A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of three generations of a family living and struggling together under one roof. As timely as ever, the play has not been seen on Broadway since its legendary original production. With its powerhouse cast, this new production (directed by Kenny Leon) promises to be a rare Broadway event.
Beth Williams (Grove Entertainment), Barbara Whitman Productions and Hazy Mills Productions are pleased to announce the development of a new play based on the life of the legendary performer Oscar Levant.
Audra McDonald has a big year ahead of her! After embarking on a concert tour this fall, the six-time Tony winner, who recenty wrapped filming for Disney's live action Beauty and the Beast, will be back on Broadway, starring alongside Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, Joshua Henry and Brandon Victor Dixon in SHUFFLE ALONG.
Before all of that, McDonald will head to Provincetown, MA to take part in the acclaimed Broadway @ Town Hall concert series, hosted by SiriusXM radio star Seth Rudetsky. For one show only on Monday, August 24 (6:30 PM), she will be joined onstage by her husband and fellow Broadway star Will Swenson, with whom she is currently starring in Williamstown Theatre Festival's A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN.
McDonald recently checked in with BroadwayWorld about Monday's concert, and updated us on all of her upcoming projects! Check out the full interview below:
Arthur Miller's THE CRUCIBLE is headed back to Broadway just in time for what would be the playwright's 100th birthday.
BroadwayWorld has learned that Roundabout Theatre Company's 50th Anniversary Gala: 'Spring Gala 2016: Celebrating 50 Years of Extraordinary Theatre' will recognize the accomplishments of six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald and Roundabout's Chairman of the Board Thomas E. Tuft and present them with The Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre. The gala will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria on Monday, February 29, 2016.
Audra McDonald, who starred in the role of 'Sarah' in the original Broadway production of RAGTIME, for which she earned her third Tony Award, turned to Twitter to express her sorrow over today's news.
Audra McDonald lends her voice to a tiny tin airplane pilot named Bess, a historical toy created in the likeness of the famous African-American female pilot, Bessie Coleman
Happy Birthday Audra McDonald! The actress earned three Tony Awards by the age of 28 - for her performances in Carousel, Master Class, and Ragtime. She was nominated for another Tony Award for her performance in Marie Christine before she won her fourth in 2004 for her role in A Raisin in the Sun. She reprised her Raisin role for a 2008 television adaptation, earning her a second Emmy Award nomination. Her first Emmy nod came in 2001 for her performance in HBOs Wit. Fans of the small screen also recognize McDonald from her work on ABC's Private Practice. She most recently starred on Broadway in Porgy and Bess and Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill- she won Tony Awards for both performances.
The Old Globe presents William Shakespeare's delightful and romantic Twelfth Night, directed by Rebecca Taichman, whose production of the time-traveling Time and the Conways fascinated audiences last April, as part of the 2015 Summer Shakespeare Festival. The Old Globe engagement runs through July 26, 2015, with opening night tonight, June 27 at 8:00 p.m., in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.
Ebony Repertory Theatre (ERT - Founder/Producer Wren T. Brown) announced today that they will present the Pulitzer Prize Finalist and Tony Award-nominated production of THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS starring Tony Award-winner Roger Robinson (Joe Turner's Come and Gone) as Oedpius. The acclaimed production, conceived and adapted by Lee Breuer (Mabou Mines' Trilogy) and music by Bob Telson (Lincoln Center Theater's Chronicle of a Death Foretold), is a soul stirring dramatic-musical which takes place within the framework of a Pentecostal church service set against the tragic Greek background of the story of Oedipus at Colonus, in which the exiled king Oedipus seeks a place where he may be properly buried. ERT's production, directed by Andi Chapman (Actors Co-op's Steel Magnolias - Drama-Logue Award for Outstanding Director), will commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Premiere. Performances will run tonight, June 18 - July 19, 2015 with an official press opening on Saturday, June 20 at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center (4718 West Washington Boulevard) in Los Angeles.
