Based on the 2007 movie written by Adrienne Shelly, the musical features music and lyrics by five-time Grammy Award nominee singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles. Jessie Mueller, winner of the 2014 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical will star as “Jenna” – a waitress and expert pie maker stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. When faced with an unexpected pregnancy, Jenna fears she may have to abandon the dream of opening her own pie shop forever. Supported by her quirky crew of fellow waitresses and loyal customers, Jenna summons the secret ingredient she’s been missing all along – courage. Settle will play the role of “Becky,” a hard-working waitress in a small town diner and “Jenna’s” friend.

Settle received 2013 Tony Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and Drama Desk Award nominations for her performance as “Norma Valverde” in Hands on a Hardbody. She also played the role of “Madame Thenardier” in the revival of Les Misérables. Settle made her Broadway debut in 2011 in Priscilla: Queen of the Desert as “Shirley” and in the ensemble.

She recently made her big screen debut in “Ricki and the Flash” which stars Broadway leading lady and six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald as well as Academy Award- winning actors Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline.

Dawson will join Waitress as a member of the ensemble. She previously appeared as “Fortune Teller” in the musical Side Show & toured as Effie White with Dreamgirls.

Waitress has a book by Jessie Nelson and will be directed by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus. It is the first Broadway musical in 25 years to feature book, score, and direction by women. The musical opens on, April 24, 2016 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre with previews starting on March 25, 2016.

The post Keala Settle and Charity Angel Dawson Serve in Waitress appeared first on Broadway Black.

James, whose other TV credits include “Law & Order” and a recurring spot on “The Good Wife,” will take on the role of Rochelle, a medical resident who, after her father’s mysterious death, teams up with series protagonist Laurel (Mary Elizabeth Wilstead) to solve the mystery and save others from the same fate.

“We fell in love with Nikki the first time we saw her in The Book of Mormon,” executive producers Robert and Michelle King praised. “Her work on ‘The Good Wife’ has only increased our admiration, and we couldn’t be more excited that she’s joining the cast of ‘BrainDead.'”

The petite powerhouse made news when she won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Nabalungi in the record breaking hit Broadway musical The Book of Mormon.  Additional Broadway credits include All Shook Up, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and most recently, the coveted role of Eponine in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables.

According to press notes, “BrainDead” is a new comic-thriller set in Washington D.C. that tells the story of Laurel, “a young, fresh-faced Hill staffer whose first job in Washington, D.C. leads her to discover two things: The government has stopped working, and alien spawn have come to earth and eaten the brains of a growing number of Congressmen and Hill staffers.”

Hey, “Independence Day” made it work, so as long as Nikki is there, so is Broadway Black!  The extraterrestrial series has received a 13-episode order and is set to premiere summer of 2016.

The post Nikki M. James Joins Cast of New CBS Series, BrainDead appeared first on Broadway Black.

As mourners gathered in Playhouse Square, the grief among those who either knew or were inspired by Jean-Baptiste was palpable.  An image of the talented young man with the soulful eyes and the beautiful tenor voice gazed out from the marquee.  And the honor befitting a legend was bestowed as the Imperial Theatre dimmed its lights and Kyle Jean-Baptiste was given a final and well deserved ovation.

I thank everyone who supported me and still does. I will never forget this experience. Onwards and upwards ;). Nothing but love @LesMizBway

— Kyle Jean- Baptiste (@BaptisteKyle) August 25, 2015

The Imperial, Richard Rodgers Theatre and Cleveland’s Playhouse Square dimmed their lights at 10:15 PM following the Tuesday evening performance.  Generally when this homage is given to a legend, theatres dim their lights around 8:00p.m, as actors are preparing to go on stage. For Jean-Baptiste, The Broadway League decided to dim the lights at 10:15 PM so that members of the Les Miz cast and crew, could also participate in the tribute.

It happened. #Dim4Kyle We love you @BaptisteKyle #YouAreBroadwayBlack @LesMizBway pic.twitter.com/4JEfPMgJrz

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

And while the tribute is complete, Kyle Jean-Baptiste’s presence will be missed, but never forgotten. To ensure this was the case, college classmates of Jean-Baptiste from Baldwin Wallace University joined with the Mackintosh Foundation, a London-based philanthropic group created by legendary producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh to launch a scholarship in his name. The scholarship fund, which was partially funded through Go Fund Me, raised more than $35,000 in one day.  Astoundingly, in part to an “extraordinary” gift from the Mackintosh Foundation, The Kyle Jean-Baptiste ’15 Music Theatre Scholarship has grown to nearly $135,000.

The outpouring of love and support further evidences the tremendous impact Jean-Baptiste had during his short lifetime. Not only was this young man able to inspire using his artistic talents, but even in his untimely death, others will continue to receive an education in the arts.  We extend our heartfelt thank you to the family of Kyle Jean-Baptiste for sharing him with the world. Because of him we know that it is in fact possible for dreams to come true.

@BaptisteKyle helping us bridge our way to #Friday #OneDayMore @lesmisofficial #LesMiz pic.twitter.com/f1hCb5pZiu

— . (@HuffPostVideo) August 13, 2015

To donate to the scholarship fund in honor of Kyle Jean-Baptiste click here.

