Quantcast
Channel: African American Artists – Backstage Pass with Lia Chang
Viewing all 429 articles
Browse latest View live

CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. Star André De Shields to Receive the Black Theatre Network’s Winona Lee Fletcher Award on Aug. 9

$
0
0

Black Theatre Future ForwardBlack Theatre: Future Forward, Black Theatre Network’s 30th anniversary conference is convening in Chicago, with events taking place at the Palmer House Hilton, Columbia College and Black Ensemble Theatre, from Aug. 7 – 10, 2016.

Black Theatre Network (BTN) is the nation’s preeminent organization of scholars, artists, students, and educators dedicated to the study and promulgation of black theatre. To register for the conference, which will feature a great lineup of workshops, panels, performances and other special events, click here.

André De Shields Photo by Lia Chang

André De Shields
Photo by Lia Chang

On Day 3, August 9th, BTN’s Awards luncheon will honor outstanding black theatre practitioners, including Broadway and Chicago Star André De Shields (The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Play On!, The Full Monty), who is in town to headline CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. in the Začek McVay Theater at Victory Gardens, Aug. 26-28.

Mr. De Shields will receive the Black Theatre Network’s 2016 Winona Lee Fletcher Award for Outstanding Achievement and Excellence in Black Theatre, along with Katori Hall and Marcia Pendleton at the Palmer House Hilton in the Honore Room, 3rd Floor. This prestigious award was established in 1994 and named after the leading theatre educator Dr. Winona Lee Fletcher. Past illustrious recipients include Ed Burbridge, Vinnie Burrows, Vinnette Carroll, Pearl Cleage, Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, Lloyd Richards, Philip Rose, Ntozake Shange and Glynn Turman.

Prior to the luncheon, from 11:00A.M. – 11:30A.M., Mr. De Shields will lead Theatre Church in the Chicago Room, 5th Floor. After the Awards luncheon, from 1:45P.M. -2:15P.M., he’ll take part in a Q & A in StudentQuest in the Wilson Room, 3rd Floor. During the luncheon, Mr. De Shields will perform a number from CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P., accompanied by bassist Tony Mhoon.

The Palmer House Hilton is located at 17 East Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60603.

Andre De Shields_P.I.M.P. flyer 1c -2

Dennis Začek and Grippo Stage Co., Inc., are presenting CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P., written and performed by Mr. De Shields, and directed by Samuel G. Roberson and Dennis Začek. The cast also includes Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn.

Donica Lynn as Mau Mau Bett and André De Shields as Baba Femi. Photo by Lia Chang

Donica Lynn as Mau Mau Bett and André De Shields as Baba Femi. Photo by Lia Chang

CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. has performances on Friday, August 26th at 8:00P.M., Saturday, August 27th at 8:00P.M. and Sunday, August 28th at 7:30P.M. in the Začek McVay Theater at Victory Gardens Theater, located at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave in Chicago.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at www.victorygardens.org or by calling the box office at 773-871-3000.

From the heat of urban insurrection in Baltimore, Maryland to the incandescent glare of New York’s Great White Way, “Jelly Belly” has many stories to tell. Through song, dance, and spoken word, join Victory Gardens Theater’s Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellow André De Shields in this riveting solo-performance as we follow this adventure from inner city impoverishment to self-actualization.

The creative team for CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. includes Doug Peck (musical direction), Jake Huppert (sound design), Brandon Moorhead (lighting design), Austin Pettinger (costume design) and Charles Smith (dramaturge). The band includes Tony Mhoon (bass) and Robert Reddrick (percussion). Tina Jach is the stage manager.

Robert Reddrick, Doug Peck, André De Shields, Tony Mhoon, Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn at the curtain call for CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. in Victory Gardens' 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays in Chicago on July 16, 2015. Photo by Lia Chang

Robert Reddrick, Doug Peck, André De Shields, Tony Mhoon, Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn at the curtain call for CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. in Victory Gardens’ 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays in Chicago on July 16, 2015. Photo by Lia Chang

CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. originally premiered as part of Victory Gardens’ 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays.

André De Shields in CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. in Victory Gardens' 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays in Chicago on July 16, 2015. Photo by Lia Chang

André De Shields in CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. in Victory Gardens’ 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays in Chicago on July 16, 2015. Photo by Lia Chang

In a career spanning forty-seven years, André De Shields has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, choreographer and educator. He is the recipient of three Jeff Awards, one as Director for Victory Gardens’ 1987 production of The Colored Museum, and two as Featured Performer in a Musical for the Goodman Theatre productions of Play On! (1998) and Mary Zimmerman’s The Jungle Book (2013). In fact Mr. De Shields’ professional career began at Chicago’s Shubert Theatre, now the Bank of America Theatre, in the 1969 production of Hair. From there he moved on to The Me Nobody Knows at the Civic Opera House, and ultimately became a member of The Organic Theatre Company, where he created the role of Xander the Unconquerable, Ruler of the Sixth Dimension in the cult sensation Warp. A multiple Tony Award nominee, he is best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway musicals: The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Play On! and The Full Monty. His numerous accolades include an Emmy Award for the NBC Special based on Ain’t Misbehavin’, the National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award, a 2015 Award for Excellence in Theatre from the Theatre School at DePaul University, the Village Voice OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance and two Doctor of Fine Arts degrees honoris causa one each from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the State University of New York-College at Buffalo. A triple Capricorn, Mr. De Shields is the ninth of eleven children born and reared in Baltimore, Maryland. www.andredeshields.com

Two-time Tony Nominee and Emmy Award Winner André De Shields Talks About “WOZ: A Rock Cabaret”  and “CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P.” at Victory Gardens 

Production Photos and Video: WOZ: A ROCK CABARET with Guest Star André De Shields at Victory Gardens through 7/17

Two-time Tony Nominee and Emmy Award Winner André De Shields Talks About “WOZ: A Rock Cabaret”  and “CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P.” at Victory Gardens 

Multimedia: CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. Opening Night with André De Shields 

André De Shields and Mathilde Mukantabana, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to the United States of America, “Celebrate Rwanda” at The SUNY Global Center 

Two-time Tony Nominee André De Shields and Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana featured in Celebrate Rwanda! Event at The SUNY Global Center on June 29

STC’s THE TAMING OF THE SHREW Opening Night with André De Shields, Maulik Pancholy, Telly Leung, Oliver Thornton and More

Photos: Santino Fontana, André De Shields, John Larroquette, Nikki Renée Daniels, Bryce Pinkham, John Behlmann, Christiane Noll and More in New York City Center’s Encores! 1776 

Closing Night Party of Encores! 1776 with André De Shields, Santino Fontana, John Larroquette, Nikki Renée Daniels, Bryce Pinkham, Ann Harada at New York City Center 

Click here for more articles on André De Shields.

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.



POSTER BOY Starring Taylor Trensch, Jose Llana, Jerry Dixon, Katie Lee Hill, Stephen Wallem, Levin Valayil, Ned Riseley and Noah Zachary in World Premiere at Williamstown Theatre Festival through Aug. 7

$
0
0

Williamstown Theatre Festival is presenting the world premiere of POSTER BOY on the Nikos Stage through Sunday, Aug. 7th.  POSTER BOY began previews on July 27th and opened on July 30th.

Jose Llana and Taylor Trensch. Photo: Daniel Rader

Jose Llana and Taylor Trensch. Photo: Daniel Rader

Inspired by actual events surrounding the 2010 suicide of Tyler Clementi (Taylor Trensch), a college student who brought national attention to cyber-bullying, POSTER BOY is a new American musical by Tony Award-nominated composer Craig Carnelia and playwright Joe Tracz. A community of gay men in an online chat room come together to discover what drove one of their own to take his life. Directed by Olivier Award-nominee Stafford Arima, and movement by Danny Mefford, this provocative and moving new musical lays bare the complexity of protecting our privacy, identity and humanity in the digital era.

Levin Valavil, Taylor Trensch, Ned Riseley. Photo: Daniel Rader

Levin Valavil, Taylor Trensch, Ned Riseley. Photo: Daniel Rader

Due to a family emergency, Rohan Kymal withdrew from the production during rehearsals. Levin Valayil (Bollywood and Vine) replaces him in the role of Dharun.

The cast also includes Jerry Dixon (If/Then), Katie Lee Hill (The Wilderness), Jose Llana (The King and I), Ned Riseley, Taylor Trensch (Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime), Stephen Wallem (“Nurse Jackie”), and Noah Zachary (I am Anne Hutchinson/I am Harvey Milk).

There will be a post-show talkback after the August 2nd performance.

Click here to listen to sample tracks.

Tickets for all Williamstown Theatre Festival productions can be purchased online at www.wtfestival.org, by phone at 413-597-3400, or in person at the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance Box Office at 1000 Main St (Route 2), Williamstown, MA 01267.

Taylor Trensch. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Taylor Trensch. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Stephen Wallem and Katie Lee Hill. Photo by Daniel Rader

Stephen Wallem and Katie Lee Hill. Photo by Daniel Rader

Jose Llana. Photo: Daniel Rader

Jose Llana. Photo: Daniel Rader

Jerry Dixon. Photo by Daniel Rader

Jerry Dixon. Photo by Daniel Rader

Under artistic director Mandy Greenfield, Williamstown Theatre Festival, recipient of the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, creates renowned productions of both world premiere plays as well as revivals of some of the great works of the Western theatrical canon. Since 1955, Williamstown Theatre Festival has brought together gifted emerging theater artists with our country’s finest theater professionals to produce a vibrant summer season in the Berkshires, while simultaneously running one of the country’s top training and professional development programs. In 2015, the Festival launched a New Play Commissioning Program as well as a community-immersive theatre initiative, which unites professional theater artists with Berkshire residents to create new work. Playwrights under commission include Fernanda Coppel, Melissa James Gibson (co-commission with Second Stage), Halley Feiffer, Matthew Lopez, Jiehae Park, Benjamin Scheuer and Lucy Thurber. Additionally, each summer the Festival produces an array of unique cultural events including family-friendly theater, Late-Night Cabarets, music concerts and comedy. The artists and productions shaped at the Festival each summer fill theaters in New York, around the country and abroad. Recent critically acclaimed productions launched by Williamstown Theatre Festival include: Sam Shepard’s FOOL FOR LOVE directed by Daniel Aukin, starring Nina Arianda and Sam Rockwell; Bernard Pomerance’s THE ELEPHANT MAN directed by Scott Ellis, starring Bradley Cooper; John Kander, Frank Ebb and Terrence McNally’s THE VISIT, directed by John Doyle, starring Chita Rivera, among many others. For more information, visit www.wtfestival.org.

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Jose Llana, Nikki M. James, Andrew Kober, Jacob Ming-Trent, Shaina Taub to Lead Free Public Works musical adaptation of TWELFTH NIGHT, Sept. 2-5

$
0
0
Jose Llana. Photo by Bily Bustamante

Jose Llana. Photo by Bily Bustamante

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) will kick off the 2016-17 season in September with a free Public Works musical adaptation of TWELFTH NIGHT, conceived by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Shaina Taub, with music and lyrics by Shaina Taub. Directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, TWELFTH NIGHT will once again feature over 200 actors and community members alongside five equity actors, including this year Nikki M. James as Viola and Jose Llana as Orsino. Part of the global 400th anniversary celebration of William Shakespeare’s life and death, this unforgettable Public Works musical adaptation about love in all its many disguises, and the transformative power of walking a mile in another’s shoes will run for four nights for free, September 2-5, at the Delacorte Theater.

Public Works, The Public’s local and national initiative that invites diverse communities across New York to join in creating ambitious works of theater, celebrates its fourth year with an enchanting new musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT. Professional artists and community members from partner organizations in all five boroughs perform together on stage in this love story that follows the young heroine Viola, who disguises herself as a man when she washes up on the shores of Illyria. When Viola’s new boss, Duke Orsino, sends her to win over his unrequited love, the Countess Olivia, Viola’s disguise proves too effective, and the Countess falls for the young girl dressed as a boy instead.

TWELFTH NIGHT will feature equity actors Nikki M. James (Viola); Andrew Kober (Malvolio), Jose Llana (Orsino); Jacob Ming-Trent (Sir Toby Belch); and Shaina Taub (Feste); along with cameo group performances by COBU, Harlem Dance Club, Jambalaya Brass Band, The Love Show, New York Deaf Theatre, Ziranmen Kungfu Wushu Training Center, and one United States Postal Carrier.

The Public Works community partner organizations are Brownsville Recreation Center (Brooklyn), Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education (Bronx), Center for Family Life in Sunset Park (Brooklyn), DreamYard Project (Bronx), Fortune Society (Queens), and Military Resilience Project (all boroughs), along with alumni partners Children’s Aid Society and Domestic Workers United.

“Twelfth Night promises to be an absolutely wonderful continuation of the great Public Works tradition,” said Artistic Director Oskar Eustis. “This is a cast that represents the brilliance, diversity, and glory of New York City.”

Tickets to TWELFTH NIGHT are free, continuing The Public Theater’s long-standing tradition of free programming and community engagement. Tickets are distributed, two per person (age 5+), at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park beginning at 12:00 p.m. on the day of each performance. All performances are at 8:00 p.m. The Public continues its partnership with TodayTix, who now offers the exclusive Mobile Ticket Lottery for Public Works at the Delacorte, replacing the virtual lottery from previous years. Tickets will be distributed by random mobile lottery on the TodayTix app each date that there is a public performance at the Delacorte Theater. You may also become a Summer Supporter a tax-deductible donation, starting at $75, and receive a reserved seat to the event. For information and to donate, call 212- 967-7555.

Since the opening of the Delacorte in 1962, more than five million people have enjoyed more than 150 free productions of Shakespeare and other classical works and musicals at The Public’s Central Park venue. The Delacorte Theater is accessible by entering at 81st Street and Central Park West, or 79th Street and Fifth Avenue.

TWELFTH NIGHT features scenic design by David Zinn; costume design by Andrea Hood; lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker; sound design by Mark Menard; hair and wig design by Dave Bova and J. Jared Janas; and choreography by Lorin Latarro.

Lead support for PUBLIC WORKS is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, New York City Theater Subdistrict Council, and The Tow Foundation. Additional support is provided by the New York Community Trust, New York State Council on The Arts, The One World Fund, The SHS Foundation, David Rockefeller Fund, and Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, LLP. The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation provides lead support for The Public’s access and engagement programming. The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater’s year-round activities.

ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS:
PUBLIC WORKS is a major initiative of The Public Theater that seeks to engage the people of New York by making them creators and not just spectators. Working with community partner organizations in all five boroughs, Public Works invites members of diverse communities to participate in theater workshops, to attend classes, to attend productions, and to become involved in the daily life of The Public. Under the leadership of Public Works Director Lear deBessonet, Public Works deliberately blurs the line between professional artists and community members creating theater that is not only for the people, but by and of the people as well.

Public Works exemplifies The Public’s long-standing commitment to community engagement that is at the core of the theater’s mission. It is animated by the idea that theater is a place of possibility, where the boundaries that separate us from each other in the rest of life can fall away. It seeks to create a space where we can not only reflect on the world as is, but where we can actually propose new possibilities for what our society might be. In June 2016, The Public announced the expansion of Public Works with ACTivate, a new tier of the groundbreaking initiative designed to bind our community together by creating acts of participatory theater to examine the great issues and dilemmas of our time, which culminated in a new devised work, Troy.

PUBLIC WORKS PARTNER BIOS:
BROWNSVILLE RECREATION CENTER (Brooklyn) is one of 36 public Recreation Centers managed by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. With extensive resources for youth and seniors, the center offers a vibrant space to tap into pursuits artistic and athletic alike. Over the course of three years partnering with Public Works, senior citizens participated in dance, theater, storytelling, and scene study classes led by Public Theater teaching artists. The group has performed featured dances in The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, and The Odyssey at the Delacorte Theater. The seniors also performed various pieces they’ve developed in classes many times at The Public Theater and the Brownsville Recreation Center. In the spring of 2015, the center hosted the first ever Public Works Palooza, featuring community performances from all the Public Works partner classes, including their own adaptation of Steel Magnolias. The Brownsville Recreation Center received the last six Mobile Unit tours and members regularly attend performances at The Public.

