This year’s festival, which runs August 3^rd through August 8th, boasts celebrity co-chairs Debbie Morgan  and Darnell Williams well known as the beloved Black power couple “Angie and Jessie” on the soap opera “All My Children”. Additionally, theatre goers will have the opportunity to attend “The Monkey on My Back” (An Intimate Evening with Debbi Morgan) which details memoirs of her life and legacy. After a stirring celebrity processional replete with African drummers and dancers, attendees of the opening night gala will be treated to an awards presentation. Check out our previous article on this year’s honorees.

The headlining event of the festival this year will be “Black Stars of the Great White Way: A Chapman Roberts Concept” produced by Chapman Roberts. The concert has been described as a “soaring music and dance celebration of the glorious 100 year history of African Americans on Broadway and at Carnegie Hall. This Gala All Broadway Star Production is specifically designed to honor NBTF luminaries past and present”. The concert will include tributes to Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Louis Jordan, Eubie Blake, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong and Noble Sissle. This star studded concert will include the likes of Melba Moore, Jackee Harry, Harold Wheeler, Hattie Winston, Obba Babatunde, Maurice Hines, Alyson Williams, Norm Lewis, Andre Deshields, Larry Marshall, Peggi Blu, Longineu Parsons, Jeffresy Anderson-Gunter, Kirk Taylor, Jacob Wheeler, Dawnn Lewis and Jermaine Coles. Selections from beloved productions of Eubie, Bubbling Brown Sugar, Sunset Boulevard, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, The Wiz  and the film “Selma,” will highlight the rich history of Black Broadway Theatre.

According to the website, this year’s festival promises a multitude of “…electrifying performances, informative workshops, riveting films and insightful spoken word poetry that will open your eyes to a new perspective on our culture’s artistic endeavors. Every evening culminates with a Celebrity Reception, Midnight Readers’ Theatre and the Midnight Poetry Jam.” Festival attendees should keep their eyes out for popular productions such as “Letter from Zora: In Her Own Words” performed by OPAS (Los Angeles, CA)  , “The Eve of Jackie: A Tribute to Jackie Wilson” performed by Chess, Not Checkers, Inc. (New York, NY), , “At Last: A Tribute to Etta James” performed by Black Ensemble Theater (Chicago, IL) and “The Bluest Eye” performed by North Carolina Central University (Durham, NC)

This year’s lineup promises to be an exciting and powerful celebration of Black Theatre for both festival veterans and newcomers. Avid festival attendee and supporter Wendell Tabb, Chair of Visual and Performing arts at Hillside High School says the following about the festival “I have had the pleasure of attending the Theatre Festival since 1989. Many of my former Hillside Theatre students perform at the Festival with Theatre Companies from around the world. The National Black Theatre Festival has helped jumpstart so many professional careers and has afforded great opportunities for artist to develop and showcase their works. The vision and legacy of the late Larry Leon Hamlin continues to shine through the hearts of many. I am extremely grateful and honored to be a part of Black Theatre” in the words of Larry Leon Hamlin that’s Marvtastic!

Tickets are currently available online at ww.nbtf.org . Connect with the festival on Facebook.

View a full list of the 2015 NBTF Honorees HERE

The post 2015 National Black Theatre Festival: Promises Music, Dance, Theatre & A Celebration of Legacy appeared first on Broadway Black.

Starting June 19 attendees this year will be able to dive into all aspects of theater for when the festival takes over the District of Columbia for ten days.

The ten day festival is divided up into five categories consisting of workshops and stage performances.

Attendees will have the opportunity to see full length plays in three categories: Traditional, Urban and Gospel. This year only 100 plays were selected out of the 300 submissions and will introduce audiences to emerging playwrights and enjoy the works veterans such as August Wilson.

One of this years anticipated performances will be from Vanessa Bell Calloway in Letters from Zora in her Own Words.

Washington DC is home to one of the largest deaf and hard of hearing populations in the United States. This year for the first time the festival will partner with these unique artist and writers to give hearing audiences an in depth look into deaf culture.

Acting workshops, for stage and film,will offer actors ranging  from beginning to professional the opportunity to better their skills with workshops ranging from auditioning tips to improv classes.

Workshops in stage makeup, set design and costumes will also be offered to those who want to make magic behind the scenes.

Competition will take place at the festival in the form of the Director’s Challenge.

Aimed to highlight the creative process of directing the Director’s Challenge five directors are randomly chosen and blindly given a script for play to cast and direct within ten days. Each play is no longer than 25 minutes and will certainly put budding directors to the test.

Serving as an incubator for dramatic works the New Works Reading Series will provide emerging and established playwrights the chance to see their work on stage and collaborate with other professionals and engage in audience discussions. This is one of the free festival events, but those interested in attending must register and reserve a seat.

DC Black Theatre Festival take place from June 19 until June 28 and tickets can be purchased here.

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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!

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Check the playlist out, and let us know what you think! Be sure to follow us on Spotify and don’t forget to click shuffle!

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