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.

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James, an alumni of the famous Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, has just completed a run in Les Miserables on Broadway.  Other performances include :Romeo and Juliet (Stratford Festival), Caesar and Cleopatra (Stratford Festival), The Wiz (La Jolla), and many others.

PRELUDES is written by Dave Malloy and developed with and directed by Rachel Chavkin with Or Matias  on piano.  This new piece will play for a limited engagement May 23-July 19, and opening on June 15, 2015 at the LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater in the Claire Tow Theater.

There is nothing we love to see more here at Broadway Black than actors of color having the opportunity to play roles that offer a little more variety. If you are able to see this show, you should take it in- not just for the sheer talent quotient of the cast (AMAZING), but to show the world that we are more diverse than we are sometimes given credit for.
All tickets for this production are $30 and can be purchased at www.lct.org/shows/preludes/  LTC is located at 150 W. 65th St. NYC, NY.

You can also follow her on Twitter @nikkimjames .

The post Nikki M. James Takes The Stage In PRELUDES appeared first on Broadway Black.

When NBC made the announcement at the end of March that its next live musical would be The Wiz the internet went into a tizzy! Immediately theatre lovers begin pitching their dream casts! Theatre names like Anika Noni Rose, Nikki M. James , Tituss Burgess, and Condola Rashad were tossed about and mainstream names like Chris Brown, Usher, Janelle Monae, and Beyonce were also thrown into the mix. There was a great concern from many theatre buffs that NBC would cast “known” names to draw in viewers instead of casting actors and actresses more familiar with the stage. To this director Kenny Leon responded with great confidence that commercial casting would not take place. “We will tell the story with the best, available cast..no tricks- no worries!”, stated the Tony Award winner. Keke Palmer, if casted, would bring both audiences; theatre and popular culture fans.

The Wiz– based on L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz- made its Broadway debut in 1975. The musical went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Original Score among other recognitions. The cast included the talents of Stephanie Mills, Ted Ross, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Mabel King. The film adaptation was released in October 1978 and included an equally impressive cast- Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Lena Horne, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross and Richard Pryor. There has not been a Broadway revival of the classic since that time so it’s no wonder everyone is over the moon with excitement! We certainly can’t wait!

Make sure you continue to follow Broadway Black for all of the updates on everything The Wiz!

The post Keke Palmer Sings Home From The Wiz 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. 

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