December 9
BC/EFA’s “Gypsy of the Year” (New Amsterdam Theatre)
André De Shields, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ken Page, Charl Brown, Carly Hughes, Christina Sajous, Alton Fitzgerald White and Lillias White Set for 26th Annual Edition of BC/EFA’s ‘Gypsy of the Year’, Celebrating 40th Anniversary of ‘The Wiz’ on December 8 & 9
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 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), 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.
Dec. 12-13: Ursula Liang’s 9-Man Screens at George Mason Arlington Campus – Founders Hall Auditorium
Ursula Liang’s 9-Man Screens at George Mason Arlington Campus – Founders Hall Auditorium on December 12 & 13; Wins Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary (AAAFF)
The DC APA Film Festival is presenting screenings of Ursula Liang’s Award winning documentary 9-Man on Friday, December 12th and Saturday, December 13th at 7:30 pm, at George Mason Arlington Campus – Founders Hall Auditorium, 3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201. Tickets are $12 online before Dec 12, and $15 at the Door. Click here to purchase tickets.
A consummate storyteller, Liang’s documentary filmmaking debut with 9-Man is first rate -a thrilling fast paced ride that introduces the audience to the isolated and exceptionally athletic Chinese-American sport (Volleyball), that’s much more than a pastime. Liang’s brother played 9-Man, and her intimate knowledge and enthusiasm for the sport is evident in her celebration of the athleticism of Chinese American men, portrayed in a way that I have rarely witnessed on screen. 9-Man also features a comprehensive look at the history of discrimination against Chinese Americans in the United States.
Through Dec. 14:
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Broadway at Broadway Theatre)
Ann Harada Ends Run on Broadway in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella’ on December 14; Set for World Premiere of ‘Brooklynite’ at The Vineyard in January 2015
NeNe Leakes, Keke Palmer, Ann Harada, and Stephanie Gibson sing “A Lovely Night,” in Cinderella. © Joan Marcus
Ann Harada ends her run in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at the Broadway Theatre, opposite KeKe Palmer as Cinderella; NeNe Leakes as Madame, Cinderella’s stepmother; Joe Carroll as Prince Topher; Judy Kaye as Marie, The Fairy Godmother; and Stephanie Gibson as stepsister Gabrielle, on December 14, 2014.
Harada has been giving “a hoot of a performance” (NY 1 News) as the evil stepsister Charlotte in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella since the production, directed by Mark Brokaw and featuring a new book by four-time Tony nominee Douglas Carter Beane, based on the original book by Oscar Hammerstein II, began preview performances in January 2013.
The Broadway Theatre is located at 1681 Broadway (Between West 52nd and 53rd Streets) in New York. Tickets to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, which plays its final performance on January 3, 2015, are on sale through Tele-charge and can be purchased by calling 212-239-6200 or online at www.telecharge.com.
Our Lady of Kibeho (Signature Theatre Company)
Katori Hall’s OUR LADY OF KIBEHO on Time Out New York Critic Adam Feldman’s 10 best shows of 2014; closes December 14
It’s the final week to see Signature Theatre’s World Premiere of OUR LADY OF KIBEHO by Katori Hall, directed by Michael Greif, in The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues).
The cast features Starla Benford as Sister Evangelique, Jade Eshete as Girl 3, Danaya Esperanza as Girl 2, Niles Fitch as Emmanuel, Kambi Gathesha as Villager 1, Brent Jennings as Bishop Gahamanyi, Joaquina Kalukango as Marie-Clare Mukangango, Mandi Masden as Anathalie Mukamazimpaka, Owiso Odera as Father Tuyishime, Nneka Okafor as Alphonsine Mumureke, Stacey Sargeant as Girl 1, T. Ryder Smith as Father Flavia, Irungu Mutu as Villager 2, Angel Uwamahoro as Girl 4, Bowman Wright as Nkango. In 1981, a village girl in pre-genocide Rwanda, claims to see the Virgin Mary. Ostracized by her schoolmates and labeled disturbed, everyone refuses to believe, until the impossible starts happening again and again. Skepticism gives way to fear, faith, and fate, causing upheaval in the school community and beyond.
