Twenty-twenty has been a trip. Nothing surprises us anymore, but it hasn’t been all bad. It brought free grocery delivery, cocktails from your favorite restaurant delivered to your doorstep, and now MCC Theater’s School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play benefit reading via stream! The reading will feature Cynthia Erivo, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Ashleigh Murray, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Storm Reid, Lyric Ross, Gabourey Sidibe, and Lovie Simone. This amazing play by Jocelyn Bioh will be directed by Kamilah Forbes.

Once described by Essence as “the most important play off-Broadway”, School Girls will stream on Sunday, December 13th at 3 PM EST. Please, please, please don’t think you are going to wait until the last minute to purchase these tickets because you will have your feelings hurt. Ticket sales close at 1 PM the day of the show. $15 tickets are sold out but $30 and $50 tickets, which includes a talkback, are still available HERE.

Paulina, the reigning queen bee at Ghana’s most exclusive boarding school, has her sights set on the Miss Universe pageant. But the arrival of Ericka, a new student with undeniable talent and beauty, captures the attention of the pageant recruiter—and Paulina’s hive-minded friends. This 2018 Lortel Award winner for BEST PLAY and NEW YORK TIMES CRITIC’S PICK explores the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls across the globe.

The post Gabourey Sidibe and Lovie Simone Will Join Cynthia Erivo & More in School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play Benefit Reading appeared first on Broadway Black.

Composer/lyricist Jason Michael Webb (Brooklyn Tabernacle, Motown: The Musical, Violet) and writer/lyricist Lelund Durond Thompson (CTH artistic associate and founder of YellaFella Entertainment) created the commissioned work over two years. The duo has re-imagined classic Christmas songs as well as created new melodies designed to become holiday favorites. The soundscape is a wonderland of disco, rock and gospel genres.

Performed in the 200-seat intimate Soundstage, the musical follows three generations of a Harlem family still affected by the tragic loss of a loved one. An unexpected visit from Grandma reveals some long-absent Christmas joy. It is a universal story about how a community is healed, one family at a time, as everyday people do extraordinary things to help one another receive the gift of love.

CTH artistic director Ty Jones has described it as “Dickens for the 21st Century.” With Equity principal auditions taking place in September, the cast has yet to be announced. In May, when Broadway Black reported the production as “bringing something fresh to the holiday season,” the excitement was much like that of Webb under the Apollo marquee.

Leading the artistic team is director Steve H. Broadnax III. Broadnax, an associate professor of theatre at Pennsylvania State University whose work has been featured at Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, also has showcased at The Kennedy Center with his award-winning The Hip Hop Project. The original play, which has toured nationally, was conceived, directed and choreographed by Broadnax.

Having opened its 15th anniversary season with a benefit concert featured the music of the Griffin Matthews–Matt Gould Witness Uganda (now titled Invisible Thread) at the Soundstage, CTH returns to the historic Harlem venue for its official debut.

Founded in 1999, CTH presents stories through the lens of the African Diaspora that honor the cultural legacy of the neighborhood in which it was founded. In a Theater Pizzazz interview, Jones notes CTH was in financial distress and lost the confidence of many supporters when he arrived in 2009. Now CTH has attracted major donors and has developed notable programming that reflects the diversity of ideas and racial tapestry that is America.

“We are part of the renovation of the community,” said Jones in his interview of the changes Harlem continues to experience. “We want to engage with the community.”

Tickets for The First Noel are on sale now HERE. Follow CTH at @classicalharlem.

The post The First Noel Gears Up For A Harlem Christmas At The Apollo appeared first on Broadway Black.

In addition to visionary, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, the creators of NBT also included Adetunde Samuel, and Fredrica L. Teer; each with an award to be given at the gala. In addition to those three awards, there is also recognition for contributors to NBT and the community.

This year’s Trailblazer recipient is playwright, Dominique Morisseau (Detroit ’67). The Pioneer Award will honor Carmen de Lavallade, Rosalba Rolón, and Sydne Mahone. The Adetunde Samuel Award will go to directors Kwame Kwei-Armah and Kamilah Forbes. Mary Schmit Campbell and Roberta Uno will receive this year’s Frederica L. Teer Award; and the Honorable Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye will receive the Dr. Barbara Ann Teer Spirit Award. Live entertainment for the evening will feature music led by Bert Price, Nsangou Njikam, and Rain Pryor who is currently performing her one-woman show, Fried Chicken and Latkes, at NBT now until June 28.

For tickets and more information about the TEER Spirit Awards Gala and the National Black Theatre, visit www.nbtf.org.

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Iterations of this piece have seen great success in L.A., Chicago, Ohio, Virginia, Texas, Atlanta, and Scotland as well as being called a NY Times “Critic Pick”. Now, under the direction of Kamilah Forbes, it will make its official world premiere at the National Black Theatre.

Throughout Rain Pryor’s career as an actor, comedian, director, producer, educator, and activist, she has been diligent in being true to who she is and all that she is. Refusing to be defined by industry labels, her unique and impactful voice has won her critical acclaim as well as delighted sold-out crowds nationwide.

One of the exciting things about the presence of this type of production is its rarity. Too often seen in the theater are replications of phallocentric narratives that so seldom allow the presence of those belonging to the “other” and when they are seen, they are all too frequently stereotyped. Pryor explores some of those stereotypes as they appeared in her own family and brings the cultures together to show the unifying humanity. In a time where the voices of women and people of color are still struggling to be heard in this country, Pryor stands out as more than a source of humor or entertainment, she is an artist who educates and heals with plenty of laughs along the way.
The world premiere of “Fried Chicken & Latkes” will run June 2-28 at the National Black Theatre 2031 5th Ave. New York, NY 10035. For tickets and more information visit www.nationalblacktheatre.org

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