The concert, United in Song: Celebrating the Resilience of America, was filmed in front of a socially-distanced audience from George Washington’s home in Mt. Vernon. Special guests will include 6-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill) , Tony winner Brian Stokes Mitchell (Shuffle Along), Tony nominee Anna Deavere Smith (Twilight, Los Angeles 1992), Grammy winner Patti LaBelle (After Midnight), and more.

The concert will simultaneously stream at PBS.org or on the PBS Video App.

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The Apollo Theater presents its annual Amateur Night Holiday Special,  a community favorite and one of the highlights of the Apollo season. The special show is an evening of entertainment presented by talented child dancers, musicians and singers all who are past Amateur Night Stars of Tomorrow winners.

This year features special guest performances by TV and Broadway performer Corbin Bleu (In the Heights, Godspell) and breakout star of NBC’s The Wiz Live! Shanice Williams. Co-hosted by Chaz Shepherd and Corbin Bleu.

Some of the performers for the night include Alexis Morrast, Christian Guardino, Lianah Sta. Ana, Mathew Whitaker, Dominique Gervais, Solomon Hicks, Austin Paul Jr. , Haruto Maeda, Street Justice Crew and Ex-Crew of Junior Exile.

Amateur Night at the Apollo is one of New York’s most popular live entertainment experiences, attracting performers and audiences  from all over the world. Amateur Night is known for its “tough crowd” audience that ultimately decides who will go on to win the grand prize. That is if they aren’t swept off the stage first. Many singers and even some Broadway Black stars got their start on the famous Apollo stage including Billie Holiday, Pearl Bailey, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, and Williams’ own co-stars Ne-Yo and Stephanie Mills (who won Amateur Night six weeks in a row when she was only 11 years old!)

Amateur Night Holiday Special is a one-night only special on Saturday, December 19th starting at 7:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased here.

In NYC?! You can see @luvbeingshanice live @apollotheater as guest for #amateurnightapollo TONIGHT! Make your way to Harlem!

A photo posted by Broadway Black (@broadwayblack) on Dec 19, 2015 at 8:24am PST

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The premiere cruise line announced in January that they would be bringing the jazz-filled spectacle to their newest ship, the 4,200 passenger Norwegian Escape. Playing weekly in the vessels’ 800-seat Escape Theater, the Broadway experience is just one of many notable features of the ship.

Since Braxton’s Broadway debut, just a year out of high school, the Diva (as I like to call her) has appeared in Dreamgirls, Jelly’s Last Jam, and Cats. She’s become a frequent favorite of the long-running Fosse hit Chicago and in 1995 she earned a Tony Award nomination for her famous portrayal in Smokey Joe’s Cafe. In addition to her work on TV shows “Smash” and “Nurse Jackie,” the Golden Girl also recently launched “ACT 2…Now What?,” a “series of seminars and workshops for women over 50 looking to make the Act 2 of their lives spectacular on their own terms.”

After Midnight opened in the fall of 2013 and despite its short run, was a critical success from the start. Earning seven Tony Award nominations, the City Center transfer welcomed the stunning artistry of musical greats including Gladys Knight, Natalie Cole, Patti LaBelle, Toni Braxton, Babyface, Vanessa Williams, and Fantasia Barrino.

“Refracted through a contemporary lens, After Midnight celebrates Duke Ellington’s years at the Cotton Club using his original arrangements and performed by a world-class big band of 17 musicians hand-picked by living jazz legend, Wynton Marsalis. The timeless tunes set against a narrative of Langston Hughes poetry provide an authentic backdrop for an array of cutting-edge performances by 25 sensational vocalists and dancers, including special guest stars, whose interpretations shatter everything you think you know about music, nightlife and Broadway.”

Conceived by Producer Jack Viertel, the 90-minute musical will be re-created on board the Escape by its original director/choreographer, Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle, and will feature the look and feel of its original design team, including Isabel Toledo’s costumes and John Lee Beatty’s set. The Norwegian Escape will take its maiden voyage on Nov. 9.

AfterMidnight from Norwegian Creative Studios on Vimeo.