CASITA MARIA CENTER FOR ARTS AND EDUCATION (Bronx). Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education’s mission is to empower youth and their families by creating a culture of learning through high quality social, cultural, and educational opportunities. It is one of the few organizations in the South Bronx that welcomes kids at the age of six and stays with them until college while providing family learning through the arts. It is also different in the plurality of ways in which it can attract community members to utilize its services. Students introduce their parents to the Center’s cultural programs, while public programs guide parents to the wide ranging educational programs offered. This is Public Works’ first year partnering with Casita Maria. As part of Public Works, Casita Maria youth participate in class in performing Shakespeare. The Casita Maria community received the Mobile Unit tour of Romeo and Juliet. Learn more at casitamaria.org.

THE CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY (Manhattan) helps children in poverty to succeed and thrive by providing comprehensive support and critical services to children and their families in targeted high-needs New York City neighborhoods. As part of Public Works, the Children’s Aid Society Chorus (a group of teenage girls led by Kelly Campbell) attended shows at Joe’s Pub, attended regular Public Theater performances, and received master classes in singing, songwriting, movement, and acting. The chorus performed various songs they’ve developed in classes many times at The Public Theater and other events. In 2015, Public Works also partnered with the CAS Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teen program, where deaf and hard of hearing youth studied the intersection of Shakespeare poetry and sign language. Their work culminated in a community performance of excerpts from Romeo and Juliet.

CENTER FOR FAMILY LIFE IN SUNSET PARK (Brooklyn). The Center for Family Life Sunset Park’s mission is to “promote positive outcomes for children, adults and families in Sunset Park through the provision of a comprehensive range of neighborhood-based family and social services.” Programs include family counseling and neighborhood-based foster care; cultural, educational and recreational programs at neighborhood public schools, adult and youth employment programs; and an emergency single stop storefront for food, advocacy, and legal aid. Through these programs, CFL serves over 15,000 individuals in over 8,000 families each year. This is Public Works’s first year partnering with Center for Family Life Sunset Park. As part of Public Works, parents and children from Sunset Park participated in a series of theater workshops conducted in Mandarin and English. The Center for Family Life community received the Mobile Unit tour of Romeo and Juliet as well as regularly attended performances at The Public. Learn more at www.cflsp.org.

DOMESTIC WORKERS UNITED (All Boroughs, including Staten Island) is a city-wide organization of Caribbean, Latina and African nannies, housekeepers, and elderly caregivers in New York, organizing for power, respect, and fair labor standards, and to help build a movement to end exploitation and oppression for all. As part of Public Works, members have read and discussed dozens of plays in a monthly play reading and luncheon group. Plays have included Eurydice, For Colored Girls…, A Raisin in the Sun, Antigone, The House of Bernarda Alba, Mother Courage and Her Children, and many others. Members also attend regular performances at The Public.

DREAMYARD PROJECT (Bronx) is an arts and social justice organization dedicated to working with Bronx youth, families, schools and communities to build pathways toward equity and opportunity. DreamYard was recognized by President Obama with a 2012 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. The organization provides transformative arts education for youth in the Bronx through school-based partnerships and out-of-school programs and supports young people as they work toward higher learning, meaningful careers and social action. As part of Public Works, DreamYard youth have participated in workshops and intensives in performing Shakespeare, and in generative movement led by artists from The Public, along with attending performances in The Public’s season. The parents of DreamYard students also participate in weekly Shakespeare scene study classes led by Public Theater artists. The group has studied, rehearsed and performed scenes from Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and As You Like It. This group has performed excerpts from all three plays multiple times at The Public Theater, the DreamYard Art Center, and other partner sites. The DreamYard Project received the last six Mobile Unit tours.

FORTUNE SOCIETY (Queens) is a nonprofit social service and advocacy organization, founded in 1967, whose mission is to support successful reentry from prison and promote alternatives to incarceration thus strengthening the fabric of their communities. Drawing upon the life experience of Fortune’s formerly incarcerated staff and clients, they offer a holistic, “one-stop” model which includes: alternatives to incarceration, counseling, employment services, education, housing services, HIV/AIDS-case management, substance abuse and mental health treatment, family services, and lifetime aftercare, among other services. As part of Public Works, members participate in a full year of classes in playwriting, acting,improvisation, storytelling, clown, and production. The Fortune Tellers, the group that has emerged from these classes, has performed their original pieces many times at The Public Theater, the Fortune Society campuses, and other partner sites. The Fortune Society community received the Mobile Unit tours and regularly attends performances at The Public.

MILITARY RESILIENCE PROJECT (All Boroughs) has a strong belief that resiliency and reintegration has as much to do with us in the community as it does with those who have served. The mission of the Military Resilience Project is to create opportunities for men and women who have served in the military to engage in community based events that honor their unique experiences, while also allowing them to become part of a shared narrative. This is Public Works’ first year partnering with Military Resilience Project. As part of Public Works, MRP community members are given the opportunity to participate in a series of theater workshops as well as regularly attend performances at The Public. Learn more at milresilence.com.

TWELFTH NIGHT COMPANY:
KWAME KWEI-ARMAH OBE (Conceiver and Director) is an award-winning British playwright, director, actor, and broadcaster. At The Public, he has directed the Mobile Unit productions of The Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing and the Public Lab production of Detroit ’67. He is currently the Artistic Director of Baltimore’s Center Stage and most recently he wrote and directed the world premiere of Marley, a musical based on the life and legacy of Bob Marley. At Center Stage he also directed One Night in Miami; Amadeus; dance of the holy ghosts (City Paper Top Ten Productions, 2013); The Mountaintop; An Enemy of the People; The Whipping Man, for which he was named Best Director; and Naomi Wallace’s Things of Dry Hours. In 2014, he was named Best Director in City Paper’s Best of Baltimore, and was a finalist for SDC’s Zelda Fichandler Award for Best Theater Director. Among his works as playwright are Elmina’s Kitchen and Let There Be Love, as well as A Bitter Herb, Statement of Regret, and Seize the Day. Beneatha’s Place debuted at Center Stage in 2013 as part of the groundbreaking Raisin Cycle. His other directorial credits include Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew at the Lark Play Development Center and the world premiere of The Liquid Plain at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and its New York premiere at Signature Theater. He has served on the boards of The National Theatre and The Tricycle Theatre, both in London, and as Artistic Director for the World Arts Festival in Senegal. He was named the Chancellor of the University of the Arts London, and in 2012 was named an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

SHAINA TAUB (Conceiver, Music & Lyrics; Feste) is a Vermont-raised, New York-based songwriter and performer. Winner of a Jonathan Larson Grant and Ars Nova’s 2012 Composer-in-Residence, she made her Lincoln Center solo concert debut in their 2015 American Songbook series. She wrote songs for and co-starred in Bill Irwin and David Shiner’s Old Hats, directed by Tina Landau at the Signature Theatre and A.C.T. She earned a Lucille Lortel Award nomination as Princess Mary in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, performed and arranged the songs of Tom Waits in A.R.T.’s production of The Tempest, directed by Teller of Penn & Teller, and recently appeared in the original cast of Hadestown at New York Theatre Workshop. She has received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the Yaddo Colony, and the Sundance Institute. Her songs have been performed by Audra McDonald and Sutton Foster, and she writes songs for Sesame Street. She’s currently writing a new musical about Alice Paul and the American women’s suffrage movement. Her new album Visitors is available now. www.shainataub.com.

NIKKI M. JAMES (Viola) is a Tony Award-winning actress currently starring in CBS’ “Braindead.” She recently had a guest arc on “The Good Wife” and most famously, originated the role of Nabalungi in Broadway’s Book of Mormon, for which she won a Tony Award. After her award-winning performance, she went on to star as Éponine in the 2014 Broadway revival of Les Misérables. She has also performed several sold out one-woman cabaret shows at popular New York City venues such as 54 Below and Joe’s Pub at The Public. Her additional theater credits include All Shook Up and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer on Broadway, as well as Romeo and Juliet, Caesar and Cleopatra alongside Christopher Plummer, The Wiz, Bernarda Alba, House of Flowers and Walmartopia. James has appeared in numerous films and TV shows including Lucky Stiff, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, “30 Rock,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Third Watch,” and “The Jury.”

ANDREW KOBER (Malvolio) has appeared on Broadway in She Loves Me, Les Miserables, and Hair and in the West End production of Hair. He has toured nationally in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and appeared regionally at Shakespeare in the Park, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York Theatre Workshop, The Old Globe, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Bucks County Playhouse, The Denver Center Theater, and Barrington Stage Company. His television credits include “House of Cards,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Blue Bloods,” and “Pan Am.” His recordings include Hair (2009 Revival Cast Recording), She Loves Me (2016 Revival Cast Recording), Bobby Cronin’s “Reach the Sky,” Drew Gasparini’s “I Could Use A Drink,” and David Are’s “A Few for Friends.”

JOSE LLANA (Orsino) most recently completed his return as The King of Siam in Lincoln Center’s The King & I. His other Broadway credits include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Drama Desk Award), Wonderland, Flower Drum Song, RENT, Streetcorner Symphony and the 1996 revival of The King & I. Off-Broadway he has appeared at The Public in David Byrne & Fat Boy Slim’s Here Lies Love (Lortel nom.), On the Town, and Adam Guettel’s Saturn Returns. His regional credits include Oliver! (Papermill), Martin Guerre (Guthrie Ballad of Little Jo (Steppenwolf, Jefferson nom.) and Candide (Prince Theater, Barrymore nom.). His film and television credits include “Sex and the City” and Hitch. He is a best-selling recording artist on the VIVA Philippines label, as well as his American Solo Album debut Altitude on Yellow Sound Label based on his concert for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series.

JACOB MING-TRENT (Sir Toby Belch) appeared on Broadway in Hands on a Hardbody and Shrek the Musical. His Off-Broadway credits include Cymbeline, Father Comes Home from the Wars (Lortel Award for Best Supporting Actor), and The Tempest (The Public); Julie Taymor’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Merchant of Venice (TFANA); On the Levee (Lincoln Center); Mother Courage (CSC); Dispatches from (A)mended America, Widowers’ Houses, (Epic Theatre Ensemble). He has appeared regionally at American Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Long Wharf Theater, Dallas Theater Center, A.C.T., Williamstown Theatre Festival, New York Stage and Film, The O’Neil, and the Acting Company. His film and TV credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Forbidden Love, Fort Greene, Law & Order, Bored to Death, 30 Rock, Unforgettable, high maintenance, and most recently he played Mose on AMC’s “Feed the Beast.”

CAMEO APPEARANCES:
COBU was created as a Live Rhythm Performing Arts Group in 2000. Founder Yako Miyamoto is a veteran member of the Off-Broadway-hit STOMP. COBU is a live rhythm performing arts group, combining elements of Japanese traditional Taiko drumming with NY-style street dancing. COBU’s motto is “Dance like Drumming, Drum like Dancing,” inspired by the combined sounds of New York and traditional Japanese culture. Their signature sound is created organically through acoustic instruments rather than digital transcription. COBU has been featured in major venues including Madison Square Garden; the Colosseum, MGM Arena, Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas; and the Key Arena in Seattle. Winner of the Wella International Trend Talent Award, COBU also won the Audience Favorite Award at the 2011 New York Fringe Festival, received the Grand Prize by K-ollaboration, performed for an NBA half time show, and was listed as one of the 30 shows to see by Time Out. Director Duane Adler also directed a 3D film based on Yako Miyamoto, [Make Your Move].

HARLEM DANCE CLUB. Founded in Manhattan’s most vibrant neighborhood, Harlem Dance Club offers workshops with top teaching artists, performance opportunities and affordable dance lifestyle for everybody. Our goal is to establish a safe environment for our guests to express and nurture their personal relationship with dance alongside an eclectic group representing varied ages and dance backgrounds. Using freestyle and social dances as a foundation, Harlem Dance Club invites ballerinas to collaborate with b-girls and introduces bhangra to lite feet. This fall, HDC will offer a diverse series of $5 classes from master teaching artists at Pelham Fritz Recreation Center in Marcus Garvey Park thanks to a grant from LMCC. www.HarlemDanceClub.org

JAMBALAYA BRASS BAND. These seasoned New York purveyors of authentic American ‘roots’ music play a spicy musical gumbo of New Orleans fare from the last 100 years to their own modern sounds. The Band’s traditional and original arrangements are all conceived with imagination and wit. The Jambalaya Brass Band’s two CDs, It’s a Jungle Out There and On The Funky Side charted in the top five of the CMJ Jazz charts, JazzWeek and the Roots Music Report. Recent performances include Caesar’s in Atlantic City, two Southern Comfort commercials, Memorial for Allen Toussaint, Funeral for the ‘Old’ Coney Island, d.b.a. New Orleans, Mermaid Parade, B.B. King’s as well as many colleges and other concerts around the country.

THE LOVE SHOW is a theatrical dance company based in Brooklyn that combines cabaret, ballet, rock, comedy, burlesque and theater into creative performances all over the U.S. and beyond. The Love Show has entertained all audiences and was commissioned to create and perform original choreography for Banksy, Bacardi, Veuve Clicquot, Dom Perignon, Vogue Magazine, The National Arts Club, and more. An active presence on the New York art scene, The Love Show was also awarded a residency with Chashama, and presented seven seasons of their popular holiday show, “Nutcracker: Rated R,” which they also performed in Tokyo. The Love Show also has three other full length productions, “Dance Mayhem: A Grindhouse Ballet”, “SEVERED: The Tragic Loves of Frankenstein’s Monster”, and “Boomstick Ballet: A Bruce Campbell Dance Opera in 3 Acts.”

NEW YORK DEAF THEATRE (NYDT) was established over 35 years ago by Deaf theatre artists to create opportunities for the production of a dramatic art form that was not found elsewhere in New York City: plays in American Sign Language (ASL). NYDT’s main goal is to give Deaf and hard of hearing artists in the New York City area a cultural, creative, and artistic home. We strive to create theatre that gives more opportunities for Deaf artists (actors, creators, and designers) and see our audiences expand and have a deeper appreciation and understanding of our beloved Deaf culture. www.NewYorkDeafTheatre.org

ZIRANMEN KUNGFU WUSHU TRAINING CENTER. At age 10, Kungfu Wushi founder Sifu Chen Ying went to the local martial arts school to study. For two years, his instructor taught him various forms including Long Zu Zhuang, Shaolin Di Long Quan, Wu Zu Quan, and others. In 1980, the Fujian Physical Education College accepted Sifu Chen into their Wushu program and he was introduced to the famous Wushu master Wan Lai Sheng. He accepted Sifu Chen Ying as his disciple and personally guided him through six years of training in various styles. In 1990, Sifu Chen migrated to Tokyo to teach and study martial arts and then in 1994 he moved once again to Philadelphia. In 1996, Shaolin monk Shi Yan Ming invited Master Chen to the New York Shaolin Temple to teach modern Wushu and in 1997 Master Chen started his own martial arts academy in New York City, where he currently teaches tai chi, chi gong, contemporary Wushu, and traditional Shaolin Liu He Men. He has created a welcoming place with a family oriented atmosphere for all to learn at any level. This school is the last remaining gem in Chinatown where students can learn from a true master who has a love of imparting kung fu knowledge, and life wisdom all in one.

ABOUT THE PUBLIC THEATER:
The Public Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare, the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. Celebrating his 10th anniversary season at The Public, Eustis has created new community-based initiatives designed to engage audiences like Public Lab, Public Studio, Public Forum, Public Works, and a remount of the Mobile Unit. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force,andleadingandframingdialogueonsomeofthemostimportantissuesofourday. Creatingtheater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the Company engages audiences in a variety of venues—including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe’s Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City’s five boroughs. The Public’s wide range of programming includes free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the Company’s dedication to making theater accessible to all; Public Works, an expanding initiative that is designed to cultivate new connections and new models of engagement with artists, audiences and the community each year; and audience and artist development initiatives that range from Emerging Writers Group and to the Public Forum series. The Public is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; and in October 2012 the landmark building downtown at Astor Place was revitalized to physically manifest the Company’s core mission of sparking new dialogues and increasing accessibility for artists and audiences, by dramatically opening up the building to the street and community, and transforming the lobby into a public piazza for artists, students, and audiences. The Public is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-winning Fun Home and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s acclaimed American musical Hamilton. The Public has received 59 Tony Awards, 168 Obie Awards, 52 Drama Desk Awards, 48 Lortel Awards, 32 Outer Critics Circle Awards, 13 New York Drama Critics Awards, and five Pulitzer Prizes. www.publictheater.org.