The post Kyle Jean-Baptiste: A Final Ovation for a Broadway Legend appeared first on Broadway Black.

As we previously reported, Kyle Jean-Baptiste had just finished college when he landed the role as an understudy of the lead, Jean Valjean, in the long running musical, Les Miserables. Acknowledging his tremendous talent, Kyle also starred in the lead role, becoming not only the youngest actor to play the role on Broadway, but also the first Black actor to do so. Kyle completed his run as Jean Valjean just one day before he died. He was leaving Broadway’s Les Miz to join The Color Purple revival starring Jennifer Hudson.

Kyle’s energy was infectious.  You could feel it in his tweets. It was obvious he was on top of the world and yet very humble to be there. And who couldn’t adore his sense of humor?

Valjean or valhunk ;). @LesMizBway @BroadwayBlack @understudies #blackvaljean pic.twitter.com/qyGb0b7mA1

— Kyle Jean- Baptiste (@BaptisteKyle) August 1, 2015

We mourn with the rest of the theatre community, especially his fellow actors in Les Mis, and send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.  Kyle Jean-Baptiste will be sorely missed.

I’m really going to miss you Kyle. My heart is broken. We fight for you now. https://t.co/tuWiPlbjRe

— Wallace Smith (@WallaceSmith007) August 29, 2015

Thank you, Kyle! For your talent and your amazing spirit. You are and will forever be Broadway Black!

Today I go on as my dream role. No words. Guna remember this night @BroadwayBlack @LesMizBway @understudies #blackvaljean @lesmisofficial

— Kyle Jean- Baptiste (@BaptisteKyle) July 23, 2015

Listen to his amazing voice sing the ballad Bring Him Home from his time as Jean Valjean in the Broadway musical Les Miserables.

The post Broadway Mourns the Sudden Loss of Kyle Jean-Baptiste appeared first on Broadway Black.

The famed Broadway show also celebrated a recent first when Kyle Jean-Baptiste became the first black Jean Valjean on Broadway.

Glover earned a Tony nomination as leading lady of the musical Memphis, as well as  Drama Desk and Outer Critics’ Circle Awards for the same role, and most recently co-starred on Broadway in the musical It Shoulda Been You, which closed last week.  About her award winning role in Memphis, Glover said, “It’s literally a dream come true for me. First to present Memphis on Broadway, and second to originate the role of Felicia Farrell. When I read the first draft years ago I thought the piece had such heart and potential, and that it deserved a Broadway stage. It’s been so amazing to be a part of all of it actually happening!”

She continued with, “My favorite musical ever is Memphis…seriously. I have never been so intimately involved with a project, nor have I ever had the opportunity to grow so completely both as an artist and as a woman than with this project. Memphis is special because of what it says and what it has allowed me to learn.”

Her Broadway debut was as an understudy for Celie and Nettie in the musical The Color Purple, and she’s also been in Aida, Ragtime, Dreamgirls, She Loves Me, Oklahoma, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Westside Story, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Once On This Island, among other productions.

The score includes the classic songs ‘I Dreamed a Dream,’ ‘On My Own,’ ‘Stars,’ ‘Bring Him Home,’ ‘Do You Hear the People Sing?,’ ‘One Day More,’ ‘Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,’ ‘Master Of The House,’ and many more.

Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, Les Miserables is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The current principal cast of Les Misérables features Earl Carpenter as Javert, Gavin Lee as Thenardier, Erika Henningsen as Fantine, Samantha Hill as Cosette, Rachel Izen as Madame Thenardier, Brennyn Lark as Eponine, Chris McCarrell as Marius and Wallace Smith as Enjolras. The score includes the classic songs ‘I Dreamed a Dream,’ ‘On My Own,’ ‘Stars,’ ‘Bring Him Home,’ ‘Do You Hear the People Sing?,’ ‘One Day More,’ ‘Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,’ ‘Master Of The House,’ and many more.

The post Montego Glover Joins the Cast of Les Miserables as Fantine appeared first on Broadway Black.

Helmed by the talented Andrew Kober (Les Mis, Hair), KOBERET promises to be a heart-warming, sometimes intimate, but overall fun-filled look at the personal life and misadventures of the star himself. For now, KOBERET will be a one-night only affair, but given the success of it’s run in the midwest, many supporters are hoping, and even confident, that could change in the near future.

Joining this run of KOBERET are some of Kober’s Les Miserables castmates, such as Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon), Keala Settle (Hands on Hardbody), Cassie Levy (Hair), and Samantha Hill (The Phantom of the Opera) singing original music by some of New York’s very own, as well as classic covers of songs by Otis Redding and Billy Joel.

KOBERET hits the stage at 54 Below on August 18th at 930pm, with tickets for $25 and a $25 food and beverage minimum. Get your tickets at 54Below.com or by calling (646) 476-3551 the day of the event. 

The post Nikki M. James Joins Andrew Kobers KOBERET at 54 Below appeared first on Broadway Black.