George Faison News

Step behind the curtain and witness the magic of The 2023 Bessie Awards through photos. Get an inside look at the renowned dance awards ceremony and discover captivating moments from the event.

The New York Dance and Performance Awards, the Bessies, has announced the 2023 award recipients at the 39th Bessie Awards Ceremony. The Illustrious Blacks hosted this year's celebratory event, which was held at Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park as part of Lincoln Center's Summer for the City. Check out a complete list of 2023 awards here!

The complete ensemble cast has been announced for the all-new production of the Tony Award-winning musical The Wiz! The casting comes in advance of the musical's national tour, which kicks off this fall before returning to Broadway in the Spring of 2024.

Playhouse Square has announced that tickets to the touring Broadway musicals The Wiz and Girl From The North Country will be available for purchase beginning Friday, July 28. These two shows will kick off the 2023-2024 KeyBank Broadway Series at Playhouse Square with performances beginning this October.

The New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, announce the lineup of special guests for the 39th Bessie Awards Ceremony. Acclaimed queer pop duo The Illustrious Blacks (Manchildblack x Monstah Black) will host this year’s ceremony, which will be held on Friday, August 4, at 7:30pm, at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City.

The International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) announces Natasha R. Moreland Spears as their new Co-Executive Director, ushering in a new era of leadership. Learn more about the IABD's exciting future under the joint leadership of Spears and Omar Ingram.

The first Broadway revival of the American comedy Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch by legendary Ossie Davis will officially open in September. Learn how to purchase tickets!

Individual tickets for THE WIZ in Baltimore are on sale now! THE WIZ makes its return to Baltimore at the Hippodrome Theatre September 23 – September 30, 2023. Ticket prices start at $57.00.

Additional casting has been announced for The Wiz, coming to Broadway next year following a national tour. Award-winning recording artist Deborah Cox will take on the role of Glinda with Melody A. Betts as Aunt Em and Evillene.

Emmy winner and Grammy Award nominee Wayne Brady (Hamilton, Whose Line Is it Anyway?) and Alan Mingo Jr. (Kinky Boots, Doom Patrol) will lead the production as the Wiz in the all-new production of the groundbreaking, Tony Award-winning hit musical The Wiz. Learn more about the show and how to get tickets here!

The Summer Theatre of New Canaan will open its 20th season with the Broadway musical spectacular Beauty And The Beast July 15th.

Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) and Kate Maguire (Artistic Director, CEO) have announced casting for two of its summer 2023 shows: Million Dollar Quartet, a three-time Tony Award–nominated once-in-a-lifetime musical evening back by popular demand with some of the same cast as 2017 and Photograph 51, an intriguing portrait of the race to discover the mysteries of the DNA double helix. 

Casting has been revealed for the beloved roles of the Lion, Tinman and Scarecrow in the all-new production of The Wiz, in advance of its Broadway return in the Spring of 2024. Learn how to purchase tickets!

Kandi Burruss, the Tony Award® and Emmy Award®-nominated, and Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, alongside Todd Tucker, will join the producing team for an all-new production of The Wiz. 

The Music Center and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater jointly announced that the esteemed New York-based dance company, adored by Los Angeles audiences for more than two decades, will perform for four consecutive years at The Music Center's iconic Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, beginning with the 2023–2024 season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center.

The complete coast-to-coast tour route for the all-new production of The Wiz has been announced, in advance of its Broadway return in the Spring of 2024.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy Fat Ham by James Ijames, directed by Saheem Ali, opened on Broadway last night, April 12. BroadwayWorld was there and you can check out photos from the opening night purple carpet here!

See photos of Tony Award winner André De Shields reprising his role as The Wiz at the Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucs game at Barclays Center, Brooklyn.

The work of Allyson Hernandez to be featured in Women of The Wings Volume 5 - March 4th at 54 Below. Women of The Wings Volume 5 plays 54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on Saturday, March 4th at 9:30pm.

What did our critic think of DON'T BOTHER ME, I CAN'T COPE at Bmore Broadway Live? Dance and Bmore, one of the newer players on the Baltimore theatre scene, has launched its inaugural program, Bmore Broadway Live, with a production of Vinette Carroll's award winning musical, Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope (I'm just going to set up the abbreviation right here, ok? DBMICC.) And what a production this is! I'll tell you, I was exhausted in the best possible way from all that hooting and hollering, swaying and stomping.