Nneka Okafor, Owiso Odera. Photo by Joan Marcus
Tickets: $35, $45, $75. To purchase tickets for all Signature productions, call Ticket Services at 212-244-7529 (Tues. – Sun., 11am – 6pm) or visit www.signaturetheatre.org.
Dec. 14: Louis Price: A Gift of Song at The Moss Theater at New Roads School in Santa Monica
Louis Price: A Gift of Song at The Moss Theater at New Roads School in Santa Monica
Hauslights and L. Price Records present Louis Price, former lead singer of The Temptations, offering “A Gift of Song,” a concert filled with R & B and Pop Favorites sprinkled with originals and seasonal offerings, on Sunday, December 14, 2014 at The Moss Theater at New Roads School, 3131 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404.
Doors open: 7:00 P.M.
Showtime: 7:30 P.M.
VIP Reception: 9:00 P.M.
Tickets: General Seating $40-$80. VIP $100. Purchase tickets www.itsmyseat.com/louisprice or call 1-818-539-0997. For limited special priced tickets, use code: BUSBY PROMOTIONS.
Dec. 17: The Legacy Now – Reflections on A Life in The Theater with Voza Rivers and Woodie King Jr.
The Legacy Now – Reflections on A Life in The Theater with Voza Rivers and Woodie King Jr.
Community Works NYC, New Heritage Theatre Group, The Interchurch Center and partners is presenting The Legacy Now – Reflections on a Life in The Theater featuring harlem is …Theater honorees Voza Rivers, Executive Producer of New Heritage Theatre Group, and Woodie King Jr., founder and Production Director of the New Federal Theatre and the National Black Touring Circuit, talk about Black Theater Past, Present and Future, on Wednesday, December 17, 2014. The program begins at 5:30 P.M. at The Interchurch Center, 475 Riverside Dr (between 119th St. & 12oth St.) in New York.
RSVP to performances@communityworksnyc.org and call 212-459-1854 for more information.
The Oldest Boy (Off-Broadway at Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater)
James Yaegashi, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Ernest Abuba, Tsering Dorjee, Takemi Kitamura, James Saito, Jon Norman Schneider in Sarah Ruhl’s The Oldest Boy in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at LCT
James Saito, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jon Norman Schneider. Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Lincoln Center Theater’s production of Sarah Ruhl’s new play The Oldest Boy, helmed by Rebecca Taichman, in which Yaegashi (Father) stars opposite Celia Keenan-Bolger (Mother), Ernest Abuba (The Oldest Boy), Tsering Dorjee (Chorus), Takemi Kitamura (Chorus), James Saito (A Lama), Jon Norman Schneider (A Monk), and Nami Yamamoto (Chorus). The production currently has performances through December 28, 2014, in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, 150 West 65 Street, in New York.
Celia Keenan-Bolger, James Yaegashi. Photo by T. Charles Erickson
The Oldest Boy tells the story of Tenzin, the toddler son of an American woman (Celia Keenan-Bolger) and a Tibetan man (James Yaegashi) who is recognized as the reincarnation of a high Buddhist teacher. Differing cultures contend with competing ideas of faith and love when two monks seek permission to take Tenzin to a monastery in India to begin his training as a spiritual master. His parents must decide whether to send their young son away or keep him home. Tickets to The Oldest Boy, priced at $77 and $87, can be purchased at the Lincoln Center Theater box office (150 West 65 Street) and at telecharge.com, or by visiting www.lct.org.
