bit of far away American history into every man. In a world where “Trap Queen” and “Hot Line Bling” describes fantastical situations that many of us don’t ever experience, the music of Hamilton tells the rest of our stories in a lyrical language that we can all understand.The universality of the story, the power of the music and drive of the arrangements envelope the listener in a story that could reflect any one of us. Hamilton captures all of us in one way or another and we have responded by making it number one.

Rappers beware. The important message is that the tides are turning and there is now a return to artistry in rap music and audiences are proving that it’s exactly what they want to hear. It is not limited by ethnicity and cannot be contained by the hood. Hamilton has turned the world of Broadway on its ear and now its coming for the music industry and I suspect Manuel will not be throwing away his shot.

The post Why Hamilton Cast Album Hit Number One on the Rap Charts appeared first on Broadway Black.

This is your chance, so don’t throw away your shot! If you are an extremely skilled rapper, singer and actor, and are interested in being considered for the show, send an email to casting@hamiltonbroadway.com

According to the notice posted on the website, performers interested in auditioning should include the following in their email:

• A video via an unlisted YouTube link or Vimeo that includes: a brief (under 1 minute) pop/rock song that shows your vocal range and a brief rap (under 1 minute) that shows your skill level. Please have a piano accompany you.
• A current picture and resume that includes your height and weight
• Your location, contact information (cell phone # and email address) and your date of birth (if under 18)

To avoid the Kent State fiasco, Lin-Manuel Miranda explicitly states in the character breakdown the ethnicity of each character opening the roles up for all people of color.  The breakdowns are cleverly creative with descriptions such as “Eminem Meets Sweeney Todd” for title character Hamilton, while Angelica Schuyler (currently played by Renee Elise Goldsberry) is described as “Nicki Minaj meets Desiree Armfeldt.” Hamilton’s political nemesis Aaron Burr (currently played by Leslie Odom Jr.) is written as “Javert meets Mos Def.”

You can check the rest out here to make sure you fit the bill when it’s your chance!

The acclaimed-hit musical about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, opened Aug. 6 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The show has already broken records by grossing an impressive $57 million in advance sales, with tickets not available to purchase until October of next year. Don’t worry, there’s always Ham4Ham which makes waiting in the cold for the chance to win the $10 ticket all worth it.

The post Be Apart of the Revolution! Hamilton Posts Open Casting Call appeared first on Broadway Black.

Hip Hop is once again taking the theater by storm in the form of the newest hit contemporary musical iLLA!  After premiering at this year’s annual New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), iLLA received the 2015 Award for Excellence for the NYMF Developmental Reading Series.

iLLA! follows Robert, a classically trained dancer, who dreams of becoming a famous rap star.  After suffering a humiliating defeat at a leading open mic competition, Robert struggles to redeem himself in the eyes of his peers. He falls hard for a girl named Stacy but his family’s prejudices threaten to tear them apart.  Can Robert overcome his fears and troubled home life to achieve his Hip Hop dreams? It’s a journey of Swagger, Struggle and Self-love that we all must travel.

The fresh production touts musical influences ranging from hip hop to R&B to gospel with music by Jevares C. Myrick and book and lyrics by Ronvé O’Daniel.  Alumni of Wright State University, the writing duo are both theater veterans, having collectively performed in shows including Book of Mormon, Seussical the Musical, Ragtime, Smokey Joe’s Cafe and Altar Boyz.

In more exciting news, iLLA! was recently selected as the first NYMF Next Link Project for 2016.  An exclusive writer service opportunity, Next Link entitles the production to subsidize production slots at the festival, training sessions that optimize the creative team’s access to funds and professional contacts, and a qualified dramaturg to assist the writer in improving the show.

It’s thrilling that shows like Hamilton are setting the stage and opening up new doors for innovative takes on a traditional art form.  Congratulations to the cast and crew of iLLA!  Stay tuned for all the latest news on this HOT new musical.  You heard it here, it’s gonna be FIRE!

The post New Hip Hop Musical iLLA Is Creating A New Beat appeared first on Broadway Black.

The genius behind “Mr. Burr, sir,” made his first late night appearance Monday night on the NBC talk show.  There has been chatter that the Carnegie Mellon graduate is a shoo-in for a Tony nomination for his fascinating portrayal of an “80-year-old white guy.”

One of the audience’s favorite numbers is Odom’s show-stopping, banjo-fueled, vaudeville-styled “The Room Where It Happens.”  When Meyers asked if this solo number was his favorite moment of the night, Odom simply replied, “God, no.”