Click here  for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Lia is a Signature Theatre alumni who was in the cast of Sam Shepard’s Chicago, during his Signature 1996-1997 Playwright-in-Residence Season. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Video: Two-time Tony Nominee and Emmy Award Winner André De Shields in CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. at Victory Gardens, Aug. 26-28

$
0
0

Andre De Shields_P.I.M.P. flyer 1c -2

Dennis Začek and Grippo Stage Co., Inc., are presenting CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P., written and performed by Broadway and Chicago star André De Shields, and directed by Samuel G. Roberson and Dennis Začek. The cast also includes Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn.

Donica Lynn as Mau Mau Bett and André De Shields as Baba Femi. Photo by Lia Chang

Donica Lynn as Mau Mau Bett and André De Shields as Baba Femi. Photo by Lia Chang

CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. has performances on Friday, August 26th at 8:00P.M., Saturday, August 27th at 8:00P.M. and Sunday, August 28th at 7:30P.M. in the Začek McVay Theater at Victory Gardens Theater, located at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave in Chicago.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at www.victorygardens.org or by calling the box office at 773-871-3000.

From the heat of urban insurrection in Baltimore, Maryland to the incandescent glare of New York’s Great White Way, “Jelly Belly” has many stories to tell. Through song, dance, and spoken word, join Victory Gardens Theater’s Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellow André De Shields in this riveting solo-performance as we follow this adventure from inner city impoverishment to self-actualization.

The creative team for CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. includes Doug Peck (musical direction), Jake Huppert (sound design), Brandon Moorhead (lighting design), Austin Pettinger (costume design) and Charles Smith (dramaturge). The band includes Tony Mhoon (bass) and Robert Reddrick (percussion). Tina Jach is the stage manager.

Robert Reddrick, Doug Peck, André De Shields, Tony Mhoon, Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn at the curtain call for CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. in Victory Gardens' 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays in Chicago on July 16, 2015. Photo by Lia Chang

Robert Reddrick, Doug Peck, André De Shields, Tony Mhoon, Kimberly Lawson and Donica Lynn at the curtain call for CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. in Victory Gardens’ 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays in Chicago on July 16, 2015. Photo by Lia Chang

CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. originally premiered as part of Victory Gardens’ 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays.

André De Shields and Marcia Pendleton receive 2016 BTN Winona Lee Fletcher Awards at the Black Theatre Network's 30th Anniversary Conference Awards Bruncheon at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago on August 9, 2016. Photo by Lia Chang

André De Shields and Marcia Pendleton receive 2016 BTN Winona Lee Fletcher Awards at the Black Theatre Network’s 30th Anniversary Conference Awards Bruncheon at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago on August 9, 2016. Photo by Lia Chang

On his day off from rehearsal, Mr. De Shields received the Black Theatre Network’s 2016 Winona Lee Fletcher Award for Outstanding Achievement and Excellence in Black Theatre, along with Marcia Pendleton, Walk Tall Girl Productions Founder and President, at the Black Theatre Network’s 30th Anniversary Conference Awards Bruncheon at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago on August 9, 2016. This prestigious award was established in 1994 and named after the leading theatre educator Dr. Winona Lee Fletcher. Past illustrious recipients include Ed Burbridge, Vinnie Burrows, Vinnette Carroll, Pearl Cleage, Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, Lloyd Richards, Philip Rose, Ntozake Shange and Glynn Turman.

André De Shields performed "Smile" from his upcoming CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P., accompanied by bassist Tony Mhoon at the Black Theatre Network's 30th Anniversary Conference Awards Bruncheon at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago on August 9, 2016. Photo by Lia Chang

André De Shields performed “Smile” from his upcoming CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P., accompanied by bassist Tony Mhoon at the Black Theatre Network’s 30th Anniversary Conference Awards Bruncheon at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago on August 9, 2016. Photo by Lia Chang

Check back for my full coverage of Day 3 of the Black Theatre Network Conference.

CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. Star André De Shields to Receive the Black Theatre Network’s Winona Lee Fletcher Award on Aug. 9

Black Theatre Network (BTN) is the nation’s preeminent organization of scholars, artists, students, and educators dedicated to the study and promulgation of black theatre.

André De Shields in CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. in Victory Gardens' 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays in Chicago on July 16, 2015. Photo by Lia Chang

André De Shields in CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. in Victory Gardens’ 2015 IGNITION Festival of New Plays in Chicago on July 16, 2015. Photo by Lia Chang

In a career spanning forty-seven years, André De Shields has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, choreographer and educator. He is the recipient of three Jeff Awards, one as Director for Victory Gardens’ 1987 production of The Colored Museum, and two as Featured Performer in a Musical for the Goodman Theatre productions of Play On! (1998) and Mary Zimmerman’s The Jungle Book (2013). In fact Mr. De Shields’ professional career began at Chicago’s Shubert Theatre, now the Bank of America Theatre, in the 1969 production of Hair. From there he moved on to The Me Nobody Knows at the Civic Opera House, and ultimately became a member of The Organic Theatre Company, where he created the role of Xander the Unconquerable, Ruler of the Sixth Dimension in the cult sensation Warp. A multiple Tony Award nominee, he is best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway musicals: The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Play On! and The Full Monty. His numerous accolades include an Emmy Award for the NBC Special based on Ain’t Misbehavin’, the National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award, a 2015 Award for Excellence in Theatre from the Theatre School at DePaul University, the Village Voice OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance and two Doctor of Fine Arts degrees honoris causa one each from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the State University of New York-College at Buffalo. A triple Capricorn, Mr. De Shields is the ninth of eleven children born and reared in Baltimore, Maryland. www.andredeshields.com

Two-time Tony Nominee and Emmy Award Winner André De Shields Talks About “WOZ: A Rock Cabaret”  and “CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P.” at Victory Gardens 

Production Photos and Video: WOZ: A ROCK CABARET with Guest Star André De Shields at Victory Gardens through 7/17

Two-time Tony Nominee and Emmy Award Winner André De Shields Talks About “WOZ: A Rock Cabaret”  and “CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P.” at Victory Gardens 

Multimedia: CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. Opening Night with André De Shields 

André De Shields and Mathilde Mukantabana, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to the United States of America, “Celebrate Rwanda” at The SUNY Global Center 

Two-time Tony Nominee André De Shields and Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana featured in Celebrate Rwanda! Event at The SUNY Global Center on June 29

STC’s THE TAMING OF THE SHREW Opening Night with André De Shields, Maulik Pancholy, Telly Leung, Oliver Thornton and More

Photos: Santino Fontana, André De Shields, John Larroquette, Nikki Renée Daniels, Bryce Pinkham, John Behlmann, Christiane Noll and More in New York City Center’s Encores! 1776 

Closing Night Party of Encores! 1776 with André De Shields, Santino Fontana, John Larroquette, Nikki Renée Daniels, Bryce Pinkham, Ann Harada at New York City Center 

Click here for more articles on André De Shields.

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Harlem9 presents “48HOURS IN… HARLEM” Play Festival at National Black Theatre on Aug. 14

$
0
0

harlem

Harlem9 presents the Obie Award-winning “48HOURS IN… HARLEM” – a twist on the traditional 24-hour play festival. This event marks the 4th year of the collaborative Harlem9, bringing together 6 playwrights, 6 directors, and 18 actors to re-conceive classic plays from the African Diaspora over the course of one weekend in Harlem.

48HOURS IN…HARLEM culminates in a final presentation on Sunday, August 14, 2016. This one night only event has two performances this year, 7pm and 9:30pm at National Black Theatre. Tickets are now on sale: $25 in advance by calling 1-800-838-3006 or by visiting www.48hours6.bpt.me. A LIMITED number of Cash Only Tickets will also be available at the door for $30. National Black Theatre is located at 2031 5th Avenue @125th Street.

The six playwrights – Angelica Cheri, Camille Darby, Nilan Johnson, Cassandra Medley, Germono Toussaint, Korde A. Tuttle – will each be re-conceiving from one of six iconic plays. Directors Smeralda Abel, Rhonney Greene, Charles Rice-Gonzalez, Eric Ruffin, Elizabeth Van Dyke and Logan Vaughn will each direct one of the new 10-minute plays.

harlem9C.K. Allen, Mia Y. Anderson, MaameYaa Boafo (An African City), Phillip Gregory Burke, Brandon Carter, Magaly Colimon, Jessica Frances Dukes, Tanya Everett, Brandon Hall, Shamsuddin Abdul-Hamid, Benton Greene, Sita Johnson, Ronald Kirk, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Lorrie Odom, Edward O’Blenis, Celestine Rae and Christina Sajous (The 12, Holler If Ya Hear Me, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark) will perform the new work.

Harlem9 is an arts organization comprised of six producing entities that have come together in Harlem to explore the past, present and future of black culture and celebrate the rich history of storytelling within the African Diaspora. Garlia Cornelia Jones-Ly, Bryan E. Glover, E. Michael Lockley, Jonathan McCrory, and Liberation Theatre Company (Sandra A. Daley-Sharif and Spencer Scott Barros) are the producers that comprise Harlem9. They won an Obie in 2014.

For more information, visit www.harlem9.org.

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Garth Kravits Joins B-Side Productions’ THE WILD PARTY, Helmed by Billy Bustamante, Sept. 6-17

$
0
0
Garth Kravits. Photo by Lia Chang

Garth Kravits. Photo by Lia Chang

B-Side Productions is presenting Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe’s 2000 Broadway musical The Wild Party helmed by Associate Artistic Director Billy Bustamante with music direction by Addison Frei, at the TBG Theatre, Sept. 6th -17th.  Jasper Grant is Artistic Director of B-Side Productions.

Garth Kravits (The Drowsy Chaperone) joins the cast as Goldberg. The cast will be lead by Denis Lambert as Burrs (Dr. Zhivago, A Chorus Line) and Jamey Hood as Queenie (The Shaggs, Playwrights Horizons). Also featured are Joan Barber as Delores Montoya, Jodi Bluestein as Mae, Kyle Carter as Eddie Mackerel, Greg Carter as Gold, Sam Edgerly as Jackie, Kyle Garvin as Phil D’Armano, Lauren Hooper as Kate, Ben Maters as Black, Christopher Patterson as Oscar D’Armano, Joanna Parson as Madelaine True, Sarah Smithton as Nadine, and Adrienne Tang as Sally.

b-side productions new york

“The decadence of 1920’s Manhattan is the setting for B-Side Productions’ next offering, The Wild Party, where the gin and jazz is flowing and no one is exactly what they seem. Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe’s gripping Tony-nominated musical, based on the scandalous 1928 poem of the same name by Joseph Moncure, follows the story of a reckless relationship between a Vaudeville clown and a chorine that spirals into the depths of despair as the night unfolds.”

Showtimes are Sept. 6th-17th at 7:30 PM. The TBG Theatre is located at 312 West 36th Street. For tickets and information, visit www.b-sideproductions.org.

Garth Kravits has appeared in the Broadway production of The Drowsy Chaperone. His Off-Broadway credits include Old Jews Telling Jokes and Toxic Audio Loudmouth and his Regional credits include Gettin’ The Band Back Together (George Street Playhouse), Meet Me in St. Louis: A Live Radio Play, and It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, (Bucks County Playhouse); The Producers (Gateway Playhouse), Happy Days: A New Musical (Goodspeed Opera House); and as Benny Southstreet in the regional tour of Guys and Dolls. His TV and Film credits include “Civil” (coming this fall on TNT), “30 Rock,” “The Blacklist,” “Nurse Jackie,” “Hostages,” “The Carrie Diaries,” Sweet November and can currently be seen in the Mike Birbiglia film Don’t Think Twice. You can see his comedy short films at cutanddryfilms.com

b-side productionsBilly Bustamante is a New York City-based performer, director/choreographer and teaching artist. He is Associate Artistic Director of B-Side Productions and just made his Broadway debut in The King and I at Lincoln Center Theatre. His performing credits include Here Lies Love at the Public Theatre, Arena Stage, The Old Globe, Paper Mill Playhouse, Sacramento Music Circus, Walnut Street Theatre, San Jose Rep, North Shore Music Theatre, Pan Asian Rep, Prospect Theatre Company and the Arden Theatre Company, to name a few.

As a director/choreographer he recently directed Guys and Dolls in Shanghai, China. Other directing/choreography credits include Goodspeed Musicals, Lincoln Center, Houston TUTS, Dreamlight Theatre Company, Philly Music Theater Works, Merry Go Round and Walnut Street Theatre. He is co-founder of Broadway Barkada, a Filipino philanthropic organization and serves on teaching faculty at NYC’s Jen Waldman Studio which boasts students in over a dozen Broadway shows. Bustmante is passionately committed to the development of new works and new artists.

Click here to read more about the cast and creative team.

The company also presents new work” Sandy Rustin and Elin Bolin’s play with music and dance, Houston, which received the New American Musical Award and will have a New York city workshop in September.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Donica Lynn, Tyrone L. Robinson, Chris Sams and More set for SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE at Drury Lane Theatre, Sept. 1 – Oct. 23

$
0
0
Tyrone L. Robinson, Donica Lynn and Chris Sams. Photo by Lia Chang

Tyrone L. Robinson, Donica Lynn and Chris Sams. Photo by Lia Chang

Drury Lane Theatre is presenting Smokey Joe’s Cafe, the musical revue celebrating the renowned musical duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Smokey Joe’s Cafe is directed and choreographed by internationally-acclaimed director Marcia Milgrom Dodge and runs September 1 – October 23, 2016 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The Press Opening is Thursday, September 8 at 8:00 p.m. The cast of Smokey Joe’s Cafe includes Justin Keyes, Carrie Abernathy, Sean Blake, Donica Lynn, Meghan Murphy, Amy Orman, Tyrone Robinson, Chris Sams and Will Skrip.

SMOKEY JOES CAFE castmembers Tyrone Robinson, Donica Lynn and Chris Sams visit with André De Shields after a performance of CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. at Victory Gardens in Chicago on August 27, 2016. Photo by Lia Chang

SMOKEY JOES CAFE castmembers Tyrone L. Robinson, Donica Lynn and Chris Sams visit with André De Shields after a performance of CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P. at Victory Gardens in Chicago on August 27, 2016. Photo by Lia Chang

The creative team for Smokey Joe’s Cafe includes Kevin Depinet (Scenic Design), Sully Ratke (Costume Design), Paul Miller (Lighting Design) and Ryan Hickey (Sound Design). Michael Baxter is the Associate Director/Choreographer and Lucia Lombardi is the Production Stage Manager.

The longest running musical revue in Broadway history, Smokey Joe’s Cafe is making its Drury Lane debut this season. Showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock’n’roll and blues anthems written by legendary duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Smokey Joe’s Cafe is guaranteed to keep you humming old favorites all night long. Smokey Joe’s Cafe features jukebox hits such as “Yakety Yak,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Stand By Me,” and is recommended for ages 5 and up. Smokey Joe’s Cafe premiered in 1995 and received seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

Subscriptions for the 2016 – 2017 Season are priced from $144.60 to $175.80. Subscribers receive special offers on dining, flexible ticket exchanges and early notification and priority seating for added events and concerts. For more information, visit DruryLaneTheatre.com.

Under the leadership of President Kyle DeSantis and Artistic Director William Osetek, Drury Lane Theatre is a major force in the Chicagoland theatre scene, presenting world-class productions in collaboration with some of the nation’s leading actors, artists, writers and directors. Over the past 30 years, Drury Lane has staged more than 2,000 productions and has been nominated for more than 350 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Drury Lane is committed to breathing new life into beloved classics and introducing audiences to exciting new works.

