Tyson, a three-time Emmy winner (“The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” “The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All”), is nominated for an Emmy this year for her guest performance in “How to Get Away with Murder.”

Between them, Jones and Tyson have three Tony Awards and five nominations. Tyson won a Tony in 2013 for her role as “Carrie Watts” in The Trip to Bountiful and Jones is two-time Tony winner for 1969’s The Great White Hope as well as Fences in 1987. Most recently, Jones starred on Broadway in the revival of You Can’t Take It With You.

This is the first time the pair have appeared on Broadway together since 1966 when they starred in A Hand Is on the Gate.”They’ve also worked together Off Broadway in the long-running production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks as well as in the film “The River Niger” and on television in “Heat Wave.” We gave you a behind the scenes look at their recent photo shoot here.

The Gin Game, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by D.L. Coburn, follows “Weller Martin” (Jones) and “Fonsia Dorsey” (Tyson), who meet on the porch of their nursing home and strike up a friendship as Weller teaches Fonsia how to play gin rummy. As they play, they share stories about the lives they led in the outside world. But when Fonsia wins every hand, Weller becomes increasingly frustrated. Soon, their gin games and conversations become a battleground, with each player exposing the other’s failures, disappointments and insecurities.

The Gin Game premiered in 1977, starring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy and was revived in 1997 with Charles Durning and Julie Harris.

Leonard Foglia (Master Class) will direct the new production, which will run through through January 10, 2016 at the Golden Theatre.

Tickets are available here.

#TonyAward-winning legends #JamesEarlJones and #CicelyTyson star in #TheGinGame. On Broadway for 16 weeks only!

A video posted by The Gin Game on Broadway (@gingamebroadway) on Sep 10, 2015 at 10:29am PDT

The post Cicely Tyson & James Earl Jones Will Begin The Gin Game appeared first on Broadway Black.

Tyson made her Broadway debut in Jolly’s Progress (1959) as Eartha Kitt’s understudy. She went on to appear in other Broadway shows including Tiger Tiger Burning Bright (1962), A Hand Is On The Gate (1966), Carry Me Back To Morningside Heights (1968), The Corn is Green (1983), and in 1974, she hosted the 28th Annual Tony Awards.

In 1961, Ms. Tyson appeared in Jean Genet’s The Blacks, the longest running off-Broadway non-musical of that decade (1,408 performances). The Blacks boasted a cast of soon-to-be legends of the arts like James Earl Jones, Maya Angelou, Louis Gossett, Jr., and Roscoe Lee Browne.

It wasn’t until 2013 that Tyson won a Tony Award (Best Actress in a Play) for her performance as Miss Carrie Watts in Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful.

That year she also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play and the Outer Critics Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play, for Bountiful.

Tyson boasts a beyond impressive television and film resume, as well. Most recently she was seen in the ABC hit How To Get Away with Murder, playing Ophelia Hartness, Annalise’s mother. Annalise is played by Tony-winner Viola Davis (2001, Best Featured Actress in a Play, King Hedley II and 2010, Best Actress in a Play, Fences). Other TV credits include The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Roots, King, A Woman Called Moses, The Women of Brewster Place, and Law and Order: SVU.

On film she has been seen in Sounder, The River Niger, Bustin’ Loose, Fried Green Tomatoes, and The Help, to name a few.

We here are Broadway Black salute you, Miss Tyson! We honor you! We thank you! You are TRULY a Black (girl) who ROCKS.

Black Girls Rock airs Sunday, April 5th, 2015 at 7p/6c on BET,
hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King.

We’ll be tuning in! Hope you will be, too.

The post Black Girls Rock Will Honor Cicely Tyson appeared first on Broadway Black.