The Wiz’s André De Shields brought the house down as he sang ” Do You Wanted to Meet the Wizard” in his original Broadway costume as part of The Black Stars of The Great White Way Broadway Reunion: Live The Dream at Carnegie Hall in New York on June 23, 2014. Photo by Lia Chang
The 26th annual edition of BC/EFA’s Gypsy of the Year will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking musical The Wiz and feature performances by the uber-talented “gypsies” of 12 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, on Monday, December 8th at 4:30 pm and Tuesday, December 9th at 2 pm at the New Amsterdam Theatre, 214 West 42nd Street in New York.
The opening number will honor the 40th anniversary of The Wiz, winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical. The Wiz, directed by Geoffrey Holder, was one of the first large-scale, big-budget Broadway musicals to feature an all-black cast. Returning to the yellow brick road for this special event are Dee Dee Bridgewater, André De Shields and Ken Page. They’ll be joined by Charl Brown (Motown: The Musical), Carly Hughes (Pippin), Keke Palmer (Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella), Christina Sajous (Holler If Ya Hear Me), Alton Fitzgerald White (The Lion King) and Lillias White (Fela), who will also close the show with a special performance of “Home.” The opening number was created by T. Oliver Reid, Brian Harlan Brooks and Ben Cohn.
Broadway personality and longtime Broadway Cares friend Seth Rudetsky (“Seth’s Big Fat Broadway” on Sirius/XM Radio) returns for the seventh year in a row to host.
The show will feature special appearances by Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane (It’s Only a Play), Lena Hall and Michael C. Hall (Hedwig and The Angry Inch), James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin), Anika Larsen and Jarrod Spector (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), and Judith Light (The Assembled Parties).
This year’s show will include 200 Broadway and Off-Broadway performers. Among the shows scheduled to perform original numbers are Aladdin, Avenue Q, Chicago, Kinky Boots, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Motown: The Musical, Once, Pippin, Rock of Ages, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella and Wicked.
The Gypsy of the Year performances mark the culmination of six weeks of intensive fundraising by Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies. The show features a sensational display of the most talented singers and dancers in the ensemble of shows, known as “gypsies.” Awards are presented to the top fundraisers and for the best presentation during the two performances.
An esteemed panel of judges will select the best presentation award winners at Tuesday’s performance. This year’s judges are Julie Halston, Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed (Aladdin), Alex Sharp (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), Micah Stock (It’s Only a Play), Jujamcyn Theaters Executive Vice President and BC/EFA Board of Trustees President Paul Libin and original Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS staffer Yvonne Ghareeb, who is retiring in January after 26 years with the organization. Also joining the panel are Lee Perlman and Peg Wendlandt, who won their judging spots by being high bidders on exclusive VIP packages at the 28th Annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction in September.
Often called “the season’s most dazzling talent show,” the 25 editions of Gypsy of the Year have raised more than $57.2 million. Last year’s show raised $4,343,234.
Tickets are no longer available online for either performance of Gypsy of the Year. A limited number of tickets will be available at the will call in the lobby of the New Amsterdam Theatre. The will call table will open at 3 pm for Monday’s show and at 12:30 pm for Tuesday’s show. Tickets are not available at the New Amsterdam box office.
If you previously ordered tickets, they can be picked up at the will call table on the day of your performance. No tickets were mailed for this event.
About Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS:
Equity Fights AIDS was founded in October 1987 by the Council of Actors’ Equity Association. Money raised through the efforts of Equity theatre companies across the country was specifically earmarked for The Actors Fund’s AIDS Initiative.
Broadway Cares was founded in February 1988 by members of The Producers’ Group. Money raised was earmarked to be awarded to AIDS service organizations nationwide, including Equity Fights AIDS.
In May 1992, Equity Fights AIDS and Broadway Cares merged to become Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The Board of Trustees of this newly established not-for-profit fundraising organization assumed the missions of the previously separate organizations and continues to fund the social service work of The Actors Fund and to award grants three times a year to AIDS service organizations nationwide.
Unlike most other nonprofit, grant-making organizations, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS must raise every single dollar of our philanthropic budget every year in order to fulfill our mission. In turn, BC/EFA works hard to ensure that the money we raise is spent carefully and wisely on programs where these hard-earned funds can have the maximum possible impact.
Other articles about André De Shields:
The Fortress of Solitude, starring Adam Chanler-Berat, André De Shields, Kyle Beltran, Kevin Mambo, Rebecca Naomi Jones ends extended run 11/16; Ghostlight to Record Cast Album
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Photos: André De Shields, Adam Chanler-Berat, Jose Llana, Kevin Mambo, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Kyle Beltran, Kim Brockington and More at The Fortress of Solitude
Two-time Tony Nominee and Emmy Winner André De Shields Performs FREDERICK DOUGLASS: Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory and Speaks on The Wisdome of The Ancient Art of Storytelling at AFP 2014: Change Through Stories, Sept. 8-9, 2014
Aug. 14: André De Shields, Keith David, Tony Plana, Hill Harper, Armando Riesco, Kevin Mambo, Colman Domingo, and Peter McRobbie Set for Staged Reading of Toast By Lemon Andersen at Guild Hall
Dinner with André De Shields at Chez Josephine
Photos: André De Shields, Michael Shannon, Rajiv Joseph, Christine Sherrill, Doug Peck, Alexis J. Rogers, Karen Ziemba and More Celebrate 2013 Jeff Equity Awards
Click here for more articles on André De Shields.
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NYU Theatrical Production Presents the World Premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s Describe the Night in the Shubert Theatre at Tisch School of the Arts
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Coming to America through The Angel Island Immigration Station
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Lia Chang Photo by GK
Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. Lia starred as Carole Barbara in Lorey Hayes’ Power Play at the 2013 National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C., with Pauletta Pearson Washington, Roscoe Orman, and made her jazz vocalist debut in Rome Neal’s Banana Puddin’ Jazz “LADY” at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York. She is profiled in Jade Magazine.
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