The post Brenda Braxton Stars in After Midnight on the High Seas appeared first on Broadway Black.

Of course, everyone has their opinion on who would be an ideal fit, and I am no exception.  Caveat: the following picks were chosen because of how I think their voices would sound on particular songs, not necessarily because they have the dramatic chops to pull off the role. (which reflects how these things are perceived sometimes to be cast)

With that in mind, these are my casting choices for The Wiz:

Dorothy: There are several artists who could perform this role (e.g., Janelle Monae, Jordan Sparks), but I think an interesting choice would be Tamia. Tamia is one of those singers who is a success but completely underrated.  Tamia has vocal control, tone, emoting, and range. She would be a great choice.  And as this clip shows, not only can she sing, but she harmonizes well, which is critical in most of the songs Dorothy sings.

Evilene: This was a tough call. There are a lot of singers who can belt out a song. The main requirements for “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News” are that the singer needs to blow the roof off of the theatre and needs to take the listeners to church. But what also needs to be conveyed is some serious attitude. I dare you to watch this and not think that Ledisi won’t have you ready for the offering plate and scared out of your ruby red slippers at the same time.

Glinda; Hands down, my choice is Patti LaBelle.  “Home” is obviously the centerpiece song of the musical, but “Believe in Yourself” is a powerful song that can move one to tears in the hands of the right singer. If LaBelle’s rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is any indication, there won’t be a dry eye in the audience.

Cowardly Lion: This was a bit tough, as finding a true tenor isn’t as easy as one might think.  But after much thought, Anthony Hamilton came to mind. His recent tribute to Percy Sledge and B.B. King shows that his voice would be well suited for “(I’m a) Mean Ole Lion.”

Tin Man: Obba Babatunde (Dreamgirls), no stranger to the Broadway stage, would be a great fit for Tin Man.  The Tony nominated actor dances, sings, plays instruments, and would add much needed gravitas to “What Would I Do If I Could Feel.”

Scarecrow: This is an interesting one. After going back and forth trying to decide between a few options, it came down to young Chris Brown (the pre-tattoos and jail version). He can sing, dance, and act well enough to convey the sense of sincere naïvete for the Scarecrow. A predictable choice? Perhaps, but one that would be a simple fit.

The Wiz: Dave Chappelle would be an unorthodox choice. His comedic timing is obvious, but since walking away from the spotlight, Chappelle has acquired a bit of seriousness, even in his standup routines, which could translate to his ability to make The Wiz a sympathetic character.  It’s a risky choice, but could yield a huge payoff.

Obviously this list is quite the dream, but I’m anxious to see what NBC will do with their final castings.  No matter who is chosen, I’ll be watching.

The post How It Could Go Down: The Wiz Live Cast appeared first on Broadway Black.

Recipient of 7 Tony Award Nominations and the winner for Best Choreography, After Midnight was a play focusing on the popular, prohibition-era hot spot The Cotton Club and was scheduled to include residencies from Fantasia Barrino, Patti LaBelle, Natalie Cole, Gladys Night and numerous other notable singers. The majority of the positive reception took place at the anchoring of Barrino, but it was during LaBelle’s stay that the curtains closed. Undoubtedly disappointed that she wasn’t able to see her time on stage, Natalie had some choice words about Ms. Labelle’s performance that were relayed to Dish Nation via a source close to the production:

Natalie was overheard telling friends that Fantasia really made the show work, but Patti was just not up to par. People were saying that Patti would get tired in middle of her set and would just mouth the words instead of singing them. Natalie didn’t hold back — she went on to say that Patti had lost her touch — saying she was too old and too tired to make the performance work.

This comes as no surprise as no surprise as Natalie is known to be outspoken and opinionated. A few other celebs and names close to the production were said to have felt similarly but none with the Natalie’s intensity. Fantasia was definitely amazing during her tenure at After Midnight but did any of you who got a chance to see Ms. LaBelle have any notable feelings about the performance she gave? Or do you think this could just be Natalie venting her frustrations at not being able to have her full time on stage? Let us know in the comments!

**Photo Credit

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