Perhaps that was a bit of foreshadowing of what was to come. It’s absolutely fitting that Brady teamed up with the one and only Wilkie Ferguson, the superbly talented pianist and mastermind behind the wildly popular HipHopMusicals web series. The description of the series on the official Twitter page keeps it short and sweet,

We take your favorite Hip Hop songs and redo them in a way you never imagined!

Ferguson, whom we previously wrote about as a musical theatre composer to watch for, has collaborated with the likes of Broadway performer and American Idol contestant Frenchie Davis and stage, film and television actor Thomas Hobson for his creative reworkings of current Hip Hop chart toppers. 

So just what happens when you put Wayne Brady and Wilkie Ferguson together? A hilariously groovy and soulful rendition of Rihanna’s epic bad girl rant BBHMM.

Ferguson has been getting all kind of buzz for his remixes and we cannot get enough!

Woo! RT @hiphopmusicals: Hiphopmusicals has been praised by USA Today and now Billboard Magazine! #hiphopmusicals http://t.co/eUIKENZT6G

— Thomas Hobson (@TommyHobson) July 16, 2015

The Hip Hop Musical series is certainly worth a subscription and we can’t wait to see what Ferguson comes up with next! With whom would you like to see him collaborate?

The post Wayne Brady & Hip Hop Musicals Bring Us #BBHMM by Rihanna appeared first on Broadway Black.

Hip Hop Musicals has also taken Silento’s “Watch Me Whip” and Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” and transformed these songs into barely recognizable stage-worthy productions. All three are absolutely must sees.

Ferguson is no stranger to the stage; he’s been in Motown: The Musical, Porgy and Bess, and Wonderland. The other singers in the video are equally talented. Morgan James appeared in The Addams Family alongside Nathan Lane; had leading roles in Wonderland, Godspell (Turn Back, O Man), and Motown: The Musical as Teena Marie; and recently signed with Epic Records. Nicholas Christopher has been seen in Rent, Motown: The Musical, The Tempest, and most recently, Whorl Inside a Loop.

Watch the video and then let us know in the comments what you think!

The post Chris Brown: The Musical Parody From Hip Hop Musicals appeared first on Broadway Black.

UPDATE: 2nd installment is here! View the Hip Hop Musicals’ “Watch Me Whip” video below.

36-year-old Davis is able to make lyrics such as, “Married to the money, introduced her to my stove” sound a whole lot classier, dressed in a black dress while Ferguson dressed in a suit and tie plays the keys.

Ferguson, who is both a writer and producer, will join Davis for dates on her Frenchie Davis Experience tour, which Davis described as a “cabaret act.”

Davis most recently appeared in The Invisible Life at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. The show starred Tony winners Brenda Braxton and Vivian Reed with music by Ashford and Simpson. The show is based on the novel by E. Lynn Harris. Davis’ other theater credits include a role in Broadways’s Rent and touring companies of Dreamgirls and Ain’t Misbehavin’, which also featured fellow Idol stars Ruben Studdard and Trenyce Cobbins.

Check out the rendition below, I assure you, you will never be able to listen to Trap Queen the same way again! (Where can I buy this version on iTunes?)

Trap Queen

Watch Me Whip

The post Frenchie Davis & Wilkie Ferguson Turn Trap Queen Into A Musical Ballad + Watch Me Whip appeared first on Broadway Black.

Perhaps most prominently, Ruby Dee and Ozzie Davis were civil rights activists.  Known for her work with the American Negro Theatre and roles in “Do the Right Thing” and “American Gangster,” Dee was a member of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), the NAACP, SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee),  and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Notably, she emceed the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.  Her husband, Davis, was nominated for two Tony Awards; in 1958 as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Musical) for Jamaica, and in 1970 as co-author of the book for Best Musical nominee, Purlie.  Davis delivered Malcolm X’s eulogy, which can be heard at the end of the film “Malcolm X,” and also gave a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. the day after his assassination, at a memorial in New York’s Central Park.

Current Broadway stars have continued this dedication to activism. In July 2014, over 100 members of the Broadway community came together to send a message about police violence and the killing of Eric Garner.  Nik Walker (Motown, Peter and the Starcatcher) participated in the Times Square performance and said, “As artists, it’s very easy to blind ourselves to the issues plaguing our world today. This meeting won’t be to take a side in the Ferguson case. We just want to promote a respectful and productive conversation, so that events like this are never forgotten…and always learned from.”

Daniel J. Watts (After Midnight, Motown, Memphis, In The Heights) also used his talent to spotlight the Ferguson community, Michael Brown, and other African Americans who have been affected by police brutality.  In November 2014, Watts gave spoken word performances in Times Square in order to open a dialogue using his platform to talk about a variety of social issues.  More recently, this past May, Watts along with Wilkie Ferguson (Motown, Porgy n’ Bess and Post Modern Jukebox), and Nicholas Christopher (Motown and Whorl Inside A Loop), released their song, “Another One,” which riffs off of Queen’s 1980 hit, “Another One Bites The Dust.”  Watts recites poetry for the track, Christopher provides backing guitar, and Ferguson produced the tracks and added vocals.

These actors, along with countless others who have used their celebrity to provide awareness about social issues, are to be applauded for their work.  Without this spotlight, many issues would just be a brief flash on the evening news. Each time a person with name recognition attaches themselves to an issue, the more attention that cause receives.  Often, the Arts can be the bridge to open someone’s eyes.  As Watts eloquently said, “Art is the way for us to connect.  Art has the power to overcome obstacles.”

The post Broadway Black Actors And The Legacy of Activism appeared first on Broadway Black.