Throughout its 30-year history, Drury Lane has employed more than 7,500 actors and 10,000 musicians, designers and crewmembers to entertain upwards of nine million Audience members. Originally founded by Anthony DeSantis, Drury Lane Theatre remains a family-run organization known for producing breathtaking Broadway classics, top-rated musicals, bold new works, hilarious comedies and unforgettable concert events.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Billy Bustamante to Helm B-Side Productions’ THE WILD PARTY Featuring Jamey Hood, Denis Lambert, Garth Kravits, Joan Barber and More, Sept. 6th – 17th

$
0
0
Photo by Lia Chang

Photo by Lia Chang

B-Side Productions is presenting Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe’s 2000 Broadway musical The Wild Party helmed by Associate Artistic Director Billy Bustamante, with music direction by Addison Frei, at the TBG Theatre, Sept. 6th -17th.  Jasper Grant is Artistic Director of B-Side Productions.

Denis Lambert (Dr. Zhivago, A Chorus Line) and Jamey Hood  (The Shaggs, Playwrights Horizons) lead the cast as Burrs and Queenie. Also featured are Garth Kravits (The Drowsy Chaperone) as Goldberg, Joan Barber as Delores Montoya, Jodi Bluestein as Mae, Kyle Carter as Eddie Mackerel, Greg Carter as Gold, Sam Edgerly as Jackie, Kyle Garvin as Phil D’Armano, Lauren Hooper as Kate, Ben Maters as Black, Christopher Patterson as Oscar D’Armano, Joanna Parson as Madelaine True, Sarah Smithton as Nadine, and Adrienne Tang as Sally.

“The decadence of 1920’s Manhattan is the setting for B-Side Productions’ next offering, The Wild Party, where the gin and jazz is flowing and no one is exactly what they seem. Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe’s gripping Tony-nominated musical, based on the scandalous 1928 poem of the same name by Joseph Moncure, follows the story of a reckless relationship between a Vaudeville clown and a chorine that spirals into the depths of despair as the night unfolds.”

Showtimes are Sept. 6th-17th at 7:30 PM. The TBG Theatre is located at 312 West 36th Street. For tickets and information, visit www.b-sideproductions.org.

Click here to read about the cast and creative team.

The company also presents new work” Sandy Rustin and Elin Bolin’s play with music and dance, Houston, which received the New American Musical Award and will have a New York city workshop in September.

b-side productionsBilly Bustamante is a New York City-based performer, director/choreographer and teaching artist. He is Associate Artistic Director of B-Side Productions and just made his Broadway debut in The King and I at Lincoln Center Theatre. Bustamante recently received a 2016 Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical for 11th Hour Theatre Company’s See What I Wanna See. His other performing credits include Here Lies Love at the Public Theatre, Arena Stage, The Old Globe, Paper Mill Playhouse, Sacramento Music Circus, Walnut Street Theatre, San Jose Rep, North Shore Music Theatre, Pan Asian Rep, Prospect Theatre Company and the Arden Theatre Company, to name a few.

As a director/choreographer he recently directed Guys and Dolls in Shanghai, China. Other directing/choreography credits include Goodspeed Musicals, Lincoln Center, Houston TUTS, Dreamlight Theatre Company, Philly Music Theater Works, Merry Go Round and Walnut Street Theatre. He is co-founder of Broadway Barkada, a Filipino philanthropic organization and serves on teaching faculty at NYC’s Jen Waldman Studio which boasts students in over a dozen Broadway shows. Bustmante is passionately committed to the development of new works and new artists.

Garth Kravits Joins B-Side Productions’ THE WILD PARTY, Helmed by Billy Bustamante, Sept. 6-17 

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.



Two River Theater’s Production of MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM Starring Arnetia Walker, Brandon J. Dirden, Michael Cumpsty, James A. Williams and More, Opens Sept. 16

$
0
0

Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, is presenting August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Previews kick off tonight, with the opening night on Friday, September 16 at 8pm, and performances continue through October 9th.

Ma Rainey

Two River Theater opens its season with an extended four-week run of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Two River’s fourth production from August Wilson’s American Century Cycle following its acclaimed productions of JitneyTwo Trains Running, and Seven Guitars. Wilson’s incendiary drama, set in the 1920s, takes audiences into the world of legendary singer Ma Rainey (the real-life “Mother of the Blues”) as she lays down tracks with her band in a Chicago recording studio.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom will be directed by actor, playwright, and director Ruben Santiago-Hudson, who won a Tony Award for his performance in the Broadway production of Seven Guitars. His recent directing credits include Skeleton Crew at the Atlantic Theater and his own world-premiere play Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine at Two River.

The cast stars Arnetia Walker as Ma Rainey and Brandon J. Dirden as Levee. The cast also features Chanté Adams as Dussie May, Harvy Blanks as Slow Drag, Brian D. Coats as Toledo, Michael Cumpsty as Irvin, Bob Mackasek as Policeman, Marcel Spears as Sylvester, Peter Van Wagner as Sturdyvant, and James A. Williams as Cutler.

Chanté Adams (Dussie May) is a recent graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, where her credits include Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra. She appeared in Gertrude Stein SAINTS! with FringeNYC and at the Henry Street Settlement – Abrons Arts Center.

Harvy Blanks (Slow Drag) has appeared in all 10 of the plays in August Wilson’s American Century Cycle, including nine Wilson productions at the Denver Center Theater, where he was a company member for 28 years. He appeared in Two River’s productions of Jitney and Two Trains Running. His regional credits include the world premiere of Danai Gurira’s Familiar at Yale Repertory Theatre.

Brian D. Coats (Toledo) made his Two River debut last season in Seven Guitars. His regional credits include Invisible Man (Huntington Theatre Company/Studio Theater), for which he received a shared Helen Hayes Award.  His television credits include Boardwalk Empire and The Sopranos.

Michael Cumpsty (Irvin) received a Tony Award nomination for End of the Rainbow and an Obie Award for his performance as Hamlet at Classic Stage Company. His recent credits include Body of an American for Primary Stages and Hartford Stage. At Two River Theater, he has appeared in Absurd Person SingularPresent Laughter, and Much Ado About Nothing and directed Third.

Brandon J. Dirden (Levee) directed August Wilson’s Seven Guitars last season at Two River Theater, where his credits as an actor include Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine, Topdog/Underdog, and Jitney. He received an Obie Award for his performance in The Piano Lesson at Signature Theater; his Broadway credits include All the Way. He plays a recurring role on the FX series The Americans.

Bob Mackasek (Policeman) has been seen in August: Osage County with the Chatham Players, Three Sisters with Gowanus Arts Productions, and God of Carnage with Summit Playhouse, among other productions.

Marcel Spears (Sylvester) most recently co-starred in Trouble in Mind at The Guthrie Theater. His New York credits include the title role of the Classic Stage Company’s Young Company production of Othello; the CSC production of Mother Courage; and Page 73’s production of Judy.

Peter Van Wagner (Sturdyvant) has appeared in productions in New York, around the country, and internationally. His credits include A Thousand Clowns at Roundabout, Merry Wives of Windsor at Chicago Shakespeare, and West Side Story at La Scala-Milan. He was part of the SAG Award-winning Ensemble of Boardwalk Empire and has appeared in films including Annie and Arthur.

Arnetia Walker (Ma Rainey) began her acting career on Broadway at the age of 16 in Lorraine Hansberry’s The Sign in Sydney Brustein’s Window. She went on to appear in Two Gentlemen of VeronaThe WizRaisin, and Dreamgirls, where she holds the distinction of being the only actress to have played all three of the lead female roles. Her most recent stage performance was in Head of Passes at The Public Theater. Her film and television credits include Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills and Nurses.

James A. Williams (Cutler) was seen in Jitney and Two Trains Running at Two River. A mainstay of the Twin Cities theater scene since 1976, he is a founding member of Penumbra Theatre Company, where he began his lifelong relationship with August Wilson. His credits in New York include Radio GolfThe Piano Lesson, and My Children! My Africa!.

The creative team for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom includes scenic designer Charlie Corcoran, costume designer Karen Perry, lighting designerBurke Brown, and sound designer Rob Kaplowitz. The original music is by Bill Sims Jr. & Kenny Rampton, the fight direction is by Thomas Schall, the casting is by Heidi Griffith & Kate Murray, and the stage manager is Laura Wilson.

Ticket Information

Ticket prices range from $40 to $70, with discounts available for groups, seniors, and U.S. military personnel, their families, and veterans. A limited number of $20 tickets are available for every performance; $20 tickets may be partial view. Tickets for patrons under 30 are $20 and include the best available seats at every performance. Tickets are available from tworivertheater.org or 732.345.1400.

Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, creates great American theater performed by award-winning artists. We produce American and world masterpieces, and new plays and musicals. Two River Theater offers new-play commissions and artistic development activities that support the most adventurous artists in the American theater; invites its audience to be part of the creative process through readings and open rehearsals; and cultivates students and young people to participate in innovative arts-education programs and become a new generation of theatergoers. Founded in 1994 by Joan and Dr. Robert M. Rechnitz, Two River Theater is easily accessible by car, train, or bus, with great restaurants and shopping within walking distance of the theater. For more information, visit tworivertheater.org or call 732.345.1400.  

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Tim Kang, Stephen Park, Sue Jean Kim, Michael Potts and More in Julia Cho’s AUBERGINE at Playwrights Horizons, Opens Sept. 12

$
0
0
Julia Cho

Julia Cho

The Playwrights Horizons New York premiere production of Aubergine, a new play by Susan Smith Blackburn Prize winner Julia Cho (BFE at Playwrights, The Language Archive, The Piano Teacher, Durango, The Architecture of Loss), directed by Kate Whoriskey (Fabulation, Inked Baby at Playwrights; The Miracle Worker on Broadway; Ruined; Her Requiem), is the opening production of the theater company’s 2016/2017 Season. The production began previews on August 19th.

Opening Night is set for Monday, September 12 at 7PM. The limited engagement will play through Sunday evening, October 2 at Playwrights Horizons’ Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

Stephen Park & Tim Kang. Photo: Joan Marcus

Stephen Park & Tim Kang. Photo: Joan Marcus

The cast features Tim Kang (Kimball Cho on “The Mentalist,” “The Vampire Diaries,” Aubergine at Berkeley Rep, Richard II at A.R.T.), Sue Jean Kim (Assistance, The Drunken City, BFE at Playwrights; Water by the Spoonful), Jessica Love (Broadway’s The River, The Snow Geese, Grace), Stephen Park (“The Mindy Project,” “Person of Interest,” “Elementary”), Obie Award winner Michael Potts (Grey Gardens; Mud, River, Stone at Playwrights; The Book of Mormon; The America Play, “True Detective”) and Joseph Steven Yang (Aubergine at Berkeley Rep, Eden, Deface).

Sue Jean Kim, Joseph Steven Yang, Stephen Park & Tim Kang. Photo: Joan Marcus

Sue Jean Kim, Joseph Steven Yang, Stephen Park & Tim Kang. Photo: Joan Marcus

A man (Mr. Kang) shares a bowl of berries, and a young woman (Ms. Kim) falls in love. A world away, a mother prepares a bowl of soup to keep her son (Mr. Park) from leaving home. And a son (Mr. Park) cooks a meal for his dying father (Mr. Kang) to say everything that words can’t. In Julia Cho’s poignant and lyrical new play, the making of a perfect meal is an expression more precise than language, and the medium through which life gradually reveals itself.

Sue Jean Kim & Tim Kang. Photo:Joan Marcus

Sue Jean Kim & Tim Kang. Photo:Joan Marcus

The production features scenic design by Tony Award winner Derek McLane, costume design by Jennifer Moeller, lighting design by Tony Award winner Peter Kaczorowski and sound design by M.L. Dogg. Production Stage Manager is Cole P. Bonenberger.

Michael Potts & Tim Kang. Photo: Joan Marcus

Michael Potts & Tim Kang. Photo: Joan Marcus

Aubergine had its world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in February 2016. In the San Francisco Chronicle, Robert Hurwitt raved, “Sweet, savory and uncommonly nourishing, Aubergine is a deeply moving tale of caring, loss and reconciliation that never loses its sense of humor. A combination of theatrical ingredients so fulfilling that a standing ovation is in order!”

Joseph Steven Yang & Stephen Park. Photo: Joan Marcus

Joseph Steven Yang & Stephen Park. Photo: Joan Marcus

The performance schedule for Aubergine will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7PM, Thursdays and Fridays at 8PM, Saturdays at 2:30 PM & 8PM and Sundays at 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM. The Thursday evening, September 15 performance has an early 7PM curtain for a special 30 & Under Night. Single tickets, $75-90, may be purchased online via www.TicketCentral.com, by phone at (212) 279-4200 (Noon-8pm daily) and in person at the Ticket Central Box Office, 416 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues).

Tim Kang & Stephen Park. Photo: Joan Marcus

Tim Kang & Stephen Park. Photo: Joan Marcus

Sue Jean Kim, Joseph Steven Yang, Stephen Park & Tim Kang. Photo: Joan Marcus

Sue Jean Kim, Joseph Steven Yang, Stephen Park & Tim Kang. Photo: Joan Marcus

Sue Jean Kim & Jessica Love. Photo: Joan Marcus

Sue Jean Kim & Jessica Love. Photo: Joan Marcus

Stephen Park & Tim Kang. Photo:Joan Marcus

Stephen Park & Tim Kang. Photo:Joan Marcus

Sue Jean Kim, Joseph Steven Yang & Stephen Park. Photo: Joan Marcus

Sue Jean Kim, Joseph Steven Yang & Stephen Park. Photo: Joan Marcus

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Tony Award-Winner Lillias White, Keith David, Jason Dirden, Glynn Turman and More in MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, Directed by Phylicia Rashad at the Mark Taper Forum, Opens Tonight

$
0
0
Jason Dirden, Glynn Turman, Damon Gupton, Keith David and Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Jason Dirden, Glynn Turman, Damon Gupton, Keith David and Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

August Wilson’s hard-hitting “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” opens September 11 and continues through October 16, 2016, at the Center Theatre Group/ Mark Taper Forum. “Ma Rainey…” is part of Wilson’s American Century Cycle of 10 plays chronicling African American experience in 20th Century USA.

Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Phylicia Rashad, who directed Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at the Taper in 2013, directs this groundbreaking play which depicts the racism and exploitation in the music industry through a 1927 recording session in Chicago with a legendary blues singer. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is inspired by the real-life Gertrude “Ma” Rainey.

Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

The cast features, in alphabetical order, Greg Bryan, Keith David, Jason Dirden, Damon Gupton, Matthew Henerson, Nija Okoro, Lamar Richardson, Ed Swidey, Glynn Turman and Lillias White.

Jason Dirden, Damon Gupton, Glynn Turman and Keith David Photo by Craig Schwartz

Jason Dirden, Damon Gupton, Glynn Turman and Keith David Photo by Craig Schwartz

Scenic design is by John Iacovelli, costume design is by Emilio Sosa, lighting design is by Elizabeth Harper, sound design is by Dan Moses Schreier, the music director is Steven Bargonetti, hair and wig design is by Carol F. Doran, the fight director is Steve Rankin and the production stage manager is David Blackwell.

Glynn Turman, Damon Gupton, Keith David and Jason Dirden Photo by Craig Schwartz

Glynn Turman, Damon Gupton, Keith David and Jason Dirden Photo by Craig Schwartz

Tickets for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” are available by calling (213) 628-2772 or online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org. Tickets range from $25 – $85 (ticket prices are subject to change). The Mark Taper Forum is located at the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012.