“What’s your favorite moment,” Meyers countered.  “The end,” Odom responded casually.  “It’s such a  formidable task ahead of us each night doing this show.  Lin really laid down the gauntlet with this show. One of the things that’s so exciting about it is that it asks everything of you every single night and so that number… I never know if I’m gonna survive, if I’m gonna make it through. So when we reach the end, it’s a miracle.”

The musical about America’s Founding Fathers portrayed predominantly by a cast of color to the tune of hip hop and r&b is successfully breaking records across the board, leaving fans and critics wondering, why does it work?

“I think it’s because there’s a part of the audience that the whole time they’re kind of marveling at the fact that it works too,” Odom said with a chuckle.  “It’s something that shouldn’t work. The genius is in the incongruence.”

The sold out for YEARS Hamilton has already garnered dozens of celebrity visitors including Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey and President Obama.  (The night I was there I walked by Barbara Streisand *SQUEAL*).  A couple of Odom’s favorites?  Broadway royalty Joel Grey and Liza Minelli.

“Liza shows up in a cloud of medicinal marijuana smoke, which only makes her cooler in my book,” Odom quipped with a smirk.  “And I thanked her and Joel and she asks me ‘Well, have you ever seen me live?’ and I said ‘No’ and she said ‘Well then, you still have something to look forward to.’ …. GANGSTA!  Liza is straight GANGSTA!”

I saw the show last week and to say that Odom’s performance was brilliant is an understatement.  His approach is ingeniously subtle, and his skill is mesmerizing.  You may have to sell your first born, but get tickets to see his amazing performance in Hamilton as soon as you can!

The post Leslie Odom Jr. Visits Late Night with Seth Meyers appeared first on Broadway Black.

I also love the ability to challenge perspective. I love the idea of a sophisticated, fun, attractive, and driven female lead.

I love the idea of that woman being black.

Delta Nu’s favorite lawyer may be known for her beach blonde hair and pink skirt suits, but I’m sure Elle Woods would agree that blonde is more than a color– it’s a lifestyle. A lifestyle is not constrained or reserved for a woman of any specific race. With that being said, I believe rising star, Alysha Deslorieux (Hamilton, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) should be cast as Elle Woods in a revival of Legally Blonde.

Legally Blonde will forever hold a special place in my heart because it’s the first professional show I experienced. I sat in the balcony of the theatre, with a couple of tears in my eyes, moved by the energy and enthusiasm behind Laurence O’Keefe’s music. I’ve always been in love with the story of a girl rising to the occasion and discovering that she’s “So Much Better” than what her peers thought of her, and even how she valued herself. Seeing the show on stage further fed into one of my life mantras: nonconformity still reigns.

Elle’s character represents transformation. She has everything going for her but the attention and love of the man she followed to Harvard Law. Everything that glitters isn’t gold and that rings true even with Malibu’s finest. When she’s directed within, we are introduced to a woman that understands her worth and teaches us the importance of forming a “Chip on Your Shoulder” to achieve the goals set for ourselves, while unapologetically refusing to change who we are. A woman that embodies strength, sincerity, and sex appeal must shatter expectations… by being portrayed by a Black woman. 

Alysha Deslorieux made her Broadway debut in 2012 in Sister Act. However, I was first introduced to her through her work at University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music. Deslorieux has a commandng presence even in her supporting roles. I can’t wait to see her conquer a leading lady. You can hear Deslorieux on the Beautiful and Hamilton cast albums. She’s currently understudying all three Schyuler sisters in Hamilton.  

Light, yet soulful, Deslorieux will send the heart of audiences soaring as they connect with the first Black Elle Woods. 

I’ll be in the audience cheering in all pink! 

The post BB Casting Agency: Legally Color Blind? A New Elle Woods appeared first on Broadway Black.

1. Hamilton in Cabinet Battle #1

“A civics lesson from a slaver. Hey neighbor, your debts are paid cuz you don’t pay for labor.”

Meaning: We all know slaves were the backbone of this entire country. Hamilton wasn’t afraid to remind Jefferson of that. It’s the thing we probably would have said to Jefferson if we could.

2. Angelica in “Satisfied”

“So this is what it feels like to match wits with someone at your level. What the hell is the catch?”

Meaning: Pretty self explanatory. Everyone wants their equal. However, what makes this line so cool is Angelica is the only sister that gets to rap in the play, and quite fast. Angelica is truly the only one that can keep up with him in a way. I see you, Lin.

3. Lafayette in “Guns & Ships”

“I’m taking this horse by the reins making Redcoats redder with bloodstains.”

