After teasing the collaboration on their social media pages for days, the two Broadway stars finally gave fans what they’d been waiting for with this neo-soul version and music video of the Pippin favorite.

“We’ve been brainstorming about different musical ideas for concerts and albums. We soon realized we have the same musical taste for soul, funk, and R&B.  So I thought, to celebrate Valentine’s Day, let’s give Broadway lovers a new side of us they haven’t seen before while celebrating this classic musical theater tune!”

The video opens with the two having a sexy jam sesh at the piano and ends with a sing-off that makes you wish you could just grab a cocktail, a candlelit table in a corner and watch them and the band vibe all night long.

“The music video follows two artists finding a spark during their first collaboration. Patina and I couldn’t be more excited to give folks a taste of this new sound come Valentine’s Day. Got lots more brewing up musically. This is just the tip of the iceberg!”

If the rest of their collabos are as hot as this, we can’t wait!

The post Joshua Henry and Patina Miller Release Love Song Duet appeared first on Broadway Black.

Vereen is currently touring the show with stops throughout the United States, Europe, and Abu Dhabi. Stepping Out is billed as “a unique blend of artistry, combining a tribute to Broadway, Frank Sinatra, and a very special tribute to Sammy Davis Jr.” During the performance, audiences are treated to classics such as  “Defying Gravity,” “Mr. Bojangles,” “For Good” from Wicked and “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries.”

Vereen first performed the show at 54 Below in 2012 to rave reviews. Stephen Holden of the N.Y. Times commented that Vereen is “an old-school song and dance man who never lets up. He wins you over with his sheer energy, good will and showbiz know-how. The excitement he generates is what matters.”

Ben Vereen’s Performs at 54 Below in 2012

Vereen won a Tony and Drama Desk Award winner for his show-stopping performance in Bob Fosse’s Pippin. He also was nominated for a Tony Award for his role as “Judas” in Jesus Christ Superstar. His other Broadway credits include Wicked, I’m Not Rappaport, Chicago, Hair, Fosse, Jelly’s Last Jam, and A Christmas Carol.

Vereen’s television guest appearances include How I Met Your Mother, Grey’s Anatomy (for which he won the Prism Award), Hot in Cleveland, NCIS, House of Payne, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, OZ, Star Trek – The Next Generation, The Jamie Foxx Show, and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

All performances begin at 7:00pm and doors open at 5:15pm. Tickets can be purchased here.

The post Ben Vereen Returns to Feinstein’s/54 Below appeared first on Broadway Black.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy6wo2wpT2k

In my version of West Side Story, instead of Puerto Rican and white gangs, we’d replace those with African American and Latino gangs. With that switch, the perfect actress for the perfect role – the hopeless romantic female lead, “Maria,” – can only be played by Tony Award winner Patina Miller. While the “Maria” character is “supposed” to be a teenager, most of the actresses who’ve played the role on Broadway and on screen have been in their twenties. Carol Lawrence who originated the role in the 1957 Broadway production was 22 and Natalie Wood was 23 when she played the role on-screen. Miller, at 30, is older but she looks young enough to pull it off.

Miller made her West End and Broadway debuts playing “Deloris Van Cartier” in Sister Act and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her lead role in Pippin. Vocally, she will excel with the Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim tunes, although the role calls for a soprano. But, it’s my dream, so we’ll have the musical arranger work out those details. She has boundless energy and she’s multitalented enough to pull off any role. Even one that was written for a young Puerto Rican girl.

Patina Miller and the cast of the 2013 Broadway revival of the musical PIPPIN, perform the number “Simple Joys” live on the Late Show with David Letterman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI7SZnwRCJI

Seriously, is there someone out there who can make this happen?

The post BB Casting Agency: Patina Miller as West Side Story’s Maria appeared first on Broadway Black.

It's official! Please welcome Patina Miller as Commander Paylor to the cast of @TheHungerGames: Mockingjay Parts 1&2 pic.twitter.com/e0asrY9Cdh

— Catching Fire (@TheHungerGames) September 18, 2013

Miller will join the cast as Commadaner Paylor, described as the leader among the rebels who later becomes the President.

“She looks young to be a commander. Early thirties. But there is an authoritative tone in her voice that makes you feel [that] her appointment wasn’t arbitrary.”
―Katniss Everdeen about Commander Paylor

Among the cast she joins are several Academy Award winners including Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen), along with Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark), Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch Heavensbee), Julianne Moore (Alma Coin), Natalie Dormer (Cressida), Stef Dawson (Annie Cresta), Evan Ross (Messalla) and Lily Rabe (Commander Lyme).

Patina Miller is proving that she can literally do anything. We can’t wait to see her in this franchise.

The post Tony Award Winning Star Of Pippin Patina Miller Joins The Hunger Games Mockingjay Cast appeared first on Broadway Black.