Glynn Turman and Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Glynn Turman and Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Keith David and Glynn Turman Photo by Craig Schwartz

Keith David and Glynn Turman Photo by Craig Schwartz

Glynn Turman and Jason Dirden Photo by Craig Schwartz

Glynn Turman and Jason Dirden Photo by Craig Schwartz

Keith David and Glynn Turman Photo by Craig Schwartz

Keith David and Glynn Turman Photo by Craig Schwartz

Damon Gupton and Glynn Turman Photo by Craig Schwartz

Damon Gupton and Glynn Turman Photo by Craig Schwartz

Damon Gupton and Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Damon Gupton and Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Nija Okoro and Jason Dirden Photo by Craig Schwartz

Nija Okoro and Jason Dirden Photo by Craig Schwartz

Jason Dirden and Nija Okoro Photo by Craig Schwartz

Jason Dirden and Nija Okoro Photo by Craig Schwartz

Ed Swidey and Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Ed Swidey and Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Damon Gupton, Ed Swidey, Matthew Henerson and Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Damon Gupton, Ed Swidey, Matthew Henerson and Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Matthew Henerson and Jason Dirden Photo by Craig Schwartz

Matthew Henerson and Jason Dirden Photo by Craig Schwartz

Glynn Turman (background), Ed Swidey and Damon Gupton Photo by Craig Schwartz

Glynn Turman (background), Ed Swidey and Damon Gupton Photo by Craig Schwartz

Nija Okoro, Lillias White and Lamar Richardson Photo by Craig Schwartz

Nija Okoro, Lillias White and Lamar Richardson Photo by Craig Schwartz

Nija Okoro, Lillias White, Lamar Richardson, Ed Swidey and Greg Bryan Photo by Craig Schwartz

Nija Okoro, Lillias White, Lamar Richardson, Ed Swidey and Greg Bryan Photo by Craig Schwartz

Keith David and Damon Gupton (background), Lamar Richardson and Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Keith David and Damon Gupton (background), Lamar Richardson and Lillias White Photo by Craig Schwartz

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Photos: Two River Theater’s Production of MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM Starring Arnetia Walker, Brandon J. Dirden, Michael Cumpsty, James A. Williams and More, Opens Sept. 16

$
0
0
Arnetia Walker as Ma Rainey in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Arnetia Walker as Ma Rainey in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Two River Theater (Artistic Director John Dias, Managing Director Michael Hurst) presents August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. The press opening is Friday, September 16 at 8pm and performances will continue through Sunday, October 9 in Two River’s Rechnitz Theater, 21 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank, NJ.  Tickets are available from 732.345.1400 or tworivertheater.org.

Brandon J. Dirden as Levee in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Brandon J. Dirden as Levee in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Featured in the cast are Chanté Adams (Dussie May), Harvy Blanks (Slow Drag), Brian D. Coats (Toledo), Michael Cumpsty (Irvin), Brandon J. Dirden (Levee), Bob Mackasek (Policeman), Marcel Spears (Sylvester), Peter Van Wagner (Sturdyvant), Arnetia Walker (Ma Rainey), and James A. Williams (Cutler).

Arnetia Walker (Ma Rainey, in green dress) and Chanté Adams (Dussie May, in yellow dress), center, perform “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” with members of the Company in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Arnetia Walker (Ma Rainey, in green dress) and Chanté Adams (Dussie May, in yellow dress), center, perform “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” with members of the Company in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson

The creative team for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom includes scenic designer Charlie Corcoran, costume designer Karen Perry, lighting designerBurke Brown, and sound designer Rob Kaplowitz. The original music is by Bill Sims Jr. & Kenny Rampton, the fight direction is by Thomas Schall, the casting is by Heidi Griffith & Kate Murray, and the stage manager is Laura Wilson.  

Arnetia Walker as Ma Rainey with James A. Williams (Cutler), Brian D. Coats (Toledo), and Harvy Blanks (Slow Drag) in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Arnetia Walker as Ma Rainey with James A. Williams (Cutler), Brian D. Coats (Toledo), and Harvy Blanks (Slow Drag) in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Peter Van Wagner (Sturdyvant), Michael Cumpsty (Irvin), Arnetia Walker (Ma Rainey) and Marcel Spears (Sylvester) in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Peter Van Wagner (Sturdyvant), Michael Cumpsty (Irvin), Arnetia Walker (Ma Rainey) and Marcel Spears (Sylvester) in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Two River Theater. Photo by T. Charles Erickson

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Multimedia: Lauren Molina, Bri Sudia and More in WONDERFUL TOWN at the Goodman Theatre, Opens Sept. 20

$
0
0
Bri Sudia (Ruth) and Lauren Molina (Eileen) (center) with ensemble members Kristin Villanueva, Jordan Brown, George Andrew Wolff, Jody Reynard, Jeff Parker, Ian Saunders, Lainie Sakakura, Wade Elkins and Mark David Kaplan. Photo by Liz Lauren

Bri Sudia (Ruth) and Lauren Molina (Eileen) (center) with ensemble members Kristin Villanueva, Jordan Brown, George Andrew Wolff, Jody Reynard, Jeff Parker, Ian Saunders, Lainie Sakakura, Wade Elkins and Mark David Kaplan. Photo by Liz Lauren

Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman’s revival of WONDERFUL TOWN – Leonard Bernstein’s classic musical that with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and book by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov, runs now through October 16 at Goodman Theatre’s Albert Theatre (Opening Night is September 20).

Lainie Sakakura (Ensemble), Lauren Molina (Eileen) and ensemble members Erica Stephan, Ian Saunders and Kent M. Lewis. Photo by Liz Lauren

Lainie Sakakura (Ensemble), Lauren Molina (Eileen) and ensemble members Erica Stephan, Ian Saunders and Kent M. Lewis. Photo by Liz Lauren

A whimsical love letter to Manhattan, WONDERFUL TOWN follows the adventure of sisters Eileen and Ruth, who leave Columbus, Ohio in search of success in the Big Apple. Lauren Molina, who appeared as Cunegonde in Zimmerman’s acclaimed production of Candide (2010/2011 Season), portrays the beautiful actress and hopeful romantic, Eileen; and breakout Chicago star Bri Sudia (Far From Heaven, Porchlight Music Theater) makes her Goodman debut as Ruth, an aspiring, romantically challenged journalist.

Bri Sudia (Ruth) sings 'Swing' along with ensemble members. Photo by Liz Lauren

Bri Sudia (Ruth) sings ‘Swing’ along with ensemble members. Photo by Liz Lauren

Joining Molina and Sudia in the 26-member cast are Chicago favorites Karl Hamilton as Robert Baker, the isolated editor of The Manhatter newspaper; Wade Elkins as Frank Lippencott and Steven Strafford as Chick Clark-two of Eileen’s love prospects and residents of the bohemian 1950s town; and Jordan Brown (Wreck), Amy J. Carle (Mrs. Wade), Matt DeCaro (Appopolous), Christina Hall (Violet), James Earl Jones II (Speedy Valenti), Kristin Villanueva (Helen) and George Andrew Wolff (Lonigan).

Karl Sean Hamilton (Robert Baker) sings 'What A Waste' along with ensemble members James Earl Jones II, Jeff Parker, George Andrew Wolff, Karl Sean Hamilton, Kent M. Lewis and Russell Mernagh. Photo by Liz Lauren

Karl Sean Hamilton (Robert Baker) sings ‘What A Waste’ along with ensemble members James Earl Jones II, Jeff Parker, George Andrew Wolff, Karl Sean Hamilton, Kent M. Lewis and Russell Mernagh. Photo by Liz Lauren

Ensemble members include Nathaniel Braga, Ariana Cappuccitti, Sherriese Hamilton, Aaron Holland, Mark David Kaplan, Tiffany Krause, Kent M. Lewis, Russell Mernagh, Jeff Parker, Jody Reynard, Todd Rhoades, Lainie Sakakura, Ian Saunders and Erica Stephan.

Jordan Brown (Wreck), Kristin Villanueva (Helen), Bri Sudia (Ruth) and Lauren Molina (Eileen). Photo by Liz Lauren

Jordan Brown (Wreck), Kristin Villanueva (Helen), Bri Sudia (Ruth) and Lauren Molina (Eileen). Photo by Liz Lauren

Under music director Doug Peck and associate music director/conductor Ben Johnson, the 18-member orchestra brings to life 20 of Bernstein’s songs-including “Ohio” and “One Hundred Easy Ways to Lose a Man.” Chicago native and choreographer Alex Sanchez, whose work has been described as “spectacular-wildly ingenious and playful from start to finish” (Chicago Sun-Times), makes his Goodman debut. The creative team also includes Todd Rosenthal (sets), Ana Kuzmanic (costumes), T.J. Gerckens (lights) and Ray Nardelli (sound).

For tickets and more information, visit GoodmanTheatre.org, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn).

Erica Stephan (Ensemble), James Earl Jones II (Speedy Valenti) and Tiffany Krause (Ensemble). Photo by Liz Lauren

Erica Stephan (Ensemble), James Earl Jones II (Speedy Valenti) and Tiffany Krause (Ensemble). Photo by Liz Lauren

Ensemble members Erica Stephan, Steven Strafford, Sharriese Hamilton, Aaron Holland, Nathaniel Braga and Todd Rhoades perform 'Christopher Street'. Photo by Liz Lauren

Ensemble members Erica Stephan, Steven Strafford, Sharriese Hamilton, Aaron Holland, Nathaniel Braga and Todd Rhoades perform ‘Christopher Street’. Photo by Liz Lauren

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Denise Burse and Richard Prioleau Lead the Cast of A RAISIN IN THE SUN at Seattle Rep, September 30-October 30

$
0
0
Photo by Lia Chang

Photo by Lia Chang

Seattle Repertory Theatre is opening its season with the Timothy McCuen Piggee helmed A Raisin in the Sun, a classic Lorraine Hansberry’s drama starring Award-winning actor Denise Burse and Richard Prioleau as Lena Younger and Walter Lee.  A Raisin in the Sun will run September 30-October 30, 2016 (opening night is October 5, 2016) in the Bagley Wright Theatre. Tickets are on sale now through the Seattle Rep Box Office at (206) 443-2222 and online at seattlerep.org.

The cast also features Tré Cotten as George Murchison; Andrew Lee Creech as Bobo; Ricardy Charles Fabre as Joseph Asagai; Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako as Beneatha Younger; Jalani Clemmons as Travis Younger; Catalino Manalang as Travis Younger; Charles Leggett as Karl Lindner; Brace Evans as a moving man; and Anthony Simmons as a moving man.

Lorraine Hansberry’s classic, which inspired Seattle Rep’s recent production of Clybourne Park, tells the story of African American Lena Younger who lives with her extended family in a cramped apartment on Chicago’s South Side. On their unknowing behalf, Lena places a down payment on a home in Clybourne Park-an affordable white neighborhood. Racial intolerance attempts to derail the family’s dreams in this 1959 masterpiece, which “changed American theater forever” (The New York Times) and continues to resonate generation after generation.

ABOUT THE CAST:

Denise Burse (Lena Younger)
Denise Burse lives and works in New York. With A Raisin in the Sun, Miss Burse returns toSeattle Repertory Theatre for the fourth time. She was most recently seen in Kimber Lee’s brownsville song (b side for tray) in the Leo K. Theatre. Her first show at the Rep was The Piano Lesson directed by Lloyd Richards. Next was Radio Golf directed by Kenny Leon. Both plays were written by August Wilson. She just finished directing the premiere of Women of Adonai by Alana Barrett Adkins in NYC. Some of Miss Burse’s other credits include: an episode of “Black Mirror,” a Netflix series, new episodes airing in October; the newly released independent film Anesthesia by Tim Blake Nelson; a workshop of Nathan Alan Davis’ The Refuge Plays Trilogy directed by Patricia McGregor; and a workshop of Dominique Morisseau’s Autumn Harvest. You can still catch Miss Burse in the recurring role of Claretha Jenkins on Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne.” Denise is a Theatre World Award winner and an Audelco Award nominee and winner for acting.

Richard Prioleau (Walter Lee)
Prioleau was last seen at TheatreWorks in Confederates (world premiere). His Off-Broadway credits include A Persistent Memory with Beckett Theatre/Theatre Row and as Tom in The Glass Menagerie with Masterworks Theater Company. His regional credits include Actors Theater of Louisville, The Repertory Theater of St. Louis, Intiman Theatre/Williams Project, Clarence Brown Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, and Arkansas Repertory Theatre. NYC credits include Access Theater, The Gallery Players, La MaMa ETC, and The New Ohio Theatre. Film and television credits include “Madam Secretary,” HBO’s “The Normal Heart,”and “30 Rock.” Mr. Prioleau earned his B.A. from Fordham University at Lincoln Center and his MFA from American Conservatory Theater.

Jalani Clemmons (Travis Younger)
This nine-year-old from Little Rock, AR, is extremely thrilled to be joining Seattle Repertory Theatre for the first time in A Raisin in the Sun. Jalani first appeared in his kindergarten production of Where the Wild Things Are and took improv classes at Seattle Children’s Theatre. He then joined Broadway Bound appearing in: Grease (Doody); Cinderella (Prince); and High School Musical (Chad).

Tré Cotten (George Murchison)
A native of North Carolina, Tré is excited to be making his debut with Seattle Repertory Theatre. He will be receiving his MFA in Acting at the University of Washington School of Drama this upcoming year. Some of his previous work includes: Daisy (ACT Theatre); Julius Caesar and Twelfth Night (Virginia Shakespeare Festival); The Color Purple (City Stage Tour); Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Cape Fear Regional Theater); Six Degrees of Separation (Wilmington, NC); A Chorus Line (Opera House Theater Company); Ragtime (Thalian Association); and Five Guys Named Moe (Opera House Theater Company). Film and television credits include “One Tree Hill” for the CW Network, “East Bound and Down” with HBO, and “Frat Brothers” for the BET Network.

Andrew Lee Creech (Bobo)
Andrew is a locally grown writer, performer, and hip-hop artist whose work has been showcased throughout the city. Most recently, Mr. Creech has been seen on the stages of Seattle Shakespeare Company (Romeo and Juliet), ArtsWest (Wonderful Life), and ACT (Mr. Burns, a post-electric play and Buzzer). Film credits include Better Than Love (in post-production). Andrew received his BFA from Cornish College of the Arts and serves as the Regional Ambassador for the Dramatists Guild of America.

Mia Ellis (Ruth Younger)
Regional: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Titania/Hippolyta; Hamlet, Ophelia (Santa Cruz Shakespeare); To Kill a Mockingbird, Calpurnia; Blues for Mister Charlie, Juanita; Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical, Joan; The Glass Menagerie, Laura; Intimate Apparel, Esther; Grapes of Wrath, Mrs. Wainwright/Ensemble; A Christmas Carol, Christmas Past/Sister-in-Law; Clybourne Park, Francine/Lena (Trinity Rep/Resident Acting Company); The Book Club Play, Lily (Virginia Stage); Good People, Kate (The Sandra-Feinstein Gamm Theatre); Hamlet, Ophelia (Bread Loaf Acting Ensemble); Sharon’s Shorts, Stephanie (Robert Moss Theatre); Broken Homes, Emmy (Under St. Marks). Film: Louder Than Words. TV: “Elementary,” “Person of Interest,” “What Would You Do.” Training: Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA in Acting.

Brace Evans (Moving Man)
Brace Evans graduated from Garfield High School, University of Washington (’91, Business and Drama), Brooklyn College (MFA), and completed training in Freehold’s Meisner Series and ETI program, and participated in the Acting Shakespeare course this past summer 2016 at RADA. He was the Grandfather in Force Continuum at the University of Washington, Newt Lee in Parade for Sound Theatre, and Hud in Hair at Bainbridge Performing Arts. Next up is House of Dinah at On the Boards (OTB) in December. His passion is to inspire individuals to ‘exist’ and ‘BE’ themselves through self-reflection as inspired by seeing oneself in performance. This is his debut performance at Seattle Rep, where he once worked in the front of house.

Ricardy Charles Fabre (Joseph Asagai)
Ricardy Charles Fabre makes his debut at Seattle Repertory Theatre. Ricardy is a New York-based actor, and a former Bat, the Obie-award Resident Acting Company of the Flea Theatre under the artistic direction of Niegel Smith. In New York, he performed in The Weekend Cottage and The System at Flea Theatre. Regionally, he’s performed in Our Town, Ain’t Missbehavin‘, and Othello at Portland Center Stage, as well as in The Convert at Underground Railway Theatre, and Belleville at Third Rail Repertory Theatre. He is also a recent member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Charles Leggett (Karl Lindner)
At Seattle Repertory Theatre: Mycroft Holmes and Solomon Moses, Sherlock Holmes and The American Problem; Sir Charles Baskerville and Frankland, The Hound of the Baskervilles; Donnie Dubrow, American Buffalo; Lennie, Of Mice and Men; Dave Moss, Glengarry Glen Ross; Carl, Opus; Sir Toby Belch, Twelfth Night; Mortimer Durham, The Constant Wife; Brighella, The King Stag; and Sturdyvant, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Charles is a recipient and three-time nominee of the Theatre Puget Sound Gregory Award for Outstanding Actor for work here as well as at ACT Theatre (Ray in Steven Dietz’s Yankee Tavern) and Seattle Shakespeare Company (Shylock, The Merchant of Venice).