Meaning: This entire song is rapped so fast, I miss most of it. However, this line particularly about the Redcoats getting redder with blood stains is awesome, violent, and bold.

4. Angelica in “Schuyler Sisters”

“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”

Meaning: This is a line in the Declaration of Independence. But when they said “all men,” they mean land-owning white men. To have a Black woman recite these lines that weren’t mean for us, followed with the lines “When I meet Thomas Jefferson, I’mma compel him to include women in the sequel.” The greatest.

5. Thomas Jefferson in “Washington On Your Side” 

“If Washington isn’t gonna listen to disciplined dissidents, this is the difference; this kid is out.”

Meaning: Did Jefferson just quit? I think so. Also, the alliteration of these lyrics is amazing.

6. Hamilton in “Cabinet Battle #2”

“A game of chess, where France is Queen and Kingless.”

Meaning: Burn! Chess is alluded to a lot in this musical. Queen and King are the most important pieces in a game. Hamilton is relating the current state of France to chess to show they really aren’t worth the fight.

7. King George III in “You’ll Be Back”

“You’ll be back soon; you’ll see. You remember you belong to me.”

Meaning: He’s talking about the U.S of A, you know? Britain thought they owned us for a period of time, and they did. But soon we broke “free.” This entire song is like a cheesy break-up song, saying we’ll be begging to come back, but look at us now!

8. Thomas Jefferson in “What Did I Miss?”

“I’ve been in Paris meeting lots of different ladies…”

Meaning: One of the ladies? Angelica Schuyler. BOOM! Remember when she said she would compel him to include women in the sequel?

9. Aaron Burr in “We Know”

“Alexander, rumors only grow. And we both know what we know.

Meaning: People will find out about the affair eventually. Plus, Hamilton knows all about Burr’s affairs too so it’s fair game.

10. Hamilton/Angelica in “Take A Break”

“My dearest, Angelica.”

Meaning: THE COMMA. It changes the meaning. Grammar is a funny thing. “My dearest, Angelica” vs “My dearest Angelica,” changes everything. The former saying that Angelica IS his dearest, where the latter is letter formality, it could be written to anyone. It was also Lin-Manuel’s way to add to the already underlying romantic tension between the two.  He calls it Commasexting. LOL.

Find more meanings & history of Hamilton lyrics on Genius.com!

The post How Lucky We Are To Be Alive Right Now, Hamilton Lyrics Decoded! appeared first on Broadway Black.

If you didn’t catch the special last Sunday on CBS, fret not. The whole episode is featured on the website here, including clips that didn’t make it into the actual show, such as a tour of the set and the making of the cast recording. Here are just a few of the highlights:

• 60 Minutes filmed the entire cast recording, Lin-Manuel was doing re-writes on the spot and Leslie Odom Jr. was the standout amongst his peers singing every song full-out as if he were actual on the Public Theater stage.
• Leslie Odom Jr. and other cast members, most of whom are Black or Latino, tell Rose why they’re so passionate about the project. Miranda has “made these dead white guys make sense to a bunch of, you know, Black and brown people,” Odom, Jr. says. “He’s made them make sense in the context of our time, with our music.”
• Miranda worked on the show for SIX YEARS, as it originally was supposed to be a mixtape.
• It took him a year to completely write “My Shot.” His reasoning: “because every couplet needed to be the best couplet I ever wrote. That’s how seriously I was taking it.”
• When it came to deciding that Hamilton would be a Hip Hop musical, Lin-Manuel agreed it was the only genre that could match the actual writings of Alexander Hamilton because  “it has more words per measure than any other musical genre. It has rhythm and it has density. And if Hamilton had anything in his writings, it was this density.”
• When he was asked to come to the White House to perform something from In The Heights, Lin-Manuel took a risk and sang “Alexander Hamilton” instead for the first time in front of the First Family. While people in the room originally were laughing at the concept of a Hip Hop Hamilton, by the end they were “completely sucked into the story.”

Special productions like this are dangerous and exciting at the same time. Dangerous because now I am willing to give away organs to see this show again. Exciting because Hamilton has done something amazing for Broadway that gets to be shared with the world. The musical has already succeeded expectations financially, it’s offering amazing opportunities for low-income youth to be able to take part, it blends two seemingly different music genres together seamlessly, it makes history fun and engaging, and its cast is richly diverse and talented. I don’t think Hamilton can go anywhere but up. If you haven’t seen or haven’t planned to put “See Hamilton” on your bucket list, I highly recommend you do so.

Also watch the bonus footage below on CBS website for 60 Minutes HERE

The post Behind the Scenes of Hamilton on 60 Minutes appeared first on Broadway Black.