Marva Hicks News

Lee Summers continues his open ended run of Winds of Change on Monday, June 15th at 9:30pm at The Triad Theatre, 158 West 72nd Street (between Broadway & Columbus). Winds of Change will feature standards, pop, R&B and Broadway, along with original songs by Summers. The show will return July 13 and August 17, with dates to be announced in September and November.

Lee Summers' Just A Piano Concert Series has presented numerous top artists such as Broadway/TV's, Roz Ryan, Tony Award Winner, Lillias White, Tony Award Winner, Adriane Lenox, recording sensation Alyson Williams ('Just Call My Name'), Marva Hicks (Caroline or Change), Julie Reiber (Wicked), Crystal Mone Hall (Rent) Shoshana Bean (Hairspray/Wicked), Kevin-Anthony, co-founder of 'Black2 Broadway' Opera's diva Shirley Verrett's vocal protégé Erika Banks - The Little Mermaid's, Zakiya Young Mizen (Featuring Norm Lewis) - Drowsy Chaperone's Kecia Lewis-Evans featuring Tony Award Winner, LaChanze and Tony Award Winner/3 Time Grammy Nominee, Melba Moore.

3-Time Grammy Nominee and Tony Award Winner Melba Moore is featured in Lee Summers' Just a Piano Concert Series, Monday, June 1st at 9:30pm at The Triad Theatre. Ms. Moore recently appeared at the Triad in Still Standing. Her Just A Piano concert will feature standards, pop, R&B and Broadway.

Broadways Kecia Lewis Evans appears on the 'Just a Piano' Concert Series, in 'Songs I Feel Like Singing' on Monday, June 1st @ 7pm and Friday, June 5th 9:30pm at The Triad Theatre, 158 West 72nd Street (between Broadway & Columbus). Lewis Evans' 'Just A Piano' Concert will feature standards, pop, Gospel, R&B and Broadway.

3-Time Grammy Nominee and Tony Award Winner Melba Moore is featured in Lee Summers' Just a Piano Concert Series, Monday, June 1st at 9:30pm at The Triad Theatre. Ms. Moore recently appeared at the Triad in Still Standing. Her Just A Piano concert will feature standards, pop, R&B and Broadway.

Lee Summers continues his open ended run of Winds of Change ? Monday, May 11th at 9:30pm at The Triad Theatre, 158 West 72nd Street (between Broadway & Columbus). Winds of Change, will feature standards, pop, R&B and Broadway, along with original songs by Summers.

Broadways Kecia Lewis Evans appears on the 'Just a Piano' Concert Series, in 'Songs I Feel Like Singing' on Monday, June 1st @ 7pm and Friday, June 5th 9:30pm at The Triad Theatre, 158 West 72nd Street (between Broadway & Columbus). Lewis Evans' 'Just A Piano' Concert will feature standards, pop, Gospel, R&B and Broadway.

Lee Summers continues his open ended run of Winds of Change ? Monday, May 11th at 9:30pm at The Triad Theatre, 158 West 72nd Street (between Broadway & Columbus). Winds of Change, will feature standards, pop, R&B and Broadway, along with original songs by Summers.

There are times when I really love being a correspondent for Broadwayworld.com. Certainly, stepping into the historic Lincoln Theatre on U. Street in Washington, DC and watching this feel good award-winning musical entitled Crowns is right at the top of the list.

Lee Summers' Just A Piano SM Concert Series continues in an all-star line up over the next few months. The artists performing purely to piano accompaniment alone include stars from Broadway, recording, TV and film.

Crowns is back in town, and with direction and choreography by Kenneth Lee Roberson (Broadway's Avenue Q, Arena's Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill) and musical direction by Grammy nominee e'Marcus Harper, this soulful musical will be bigger than ever in the Lincoln Theatre. Arena favorites Marva Hicks (The Women of Brewster Place) and E. Faye Butler (Dinah Was, Ain't Misbehavin') are joined by NaTasha Yvette Williams (Broadway's The Color Purple), Mary Millben, Kara Tameika Watkins, Phillip Boykin and Zurin Villanueva. Howard University student Villanueva was discovered in Arena's January 'Finding Yolanda' one-day casting search, and this production marks her debut professional performance.

The Annual Benefit at Arena Stage is a fun evening that raises over one-third of the funds necessary to run Arena's Community Engagement programs, which educate, excite and enrich the lives of over 20,000 students from across the region. This year's event on Monday, March 16, 2009 at Arena Stage in Crystal City highlights Arena's temporary home in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, VA, with co-chairs Angela Fox, President/CEO, Crystal City Business Improvement District and Mitchell N. Schear, President, Vornado/Charles E. Smith.

Lee Summers stars in an encore performance of Winds of Change - on March 9 at 9:30pm at The Triad Theatre, 158 West 72nd Street (between Broadway & Columbus). Winds of Change, will feature standards, pop, R&B and Broadway, along with original songs by Summers. The show features Timothy Graphenreed (The Wiz) on piano, directed by Leslie Dockery with featured guest vocalist, recording artist Alyson Williams ('Just Call My Name') and guest instrumentalist, Daniel Shevlin.

Crowns is back in town, and with direction and choreography by Kenneth Lee Roberson (Broadway's Avenue Q, Arena's Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill) and musical direction by Grammy nominee e'Marcus Harper, this soulful musical will be bigger than ever in the Lincoln Theatre. Arena favorites Marva Hicks (The Women of Brewster Place) and E. Faye Butler (Dinah Was, Ain't Misbehavin') are joined by NaTasha Yvette Williams (Broadway's The Color Purple), Mary Millben, Kara Tameika Watkins, Phillip Boykin and Zurin Villanueva. Howard University student Villanueva was discovered in Arena's January 'Finding Yolanda' one-day casting search, and this production marks her debut professional performance.

Theater News from Broadway and the Baltimore/Washington Area

Lee Summers stars in an encore performance of Winds of Change - on March 9 at 9:30pm at The Triad Theatre, 158 West 72nd Street (between Broadway & Columbus). Winds of Change, will feature standards, pop, R&B and Broadway, along with original songs by Summers. The show features Timothy Graphenreed (The Wiz) on piano, directed by Leslie Dockery with featured guest vocalist, recording artist Alyson Williams ('Just Call My Name') and guest instrumentalist, Daniel Shevlin.

Signature Theatre Company (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) is pleased to announce that artists from Signature's 2008-2009 Season celebrating the Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) will participate in a special program, In Conversation: Signature Theatre Company, at Macy's Herald Square and Brooklyn stores. Macy's is hosting a month-long series of activities and special events for Black History Month, showcasing black culture through theatrical, art, song, prose and cuisine presentations. The events are free and open to the public.

In Spring 2009, actress Alice Ripley will reprise her role as Diana in Next to Normal on Broadway, one of two productions Arena Stage is proud to have transferred to Broadway this spring. Due to this exciting development, Ripley will no longer be able to perform in Arena Stage's upcoming 17th Annual Benefit for Community Engagement, as was previously announced. Replacing Ripley in the role of Dorothy for the evening's entertainment will be Lindsay Czarniak, anchor and reporter for Washington's News4 Sports.

Theater News from Broadway and the Baltimore/Washington Area

Signature Theatre Company (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) is pleased to announce that artists from Signature's 2008-2009 Season celebrating the Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) will participate in a special program, In Conversation: Signature Theatre Company, at Macy's Herald Square and Brooklyn stores. Macy's is hosting a month-long series of activities and special events for Black History Month, showcasing black culture through theatrical, art, song, prose and cuisine presentations. The events are free and open to the public.