Concluding Jan. 4, 2015
Here Lies Love (Off-Broadway at The Public Theater)
Jaygee Macapugay, David Byrne, Jose Llana and Conrad Ricamora of Here Lies Love at the Apple Store Soho in New York on October 25, 2014. Photo by Lia Chang
The Public Theater’s production of David Byrne and Fat Boy Slim’s smash hit musical, Here Lies Love, stars Jaygee Macapugay as Imelda Marcos, Jose Llana as Ferdinand Marcos and Conrad Ricamora as Ninoy Aquino, at The Public Theater’s LuEsther Hall (425 Lafayette Street, New York City), and will have performances through January 4, 2014.
The cast of Here Lies Love also includes Aaron J. Albano, Renee Albulario, Carol Angeli, Billy Bustamante, Melody Butiu, Natalie Cortez, Debralee Daco, Kristian Espiritu, Rob Laqui, Jeigh Madjus, Diane Phelan, Enrico Rodriguez, Janelle Velasquez, and Tobias Wong. Tickets for Here Lies Love range from $99-$139. The performance schedule is Mondays and Tuesdays at 7 pm, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 pm, Fridays at 7 pm and 10:30 and Saturdays at 5 pm and 9:30 pm. A limited number of $40 day-of-performance rush tickets will be available at The Public’s Taub Box Office (425 Lafayette Street, NYC) one hour before the start of each performance. Tickets subject to availability, and the offer is good for two tickets per person, cash or credit cards. For more info and tickets to Here Lies Love, please visit http://www.herelieslove.com/.
Apple Video Podcast: New York Post Writer Michael Riedel Interviews David Byrne, Jaygee Macapugay, Jose Llana and Conrad Ricamora of Here Lies Love
Lia Chang Picks: Island Breeze CD by Jeff Peterson, Riley Lee & Kenny Endo
Lia Chang Picks: Arthur Dong’s Forbidden City: Chinese-American Nightclubs, 1930-1970
Other articles by Lia Chang:
Emmy Winner Richard Thomas and Anna Chlumsky Set For Broadway’s YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU, Beginning January 6, 2015
Stephen Adly Guirgis’ BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY at Second Stage Theatre’s Tony Kiser Theatre Beginning January 16, 2015
Q & A with Danny Ramm, Co-writer of Joe Mantegna Helmed ‘Criminal Minds’ Season 10 Episode to Honor the late Meshach Taylor; Airs January 21, 2015
Photos: BD Wong, Cindy Cheung, Brooke Ishibashi,Thom Sesma, Manna Nichols, Steven Eng, Ariel Estrada and Lori Tan Chinn at Leviathan Lab’s Ghost Stories
Cheryl L. Davis’ Maid’s Door Sweeps AUDELCOs with 7 Wins; Complete List of 2014 AUDELCO Recipients
Ken Watanabe, Kelli O’Hara, Ruthie Ann Miles, Conrad Ricamora, Jon Viktor Corpuz, Paul Nakauchi and More Set for Lincoln Center Theater’s The King and I
Photos: Ellen Burstyn, Baz Luhrmann, John Leguizamo, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Stephen McKinley Henderson, John Patrick Shanley, David Henry Hwang, Liza Colón-Zayas, Kenneth Lonergan and More Celebrate Stephen Adly Guirgis at The Mimi Awards
NYU Theatrical Production Presents the World Premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s Describe the Night in the Shubert Theatre at Tisch School of the Arts
Q & A with Playwright Camille Darby, 2014-15 Dramatists Guild Playwrighting Fellow
Costume Institute’s Spring 2015 Exhibition at Metropolitan Museum to Focus on Chinese Imagery in Art, Film, and Fashion, May 7–August 16, 2015
Photos: Art Salon with Artist Yang Chihung and Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang at New-York Historical Society
Photos: Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion on View through April 19, 2015 at New York Historical Society
Coming to America through The Angel Island Immigration Station
Photos: Tommy Tune, Bob Avian, Lee Roy Reams, Christine Toy Johnson, Orville Mendoza, Lori Tan Chinn, Raul Aranas, Virginia Wing and More Celebrate 2014 Paul Robeson Citation Award Recipient Baayork Lee
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
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.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2014 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