Catalino Manalang (Travis Younger)
Catalino has been active in his school drama programs appearing as The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, and Cat in the Hat in Seussical at Hawthorne Elementary. Catalino has also performed as Mr. Lyons in Thriller at Columbia City Youth Theatre, and has appeared in a YouTube special entitled Archetype Pie as The Kid at Orca Middle School. For the past two summers, Catalino performed in the Seattle Parks and Recreation Summer Musical Program. In 2015, he was cast as Mini in Snow White and the Seven, and this year as a pirate in Peter Pan and My Brother’s Keeper.

Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako (Beneatha Younger)
Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako makes her Seattle Repertory Theatre debut in the iconic role of Beneatha Younger. Nako is a 2016 Gregory Award Nominee for her performance in My Heart is the Drum (Village Theatre). Claudine won the 2015 Gregory Award for Outstanding Actress for her portrayal of the title character in Little Bee (Book-It Rep). Selected credits: The Mountaintop (Snowy Range), Mr. Burns (ACT), Hair (ArtsWest), Big River (Village). Film/TV: “Grimm” (NBC), The Kickback (RSA Productions), Octopus (moxie pictures), Hearsay (Rotten Orchard). Commercial: Discovery Channel, Toyota, Amazon, Microsoft, Kroger Corp.

Anthony Simmons (Moving Man)
Anthony Simmons is a recent graduate of Cornish College of the Arts. He is making his Seattle Rep debut with A Raisin in the Sun. Recent credits include Our Lady of 121st Street (Rooftop) at Seattle University, Black Bear Radio (Park Chestah) and Hooded or Being Black for Dummies (Marquis) at Theatre Battery.

Timothy McCuen Piggee (Director) has appeared on most Seattle stages, in leading roles with ACT Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Village Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Showtunes Operating Theater, Seattle Group Theatre, The Empty Space Theatre, and Tacoma Actor’s Guild, among others. Nationally, his work has been seen on Broadway and at the Denver Center Theatre Company, Arizona Theatre Company, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Portland Center Stage, and Pioneer Theatre Company, among others. His film and television credits include Navy Diver, Outpatient, After, Crocodile Tears, Take One, “The David Letterman Show,” and the “65th Annual Tony Awards.” Timothy has directed numerous productions at Cornish College of the Arts, as well as productions and readings at Theater Schmeater,Seattle Repertory Theatre, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, and Village Theatre. As an educator, he has taught courses at Freehold Theatre Lab/Studio, Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and Cornish College of the Arts, where he is currently a professor in the Theatre Department. His awards and honors include the 2015 Gregory A. Falls award for Sustained Achievement, the 2015 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship, 2012 University of Utah Distinguished Alumnus Award, Gregory and Gypsy Rose Lee Awards for his performance in Angels in America, Cornish College of the Arts Teaching Excellence Award, 4 Seattle Times Footlight Awards, Seattle Weekly Critics Award (’97), Seattle Post-Intelligencer Performance of the Year Award, Utah Holiday Award, 2003 ARTSFUND Special Recognition, and nominations for AriZoni and Golden Laurel Awards.

The creative team includes Michael Ganio, scenic design; Melanie Taylor Burgess, costume design; Robert J. Aguilar, lighting design; Matt Starritt, sound design; Geoffrey Alm, Fight Director; Alyssa Keene, Dialect Coach; Kristin Leahey, Dramaturg; Joi Gresham, Script Consultant.

Seattle Rep was founded in 1963 and is currently led by Artistic Director Braden Abraham and Managing Director Jeffrey Herrmann. One of America’s premier non-profit resident theatres, Seattle Repertory Theatre has achieved international renown for its consistently high production and artistic standards, and was awarded the 1990 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. With an emphasis on entertaining plays of true dramatic and literary worth, Seattle Rep produces a season of plays along with educational programs, new play workshops, and special presentations.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Goodman Theatre’s OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR by Charles Smith, OSF’s HANNAH AND THE DREAD GAZEBO by Jiehae Park and More Receive 2016 Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards

$
0
0

1617_objects_1300x360

Charles Smith. Photo by Lia Chang

Charles Smith. Photo by Lia Chang

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, has announced the recipients of the second round of the 2016 Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards.

The awards, totaling $580,000, allow 22 productions extra time in the development and rehearsal of new plays with the entire creative team, helping to extend the life of the play after its first run. One more round of recipients will be announced later this year.

Over the last ten years,The Edgerton Foundation has awarded $9,224,900 to 319 TCG Member Theatre productions, enabling many plays to schedule subsequent productions following their world premieres. Eighteen have made it to Broadway, including: Curtains, 13, Next to Normal, 33 Variations, In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), Time Stands Still, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, A Free Man of Color, Good People, Chinglish, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Bronx Bombers, Casa Valentina, Outside Mullingar, All the Way, Eclipsed, Bright Star, and Hamilton. Eleven plays were nominated for Tony Awards, with All the Way, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and Hamilton winning the best play or musical awards. Nine plays were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, with wins for Hamilton (2016), The Flick (2014), Water by the Spoonful (2012) and Next to Normal (2010).

“Year after year, The Edgerton Foundation has honored its dedication to theatre through the New Play Awards,” said Teresa Eyring, executive director of TCG. “New plays have been given a deeper pool of resources in the earliest stages of production, helping to solidify their chances of receiving additive productions beyond the world premiere. In ten years, this program has undeniably helped in generating a new canon of American plays.”

The second round of the 2016 Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards were presented to:

Objects in the Mirror by Charles Smith at Goodman Theatre

Hannah and the Dread Gazebo by Jiehae Park at Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Marie and Rosetta by George Brant at Atlantic Theater Company

Dauphin Island by Jeffrey Chastang at Alabama Shakespeare Festival

Troubadour by Janece Shaffer, original Music by Kristian Bush at Alliance Theatre

The Book of Will by Lauren Gunderson at Denver Center Theatre Company

Two Degrees by Tira Palmquist at Denver Center Theatre Company

Other than Honorable by Jamie Pachino at Geva Theatre Center

How to Transcend a Happy Marriage by Sarah Ruhl at Lincoln Center Theater

Napoli Brooklyn by Meghan Kennedy at Long Wharf Theatre

Table, book and lyrics by Adam Gopnik, music by David Shire at Long Wharf Theatre

Going to See the Kid by Steven Drukman at Merrimack Repertory Theatre

Orange by Aditi Brennan Kapil at Mixed Blood Theatre

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon at Northlight Theatre

The Profane by Zayd Dohrn at Playwrights Horizons

String Around My Finger by Brenda Withers at Portland Stage Company

If I Forget by Steven Levenson at Roundabout Theatre Company

Harbur Gate by Kathleen Cahill at Salt Lake Acting Company

Roz and Ray by Karen Hartman at Seattle Repertory Theatre

The Gulf by Audrey Cefaly at Signature Theatre

The Siegel by Michael Mitnick at South Coast Repertory

Imogen Says Nothing by Aditi Brennan Kapil at Yale Repertory Theatre

“The Edgerton Foundation New Play Award is invaluable to the readiness of Hannah and the Dread Gazebo for its world premiere. It allows us to assemble the entire creative team for the first time; to give the playwright, director, designers and full cast the opportunity to all make a first dive together into the complex material,” said Bill Rauch, artistic director of Oregon Shakespeare Festival. “Ms. Park, Mr. Yew and the designers can examine the intricate cultural references and complicated political history and address how to incorporate the play’s folklore and visual imagery, and the ensemble of six actors can begin preparing early for what promise to be linguistically exciting yet challenging roles that involve some Korean language and several long monologues. The additional rehearsal time is absolutely critical to this beautiful and important play; it ensures the full exploration of the characters as well as the refinement of the script, staging and cultural framework.”

“Because Other Than Honorable explores issues in the military, we will reach out to experts as consultants on the play’s content for use in rehearsals. Additional rehearsal time will allow for conversations with these experts – including representatives from the military as well as survivors of sexual assault – and the actors, director and playwright. Additionally, Other Than Honorable has a few unique technical requirements that, when addressed, will pave the way for innovative use of technology on stage. The play includes video depositions, projections, and a character who appears only through Skype calls,” said Jenni Werner, Geva Theatre’s literary director and resident dramaturg. “Additional rehearsal time will be required so that Geva’s staff, creative team and actors can address these requirements in a compelling and poetic way. They will explore what this means, how the technology will function onstage, and how the live actors will interact through the video screen. The ability to schedule full design meetings with the playwright present will allow the designers and production staff to speak with her directly and help them prepare for any script changes that may occur.”

TCG Member Theatres with a strong and consistent track record of producing new work are invited by the foundation to submit letters of inquiry to plays@edgertonfoundation.org. A panel of readers reviews the plays and one-time grants ranging from $5,000 to $75,000 are awarded.

The Edgerton Foundation New Plays Program, directed by Brad and Louise Edgerton, was piloted in 2006 with the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles by offering two musicals in development an extended rehearsal period for the entire creative team, including the playwrights. The Edgertons launched the program nationally in 2007 and have supported 297 plays to date at over 50 different Art Theatres across the country. The Edgerton Foundation received the 2011 TCG National Funder Award in June in Los Angeles.

For over 50 years, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for U.S. theatre, has existed to strengthen, nurture, and promote the professional not-for-profit theatre. TCG’s constituency has grown from a handful of groundbreaking theatres to nearly 700 member theatres and affiliate organizations and more than 11,000 individuals nationwide. TCG offers its members networking and knowledge-building opportunities through conferences, events, research and communications; awards grants, approximately $2 million per year, to theatre companies and individual artists; advocates on the federal level; and serves as the U.S. Center of the International Theatre Institute, connecting its constituents to the global theatre community. TCG is North America’s largest independent publisher of dramatic literature, with 14 Pulitzer Prizes for Best Play on the TCG booklist. It also publishes the award-winning American Theatre magazine and ARTSEARCH, the essential source for a career in the arts. In all of its endeavors, TCG seeks to increase the organizational efficiency of its member theatres, cultivate and celebrate the artistic talent and achievements of the field and promote a larger public understanding of, and appreciation for, the theatre. For more, visit www.tcg.org.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.



Goodman Theatre Extends WONDERFUL TOWN through Oct. 23

$
0
0
Bri Sudia (Ruth) and Lauren Molina (Eileen) (center) with ensemble members Kristin Villanueva, Jordan Brown, George Andrew Wolff, Jody Reynard, Jeff Parker, Ian Saunders, Lainie Sakakura, Wade Elkins and Mark David Kaplan. Photo by Liz Lauren

Bri Sudia (Ruth) and Lauren Molina (Eileen) (center) with ensemble members Kristin Villanueva, Jordan Brown, George Andrew Wolff, Jody Reynard, Jeff Parker, Ian Saunders, Lainie Sakakura, Wade Elkins and Mark David Kaplan. Photo by Liz Lauren

Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman’s revival of WONDERFUL TOWN – Leonard Bernstein’s classic musical that with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and book by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov, has been extended by popular demand at Goodman Theatre’s Albert Theatre until Oct. 23rd.

Lainie Sakakura (Ensemble), Lauren Molina (Eileen) and ensemble members Erica Stephan, Ian Saunders and Kent M. Lewis. Photo by Liz Lauren

Lainie Sakakura (Ensemble), Lauren Molina (Eileen) and ensemble members Erica Stephan, Ian Saunders and Kent M. Lewis. Photo by Liz Lauren

A whimsical love letter to Manhattan, WONDERFUL TOWN follows the adventure of sisters Eileen and Ruth, who leave Columbus, Ohio in search of success in the Big Apple. Lauren Molina, who appeared as Cunegonde in Zimmerman’s acclaimed production of Candide (2010/2011 Season), portrays the beautiful actress and hopeful romantic, Eileen; and breakout Chicago star Bri Sudia (Far From Heaven, Porchlight Music Theater) makes her Goodman debut as Ruth, an aspiring, romantically challenged journalist.

Bri Sudia (Ruth) sings 'Swing' along with ensemble members. Photo by Liz Lauren

Bri Sudia (Ruth) sings ‘Swing’ along with ensemble members. Photo by Liz Lauren

Joining Molina and Sudia in the 26-member cast are Chicago favorites Karl Hamilton as Robert Baker, the isolated editor of The Manhatter newspaper; Wade Elkins as Frank Lippencott and Steven Strafford as Chick Clark-two of Eileen’s love prospects and residents of the bohemian 1950s town; and Jordan Brown (Wreck), Amy J. Carle (Mrs. Wade), Matt DeCaro (Appopolous), Christina Hall (Violet), James Earl Jones II (Speedy Valenti), Kristin Villanueva (Helen) and George Andrew Wolff (Lonigan).

Karl Sean Hamilton (Robert Baker) sings 'What A Waste' along with ensemble members James Earl Jones II, Jeff Parker, George Andrew Wolff, Karl Sean Hamilton, Kent M. Lewis and Russell Mernagh. Photo by Liz Lauren

Karl Sean Hamilton (Robert Baker) sings ‘What A Waste’ along with ensemble members James Earl Jones II, Jeff Parker, George Andrew Wolff, Karl Sean Hamilton, Kent M. Lewis and Russell Mernagh. Photo by Liz Lauren

Ensemble members include Nathaniel Braga, Ariana Cappuccitti, Sherriese Hamilton, Aaron Holland, Mark David Kaplan, Tiffany Krause, Kent M. Lewis, Russell Mernagh, Jeff Parker, Jody Reynard, Todd Rhoades, Lainie Sakakura, Ian Saunders and Erica Stephan.

Jordan Brown (Wreck), Kristin Villanueva (Helen), Bri Sudia (Ruth) and Lauren Molina (Eileen). Photo by Liz Lauren

Jordan Brown (Wreck), Kristin Villanueva (Helen), Bri Sudia (Ruth) and Lauren Molina (Eileen). Photo by Liz Lauren

Under music director Doug Peck and associate music director/conductor Ben Johnson, the 18-member orchestra brings to life 20 of Bernstein’s songs-including “Ohio” and “One Hundred Easy Ways to Lose a Man.” Chicago native and choreographer Alex Sanchez, whose work has been described as “spectacular-wildly ingenious and playful from start to finish” (Chicago Sun-Times), makes his Goodman debut. The creative team also includes Todd Rosenthal (sets), Ana Kuzmanic (costumes), T.J. Gerckens (lights) and Ray Nardelli (sound).

For tickets and more information, visit GoodmanTheatre.org, by phone at 312.443.3800 or at the box office (170 North Dearborn).

Erica Stephan (Ensemble), James Earl Jones II (Speedy Valenti) and Tiffany Krause (Ensemble). Photo by Liz Lauren

Erica Stephan (Ensemble), James Earl Jones II (Speedy Valenti) and Tiffany Krause (Ensemble). Photo by Liz Lauren

 

Ensemble members Erica Stephan, Steven Strafford, Sharriese Hamilton, Aaron Holland, Nathaniel Braga and Todd Rhoades perform 'Christopher Street'. Photo by Liz Lauren

Ensemble members Erica Stephan, Steven Strafford, Sharriese Hamilton, Aaron Holland, Nathaniel Braga and Todd Rhoades perform ‘Christopher Street’. Photo by Liz Lauren

What the critics are saying:

Chicago Sun-Times “Highly Recommends” WONDERFUL TOWN for its “fabulously eclectic, endlessly danceable music… knockout choreography… and applause inducing surprises.”

Time Out Chicago calls WONDERFUL TOWN “a musical love letter to a town that was probably never so wonderful as it’s depicted here.”

Theatermania says WONDERFUL TOWN is “a gem of a production that breathes new life into a twentieth-century classic.”

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


SESAME STREET’s Alan Muraoka Stars as Iago in Broadway’s ALADDIN through Oct. 30

$
0
0

Broadway vet Alan Muraoka is currently back on the Great White Way for a limited run through October 30th, starring as Iago in Disney’s Aladdin, now in its third smash year at the New Amsterdam Theatre.  Mr. Muraoka is most recognizable for his role in the Emmy-winning series, Sesame Street, where he has played Alan, the proprietor of Hooper’s Store, for 18 seasons.

SESAME STREET's Alan Muraoka

SESAME STREET’s Alan Muraoka

Prior to Aladdin, Mr. Muraoka has appeared in six Broadway shows: the Roundabout Theatre revival of Pacific Overtures, The King and I, My Favorite Year, Shogun, the Musical, Mail, and most notably Miss Saigon, where he played the lead role of the Engineer. He is featured in the films, It Could Happen to You, and Day of Independence. Other television credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, Louie, 30 Rock, Brotherhood, Late Night With David Letterman, and The Tonight Show, as well as numerous commercials.

Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, Aladdin features music by Tony Award and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act), lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida) and four-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw, who makes history this spring as director-choreographer of four concurrent Broadway musicals.

Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed in Aladdin. Credit: Deen Van Meer

Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed in Aladdin.
Credit: Deen Van Meer

Aladdin stars Adam Jacobs (Les MiserablesThe Lion King) in the title role, Courtney Reed (In the Heights, Mamma Mia) as Jasmine, James Monroe Iglehart (Memphis, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) in his Tony Award-winning role of Genie, and, as Jafar, Tony Award nominee Jonathan Freeman (Mary Poppins, The Producers, She Loves Me) brings to the stage the role he indelibly created in the animated film. The show also stars Steel Burkhardt, Brian Gonzales and Brad Weinstock as Aladdin’s sidekicks Babkak, Kassim and Omar, Clifton Davis as Sultan.

Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart and the cast of 'Aladdin' performing at the 2014 Tony Awards. Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart and the cast of ‘Aladdin’ performing at the 2014 Tony Awards. Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images

In a cast of 37, Aladdin also features Kathryn Allison, Tia Altinay, Mike Cannon, Andrew Cao, Lauryn Ciardullo, Joshua Dela Cruz, Yurel Echezarreta, Tiffany Evariste, Damon J. Gillespie, Daisy Hobbs, Rodney Ingram, Adam Kaokept, Nathan Lucrezio, Stanley Martin, Michael Mindlin, Amber Owens, Alfie Parker, Jr., Khori Michelle Petinaud, Jennifer Rias, Trent Saunders, Jaz Sealey, Angelo Soriano, Dennis Stowe, Kathryn Terza and Travis Ward-Osborne.

Aladdin is designed by seven-time Tony-winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, five-time Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, two-time Tony-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes and sound designer Ken Travis.

The production team also includes illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer, hair designer Josh Marquette and makeup designer Milagros Medina-Cerdeira. The music team is headed by music supervisor and music director Michael Kosarin, who also created the vocal and incidental music arrangements, joined by orchestrator Danny Troob and dance music arranger Glen Kelly.

Alan carved out a little time to answer some questions about his limited run in Aladdin.

Alan Muraoka. Photo by Lia Chang

Alan Muraoka. Photo by Lia Chang

Lia: When was the last time you were on Broadway?
Alan: My last time on a Broadway stage was in 2004 in the revival of Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures at Studio 54. 12 years! Yikes!

The Pacific Overtures' Company. Photo by Joan Marcus

The Company of Pacific Overtures in 2004. Photo by Joan Marcus

Alan Muraoka signing autographs at the stage door of Broadway's ALADDIN. Photo courtesy of Alan Muraoka

Alan Muraoka signing autographs at the stage door of Broadway’s ALADDIN. Photo courtesy of Alan Muraoka

Lia: What was your rehearsal/put-in process like?
Alan: I had actually auditioned over a year ago to cover the actor who originated the role for a leave of absence he wanted to take, but that ended up not  happening. When I got the call to offer me the job, I was terrified because it had been 12 years since my last Broadway show. I have been doing more directing and of course, Sesame Street, so my chops were very rusty. My singing technique was gone and I was out of shape for the stamina needed to do 8 shows a week. Doing any Broadway run is an endurance test. And I was also terrified because the actor that I was filling in for (Don Darryl Rivera) has put such an indelible stamp on the part. He is brilliant, and I had to find a way to match him that wasn’t a carbon copy or so different that it would throw the show out of balance. Luckily the creative team were folks that knew me: I went to college with the director Casey Nicholaw, I know the Associate Director Scott Taylor from working in the city, and I knew the Dance Captain Michael Mindlin because he has choreographed shows that I have directed. It was a very safe room. I also went back to voice lessons with Deric Rosenblatt, who helped me find a way to both sing and scream (I do a lot of screaming as Iago) in a safe and healthy way. I was encouraged to try new things, and I have found moments that are different but still humorous. So my first show was supposed to be on Thursday, September 8th. They have what is called a “put in,” where the entire cast is there and you run the show with them so you become familiar with traffic patterns, placement, etc. But they had an emergency on Wednesday, and asked me if I would go on a day early without the benefit of the “put in.” Of course I said “yes,” and it was both terrifying and thrilling to run the show for the first time in front of an audience. So I tried my costume and wig on for the first time that night.  And I had never run my costume changes or the last two scenes of the show until that very night. I made it through without any major gaffs, but my heart was racing the whole time.

Lia: For those who are not familiar with the storyline of Aladdin, who is Iago?
Alan: In the movie, Iago was Jafar’s parrot that was voiced by Gilbert Gottfried. It was a conscious decision that for the musical Iago would be a real person, not an animal. So in the show Iago is the henchman and lackey to the evil Jafar, and aids him in his attempt to get a hold of the magical lamp and take over the kingdom. Iago is maniacal and over-reactive, but the audience still loves him. Well, loves to hate him. In the show he is a comic character, and has some wonderful and delicious lines. I love him and it’s so fun to play the opposite of both my Sesame Street character and me in my everyday life.

Ann Harada and Adam Jacobs in the 4th installment of Christmas Eve’s Holiday Hunkfest, a benefit for BC/EFA in 2015. Photo courtesy of Alan Muraoka

Ann Harada and Adam Jacobs in the 4th installment of Christmas Eve’s Holiday Hunkfest, a benefit for BC/EFA in 2015. Photo courtesy of Alan Muraoka

Lia: Have you ever worked with Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed, James Monroe Iglehart or Jonathan Freeman? 
Alan: The only actors that I have worked with, albeit very briefly, are Adam Jacobs and James Monroe Iglehart. I direct a benefit every year with Ann Harada for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, and Adam was a guest star in last year’s show. And James guest starred in a segment on Sesame Street, and I was in a song with him. But now we’re getting to share a stage 8 times a week, so I’m catching up for lost time!

Lia: What was your relationship to Aladdin, prior to your first performance?
Alan: I had seen the show in previews, and loved it and loved the Iago character especially. This was long before I was asked to come in to audition for it. Actually, during the initial casting, I was brought in for the role of the Sultan, but I was totally the wrong type for what Casey had in mind for the role.

Lia: What is different now that Sesame Street is being produced by HBO?
Alan: I will begin filming my 18th season of Sesame Street, I kid you not, the day after I finish in Aladdin. This was not pre-planned, but a happy coincidence. The only big difference now that the show is on HBO is that it is a half hour format rather than an hour, but that was a decision that was made before the HBO merger. HBO has been a wonderful partner, and it has afforded us many more opportunities for specials, touring, etc. It’s been great.

SESAME STREET's Alan Muraoka performed at the White House for their annual Easter Egg Roll in 2016. Photo by Lia Chang

SESAME STREET’s Alan Muraoka performed at the White House for their annual Easter Egg Roll in 2016. Photo by Lia Chang

Lia: What have been your favorite projects this year?
Alan: Besides Aladdin and my return to the Great White Way, I had the honor of performing at the White House for their annual Easter Egg Roll. To be able to perform under the Obama Presidency was one of the highlights of my career, and I admire the President and First Lady so much for all they have done for the country. We took a picture with the First Lady, and in the picture I have my arm around her. That is something that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Alan Muraoka and the cast of Sesame Street in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on November 27, 2014. Photo by Lia Chang

Alan Muraoka and the cast of Sesame Street in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on November 27, 2014. Photo by Lia Chang

Lia: What’s coming up?
Alan: Season 48 of Sesame Street begins filming, like I said, after I leave the show, so there’s that. I’m also choreographing the number for the Sesame Street float for this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This will be the 4th time I’ve done this and it is always the best day of the year for me.

And then on December 12th I’ll be directing Ann Harada in our 5th installment of Christmas Eve’s Holiday Hunkfest, a benefit for BC/EFA. We haven’t finalized location as of yet, so go to either my website (www.alanmuraoka.tv) or the BC/EFA website for updates.

Ann Harada in the 4th installment of Christmas Eve’s Holiday Hunkfest, a benefit for BC/EFA in 2015. Photo courtesy of Ann Harada/Facebook

Ann Harada in the 4th installment of Christmas Eve’s Holiday Hunkfest, a benefit for BC/EFA in 2015. Photo courtesy of Ann Harada/Facebook

Alan Muraoka

Alan Muraoka

As a director, Mr. Muraoka received critical praise for his Off-Broadway revival of Falsettoland (National Asian American Theater Company). Other New York credits include: The Report (NY Fringe Festival), Kung Fu (Signature Theatre-Assistant Director), Ann Harada: American Songbook (Lincoln Center), Awesomer & Awesomer!!! (Triad Theatre), Telly Leung: Playlist andWhat Makes a Man? (54 Below), Grand Hotel (NYU/Cap 21), John Tartaglia AD-LIBerty (Joe’s Pub), Christmas Eve With Christmas Eve 1,2, & 3 (BC/EFA Benefits). Regionally: Once On This Island (Olney Theatre), At the Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City: The King and I, Xanadu, Disney’s High School Musical and Disney’s High School Musical 2. Other regional credits includeDisney’s High School Musical (MUNY, Casa Manana), Urinetown (Trinity University), and Associate Director for Up In The Air (Kennedy Center). Television: Alan has directed for Sesame Street and for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. Mr. Muraoka is a member of the SSDC & the DGA.

Mr. Muraoka is a graduate of UCLA, where he received the Carol Burnett Musical Comedy Award for performance. He was also the 2004 recipient of the APEX Inspiration Award and the FCC’s 2007 Role Model of the Year Award. Please visit his website at: www.alanmuraoka.tv. You can also follow him on Instagram @alanathoopers.

Night shot of Disney's Aladdin Broadway Show in NYC, exterior view at the New Amsterdam Theatre

Night shot of Disney’s Aladdin Broadway Show in NYC, exterior view at the New Amsterdam Theatre

Aladdin on Broadway in New York has 7:00 pm shows on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 8:00pm shows on Saturdays and Sundays. Additionally, the Aladdin Broadway musical offers a 1:00pm matinee on Wednesday and a 2:00pm matinee on Saturdays. The New Amsterdam Theatre is located at 214 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036. Click here to purchase tickets and here to enter the Broadway Direct Lottery.

Alan Muraoka talks navigating The Fringe Festival at the helm of Martin Casella’s critically-acclaimed THE REPORT

Times Square Chronicles: Fringe Festival: Calling All Producers The Report is the Play to See
nytheaternow.com:THE REPORT
StageBuddy.com: FringeNYC Review: The Report
Broadwayworld.com: Photo Flash: First Look at THE REPORT as Part of FringeNYC

Click here  for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Atlantic Theater Company’s MARIE AND ROSETTA Starring Kecia Lewis and Rebecca Naomi Jones Extends Until Oct. 16

$
0
0

Atlantic Theater Company’s world premiere production of George Brant’s play with music, Marie and Rosetta, starring Kecia Lewis (Mother Courage, Once on This Island) and Rebecca Naomi Jones (American IdiotHedwig and the Angry Inch) and directed by Atlantic Artistic Director Neil Pepe, has been extended an additional two weeks by popular demand.

Rebecca Naomi Jones and Kecia Lewis in George Brant's Marie and Rosetta. (© Ahron R. Foster)

Rebecca Naomi Jones and Kecia Lewis in George Brant’s Marie and Rosetta.
(© Ahron R. Foster)

Marie and Rosetta began previews Wednesday, August 24, officially opened September 14 and will now play through Sunday, October 16 Off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company’s Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20 Street).

Marie and Rosetta recently received a 2016 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.

A huge influence on Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles and Jimi Hendrix, Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Lewis) was a legend in her time, bringing fierce guitar-playing and swing to gospel music. Tharpe was the queen of ‘race records’ in the 30’s and 40’s, a woman who played guitar as passionately as Clapton, who performed mornings at churches and evenings at the Cotton Club, who was a big enough star to fill a baseball stadium for her third wedding, but ended up buried in an unmarked grave in Philadelphia. Marie and Rosetta chronicles Sister Rosetta’s first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight (Jones), as they prepare to embark on a tour that would establish them as one of the great duet teams in musical history.

Kecia Lewis recently starred in the title role of Mother Courage Off-Broadway. She made her Broadway debut as “Effie” in the original company of Dreamgirls, originated the role of “Asaka, Mother of The Earth” in Once on This Island and has appeared in the Broadway musicals Big RiverAin’t MisbehavinThe Gospel at ColonusThe Drowsy ChaperoneChicago and earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for her performance in Dessa Rose at Lincoln Center Theatre.

Rebecca Naomi Jones has performed in the Broadway musicals American IdiotPassing Strange, and most recently as Yitzhak in the hit revival of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. She has appeared Off-Broadway in Murder Ballad, Big Love and The Fortress of Solitude and recently starred in Martyna Majok’s play Cost of Living at Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was widely acclaimed among the greatest Sanctified gospel singers of her generation; a flamboyant performer whose music often flirted with the blues and swing, she was also one of the most controversial talents of her day, shocking purists with her leap into the secular market – by playing nightclubs and theaters, she not only pushed spiritual music into the mainstream, but in the process also helped pioneer the rise of pop-gospel.

Marie and Rosetta will feature scenic design by Riccardo Hernández, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by Christopher Akerlind, sound design by Steve Canyon Kennedy, music direction by Jason Michael Webb and casting by Telsey + Company.

Atlantic Theater Company’s Linda Gross Theater is located at 336 West 20 Street (between 8 and 9 Avenues).

Tickets:

Regular tickets begin at $75, with a limited number of $49.50 tickets available for performances Tuesday-Thursday, plus weekend matinees. Order online at www.atlantictheater.org, by calling OvationTix at 866-811-4111, or in person at The Linda Gross Theater box office (336 West 20Street between 8 and 9 Avenues).

Schedule:

Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday-Saturday at 8pm, Saturday and Sunday at 2pm.

Wednesday matinee at 2pm on October 5, October 12.

Season A-Passports can be purchased online at www.atlantictheater.org, by calling OvationTix at 866-811-4111, or in person at the Linda Gross Theater box office (336 West 20 Street, between 8 and 9 Avenues) Tuesday through Saturday from 12:00 – 6:00pm.

For information on Atlantic Theater Company A-Passports, visit https://atlantictheater.org/passport/ or email membership@atlantictheater.org.

Click here  for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Phylicia Rashad, Marjorie Johnson, Jason Dirden, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Joe Morton, Tina Fabrique, Francois Battiste, Colman Domingo, Maurice Hines Among 2016 AUDELCO Award Nominees; SKELETON CREW AND FAMILIAR Lead with Nine Nods Each

$
0
0

“The VIV” Awards, the annual Vivian Robinson/AUDELCO Recognition, are the only formally established awards presented to the black theatre community. AUDELCO (Audience Development Committee, Inc.) was established and incorporated in 1973 by the late Vivian Robinson, to stimulate interest in, and support of performing arts in black communities. AUDELCO celebrates 44 years of Excellence in Black Theatre this year at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th St. in New York on Monday, November 21 at 7:30pm.

Jason Dirden, Lynda Gravatt and Nikiya Mathis in Atlantic Theater Company's Skeleton Crew. Photo by Ahron R. Foster

Jason Dirden, Lynda Gravatt and Nikiya Mathis in Atlantic Theater Company’s Skeleton Crew. Photo by Ahron R. Foster

Atlantic Theater’s production of Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew and Playwrights Horizon’s production of Danai Gurira’s Familiar lead with nine nominations each

Dominique Morisseau’s SKELETON CREW starring Jason Dirden, Wendell B. Franklin, Lynda Gravatt, Nikiya Mathis and Adesola Osakalumi at Atlantic’s Linda Gross Theater through June 19 

Myra Lucretia Taylor and Tamara Tunie in Playwrights Horizon's production of Danai Gurira's Familiar. Photo by Joan Marcus

Myra Lucretia Taylor and Tamara Tunie in Playwrights Horizon’s production of Danai Gurira’s Familiar. Photo by Joan Marcus

Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company); Dead and Breathing (National Black Theatre); Dot (Vineyard Theatre); Familiar (Playwrights Horizons); Smart People (Second Stage Theatre) and The Royale (Lincoln Center Theater) are nominated for Dramatic Production of the Year; while Cherchez La Femme: A Musical Excuse (La Mama); Maurice Hines Tappin’ Thru Life (New World Stages); The First Noel (Classical Theatre of Harlem) and The Total Bent (The Public Theater) are in the running for Musical Production of the Year.

Lizan Mitchell and Nikki Walker in Dead and Breathing. Photo by Josephine Caldwell

Lizan Mitchell and Nikki Walker in Dead and Breathing. Photo by Josephine Caldwell

Lead actor nominees include Mahershala Ali (Smart People); Khris Davis (The Royale); RJ Foster (Richard III); Wendell B. Franklin (Skeleton Crew); Joe Morton (Turn Me Loose) and Jahi Kassa Taquara (The Piano Lesson).

Joe Morton. Photo: Monique Carboni

Joe Morton. Photo: Monique Carboni

Nominees for lead actress include Lynda Gravatt (Skeleton Crew); Marjorie Johnson (Dot); Kecia Lewis (Mother Courage and Her Children); Phylicia Rashad (Head of Passes); Tessa Thompson (Smart People) and Tamara Tunie (Familiar). 

John Earl Jelks, Arnetia Walker, Phylicia Rashad, and Francois Battiste. Photo by Joan Marcus

John Earl Jelks, Arnetia Walker, Phylicia Rashad, and Francois Battiste. Photo by Joan Marcus

The Public Theater’s critically-acclaimed premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Head of Passes, starring Phylicia Rashad and featuring Alana Arenas, Francois Battiste, Kyle Beltran, J. Bernard Calloway, Robert Joy, John Earl Jelks, and Arnetia Walker, receives a second extension 

Supporting actor nominees include Francois Battiste (Head of Passes); Jason Dirden (Skeleton Crew); Michael Potts (Mother Courage and Her Children); Larry Powell (The Christians); David Roberts (The Fall of the Kings) and Kim Sullivan (The Piano Lesson).

Linda Powell, Andrew Garmon, Larry Powell, Richard Henzel and the Choir in "The Christians." at the 38th Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville. (Photo by Michael Brosilow)

Linda Powell, Andrew Garmon, Larry Powell, Richard Henzel and the Choir in “The Christians.” at the 38th Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville. (Photo by Michael Brosilow)

Supporting actress nominees include Ito Aghayere (Familiar); Alana Arenas (Head of Passes); Vinie Burrows (I Will Look Forward to This Later); Montego Glover (The Royale); Nikiya Mathis (Skeleton Crew); Linda Powell (The Christians) and Myra Lucretia Taylor (Familiar).

12391241_10153240259301709_7576897853392952198_n

Tina Fabrique and the company of Classical Theatre of Harlem’s THE FIRST NOEL.

In musical acting categories, nominees include Tina Fabrique (The First Noel); Ashley Ware Jenkins (The First Noel); Traci Michelle (Cherchez La Femme: A Musical Excuse); Ato Blankson-Wood (The Total Bent); Isaac Gay (Cherchez La Femme: A Musical Excuse); Vondie Curtis Hall (The Total Bent); Maurice Hines (Maurice Hines Tappin’ Thru Life); CB Murray (Cherchez La Femme: A Musical Excuse) and
Nathaniel Stampley (The First Noel).

Maurice Hines. Photo by Carol Rossegg

Maurice Hines. Photo by Carol Rossegg

MAURICE HINES TAPPIN’ THRU LIFE at New World Stages 

The solo performance nominees are Trezana Beverley (Mabel Madness); Staceyann Chin (Motherstruck!);
Cherie Danielle (The Diary of An Afro Goddess); Tommie J. Moore (Dare to Be Black: The Jack Johnson Story); Khalil Muhammad (Pryor Truth) and Reginald L. Wilson (Sugar Ray).

 Tommie J. Moore in Theater for the New City's production of “Dare to Be Black: The Jack Johnson Story.” Photo by Tanja Marie

Tommie J. Moore in Theater for the New City’s production of “Dare to Be Black: The Jack Johnson Story.” Photo by Tanja Hayes

The director for dramatic performance nominees are directors Carl Cofield (Macbeth); Kenny Leon (Smart People); Jonathan McCrory (Dead and Breathing); Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Skeleton Crew) and Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed); while Steve H. Broadnax III (The First Noel); Jeff Calhoun (Maurice Hines Tappin’ Thru Life); Angie Kristic (Cherchez La Femme: A Musical Excuse) and Joanna Settle (The Total Bent) have been nominated for their direction of musical productions.

Lizan Mitchell and Nikki Walker star in National Black Theatre’s New York premiere of DEAD AND BREATHING by Chisa Hutchinson 

Tickets can be purchased online and at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space Box Office. Tickets are $100/$75; Seniors $50; Day of Show $125/$75.

Below is a full list of the 2016 “The VIV” Nominees for the 2015-2016 Theatre season. Good luck to all of the nominees. For more information, click on www.AUDELCO.org

LIGHTING DESIGN
Alan C. Edwards (Macbeth)
Nathan Hawkins/William Kenyon (Blood at the Root)
Tyler Micoleau (Familiar)
Austin R. Smith (The Royale)
Thom Weaver (The Total Bent)

SET DESIGN
Michael Carnahan (Skeleton Crew)
Maruti Evans (Dead and Breathing)
G.W. Mercier (Head of Passes)
Clint Ramos (Familiar)
Daniel Robinson (The First Noel)

COSTUME DESIGN
Dede M. Ayite (The Royale)
Gabriel Berry (The Total Bent)
Rachel Dozier-Ezell (Macbeth)
Susan Hilferty (Familiar)
Toni-Leslie James (Head of Passes)

SOUND DESIGN
Obadiah Eaves/Sten Severson (The Total Bent)
Rob Kaplowitz (Skeleton Crew)
John McKenna (Macbeth)
Liz Sokolak (Blood at the Root)
Darron L. West (Familiar)

DIRECTOR/DRAMATIC PRODUCTION
Carl Cofield (Macbeth)
Kenny Leon (Smart People)
Jonathan McCrory (Dead and Breathing)
Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Skeleton Crew)
Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed)

Pascale Armand, Lupita Nyong'o and Saycon Sengbloh in 'Eclipsed'. Photo: Joan Marcus

Pascale Armand, Lupita Nyong’o and Saycon Sengbloh in ‘Eclipsed’. Photo: Joan Marcus

DIRECTOR/MUSICAL PRODUCTION
Steve H. Broadnax III (The First Noel)
Jeff Calhoun (Maurice Hines Tappin’ Thru Life)
Angie Kristic (Cherchez La Femme: A Musical Excuse)
Joanna Settle (The Total Bent)

PLAYWRIGHT
Lydia Diamond (Smart People)
Colman Domingo (Dot)
Danai Gurira (Familiar)
Chisa Hutchinson (Dead and Breathing)
Dominique Morisseau (Skeleton Crew)
Marco Ramirez (The Royale)

Colman Domingo’s DOT starring Marjorie Johnson, Sharon Washington, Stephen Conrad Moore, Libya V. Pugh, Colin Hanlon, Michael Rosen and Finnerty Steeves, extends

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Francois Battiste (Head of Passes)
Jason Dirden (Skeleton Crew)
Michael Potts (Mother Courage and Her Children)
Larry Powell (The Christians)
David Roberts (The Fall of the Kings)
Kim Sullivan (The Piano Lesson)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Ito Aghayere (Familiar)
Alana Arenas (Head of Passes)
Vinie Burrows (I Will Look Forward to This Later)
Montego Glover (The Royale)
Nikiya Mathis (Skeleton Crew)
Linda Powell (The Christians)
Myra Lucretia Taylor (Familiar)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL – FEMALE
Tina Fabrique (The First Noel)
Ashley Ware Jenkins (The First Noel)
Traci Michelle (Cherchez La Femme: A Musical Excuse)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL –
MALE
Ato Blankson-Wood (The Total Bent)
Isaac Gay (Cherchez La Femme: A Musical Excuse)
Vondie Curtis Hall (The Total Bent)
Maurice Hines (Maurice Hines Tappin’ Thru Life)
CB Murray (Cherchez La Femme: A Musical Excuse)
Nathaniel Stampley (The First Noel)

CHOREOGRAPHY
Brian Harlan Brooks (The First Noel)
Maurice Hines (Maurice Hines Tappin’ Thru Life)
David Neumann (The Total Bent)
Tiffany Rea-Fisher (Macbeth)
Kyndra “Binkie” Reevey (Cherchez La Femme: A Musical Excuse)

Heather Alicia Simms, Benja Kay Thomas, Kim Wayans and Marc Damon Johnson in Robert O'Hara's "Barbecue," at The Public Theater. Photo by Joan Marcus

Heather Alicia Simms, Benja Kay Thomas, Kim Wayans and Marc Damon Johnson in Robert O’Hara’s “Barbecue,” at The Public Theater. Photo by Joan Marcus

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
A Lovely Malfunction (Negro Ensemble Company)
Barbecue (The Public Theater)
but I cld only whisper (The Flea)
Dead and Breathing (National Black Theatre)
Eclipsed (The Public Theater)
Proof (Quick Silver Theatre/Classics in Color Theatre Co.)
Timeless: The Mystery of the Dark Water (Black Spectrum Theatre)

Alejandro Rodriquez, Nafeesa Monroe, Lolita Foster and Count Stovall. Photo by Lia Chang

Alejandro Rodriquez, Nafeesa Monroe, Lolita Foster and Count Stovall. Photo by Lia Chang

SOLO PERFORMANCE
Trezana Beverley (Mabel Madness)
Staceyann Chin (Motherstruck!)
Cherie Danielle (The Diary of An Afro Goddess)
Tommie J. Moore (Dare to Be Black: The Jack Johnson Story)
Khalil Muhammad (Pryor Truth)
Reginald L. Wilson (Sugar Ray)

Jason Dirden and Wendell B. Franklin in Atlantic Theater Company's Skeleton Crew. Photo by Ahron R. Foster

Jason Dirden and Wendell B. Franklin in Atlantic Theater Company’s Skeleton Crew. Photo by Ahron R. Foster

LEAD ACTOR
Mahershala Ali (Smart People)
Khris Davis (The Royale)
RJ Foster (Richard III)
Wendell B. Franklin (Skeleton Crew)
Joe Morton (Turn Me Loose)
Jahi Kassa Taquara (The Piano Lesson)

 Kecia Lewis as Mother Courage, at Classic Stage Company. Photo: Joan Marcus

Kecia Lewis as Mother Courage, at Classic Stage Company. Photo: Joan Marcus

IMG_7105LEAD ACTRESS
Lynda Gravatt (Skeleton Crew)
Marjorie Johnson (Dot)
Kecia Lewis (Mother Courage and Her Children)
Phylicia Rashad (Head of Passes)
Tessa Thompson (Smart People)
Tamara Tunie (Familiar)

BEST REVIVAL
In the Heights (Harlem Repertory Theatre)
In White America (New Federal Theatre)
Macbeth (Classical Theatre of Harlem)
Mother Courage and Her Children (Classic Stage Company)
Proof (Quick Silver Theatre/Classics in Color Theatre Co.)
The Piano Lesson (Gallery Players)
Walk Hard (Metropolitan Playhouse)

MUSICAL PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR
Cherchez La Femme: A Musical Excuse (La Mama)
Maurice Hines Tappin’ Thru Life (New World Stages)
The First Noel (Classical Theatre of Harlem)
The Total Bent (The Public Theater)

DRAMATIC PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR
Dead and Breathing (National Black Theatre)
Dot (Vineyard Theatre)
Familiar (Playwrights Horizons)
Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company)
Smart People (Second Stage Theatre).
The Royale (Lincoln Center Theater)

Click here  for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.


Elizabeth Van Dyke and Joseph Lewis Edwards Star in New Federal Theatre’s ZORA NEALE HURSTON: A THEATRICAL BIOGRAPHY at Castillo Theatre, Oct. 20- Nov. 20

$
0
0

zora-neale-hurstonTo celebrate Zora Neale Hurston’s 125th birthday, Woodie King, Jr.’s New Federal Theatre, in association with Castillo Theatre, will present Zora Neale Hurston: A Theatrical Biography by Laurence Holder from October 20 to November 20 at Castillo Theatre, 543 West 42nd Street in New York. Click here to purchase tickets.

Elizabeth Van Dyke in Zora Neale Hurston by Laurence Holder. Photo by Martha Swope.

Elizabeth Van Dyke in Zora Neale Hurston by Laurence Holder. Photo by Martha Swope.

Elizabeth Van Dyke and Joseph Lewis Edwards will recreate the characters they played in the play’s acclaimed 1998 production at The American Place Theatre: she as Hurston, he as the men in her life. Woodie King, Jr., Artistic Director of NFT, will direct and Wynn Handman, who helmed celebrated productions of the play at The American Place Theatre, is consulting director.

Elizabeth Van Dyke and Joseph Lewis Edwards in Zora Neale Hurston by Laurence Holder at The American Place Theatre, NYC, co-produced by The American Place and Woodie King, Jr.'s National Black Touring Circuit. Photo (1998) by Martha Holmes.

Elizabeth Van Dyke and Joseph Lewis Edwards in Zora Neale Hurston by Laurence Holder at The American Place Theatre, NYC, co-produced by The American Place and Woodie King, Jr.’s National Black Touring Circuit. Photo (1998) by Martha Holmes.

Zora Neale Hurston, ‘Queen of the Harlem Renaissance,’ was a prolific novelist, playwright and journalist of the 1920s and 30s. She walks the audience through her remarkable life in Laurence Holder’s bioplay, which captures her uninhibited and outspoken personality, chronicles the rise and fall of her literary career and above all, reveals her place in the politics of her time, from the twenties to the early 60’s. The play is rich with intimate portraits of her contemporaries, including poet Langston Hughes and novelist Richard Wright, and sparkles with excerpts from her significant works including “Mules and Men,” a 1935 story collection of powerful folklore.

Elizabeth Van Dyke in Zora Neale Hurston by Laurence Holder. Photo courtesy of Pyramid Arts Center.

Elizabeth Van Dyke in Zora Neale Hurston by Laurence Holder. Photo courtesy of Pyramid Arts Center.

Hurston’s many works include five novels, a folktale collection, numerous short stories, magazine articles and her autobiography. Of these, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” is considered her most outstanding achievement.

Coinciding with this production, on October 28 Barnard College, Hurston’s alma mater, will present a symposium, “Hurston@125: Engaging with the Work and Legacy of Zora Neale Hurston,” to bring together scholars whose work builds upon her less well-known training in anthropology and interdisciplinary modes of analysis and expression. There will be panel discussions and a film screening of Hurston’s ethnographic work.

This production of “Zora Neale Hurston” has costume design by Gail Cooper-Hecht, set design by Richard Harmon, lighting design by Shirley Prendergast and sound and projection design by Bill Toles. Dramaturg is Arminda Thomas.

Click here  for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang_photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.comJade Magazine and Playbill.com.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2016 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com


Viewing all 429 articles
Browse latest View live