The complete cast and creative team have been announced for The Old Globe production of William Shakespeare's delightful and romantic Twelfth Night. Rebecca Taichman, whose production of the time-traveling Time and the Conways fascinated audiences last April, is back to direct the first show of the 2015 Summer Shakespeare Festival. The Old Globe engagement will begin performances on June 21 and run through July 26, 2015, with opening night on Saturday, June 27 at 8:00 p.m., in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.
Second Stage Theatre has announced two New York Premiere productions for its upcoming 37th season. The season will kick off in fall 2015 with the New York Premiere production of Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews' new musical, INVISIBLE THREAD (previously titled Witness Uganda), in association with American Repertory Theater, directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Finding Neverland, Pippin). The season will continue in early 2016 with the New York premiere of Lydia R. Diamond's (Stick Fly) critically acclaimed play, SMART PEOPLE, directed by Tony Award Winner Kenny Leon (Fences, A Raisin in the Sun, Stick Fly). Two additional productions remain to be announced.
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad will join Event Chair and Arena Stage Board member Shawna Watley (Senior Policy Advisor with Holland & Knight) as the Honorary Chair for The Blood Quilt World Premiere Celebration tonight, May 7, 2015. The new play by Katori Hall (The Mountaintop, Our Lady of Kibeho) is directed by Kamilah Forbes and runs now through June 7, 2015 in the Kreeger Theater.
Ebony Repertory Theatre (ERT - Founder/Producer Wren T. Brown) announced today that they will present the Pulitzer Prize Finalist and Tony Award-nominated production of THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS starring Tony Award-winner Roger Robinson (Joe Turner's Come and Gone) as Oedpius. The acclaimed production, conceived and adapted by Lee Breuer (Mabou Mines' Trilogy) and music by Bob Telson (Lincoln Center Theater's Chronicle of a Death Foretold), is a soul stirring dramatic-musical which takes place within the framework of a Pentecostal church service set against the tragic Greek background of the story of Oedipus at Colonus, in which the exiled king Oedipus seeks a place where he may be properly buried. ERT's production, directed by Andi Chapman (Actors Co-op's Steel Magnolias - Drama-Logue Award for Outstanding Director), will commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Premiere. Performances will run June 18 - July 19, 2015 with an official press opening on Saturday, June 20 at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center (4718 West Washington Boulevard) in Los Angeles.
SEATTLE, WA - Pacific Northwest Ballet's Swan Lake, choreographed by Founding Artistic Director Kent Stowell, returns to the McCaw Hall stage as the fifth offering of PNB's 2014-15 season. This beloved story ballet, revered by audiences and dancers alike, is classical ballet at its very best. Sumptuous scenery, costumes, and lighting, and an achingly beautiful Tchaikovsky score, set the stage for the ethereal corps de ballet and the ultimate challenge for ballerinas all over the world—the dual role of Odette, trapped in the body of a white swan until the oath of her true love sets her free; and Odile, the “Black Swan” temptress. With an added performance on opening weekend, Swan Lake runs for nine performances only, from tonight, April 10 through 19 at Seattle Center's Marion Oliver McCaw Hall.
SEATTLE, WA - Pacific Northwest Ballet's Swan Lake, choreographed by Founding Artistic Director Kent Stowell, returns to the McCaw Hall stage as the fifth offering of PNB's 2014-15 season. This beloved story ballet, revered by audiences and dancers alike, is classical ballet at its very best. Sumptuous scenery, costumes, and lighting, and an achingly beautiful Tchaikovsky score, set the stage for the ethereal corps de ballet and the ultimate challenge for ballerinas all over the world—the dual role of Odette, trapped in the body of a white swan until the oath of her true love sets her free; and Odile, the “Black Swan” temptress. With an added performance on opening weekend, Swan Lake runs for nine performances only, from April 10 through 19 at Seattle Center's Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at $30. For more information, contact the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, in person at 301 Mercer Street, or online at PNB.org.
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad will join Event Chair and Arena Stage Board member Shawna Watley (Senior Policy Advisor with Holland & Knight) as the Honorary Chair for The Blood Quilt World Premiere Celebration on Thursday, May 7, 2015. The new play by Katori Hall (The Mountaintop, Our Lady of Kibeho) is directed by Kamilah Forbes and runs April 24-June 7, 2015 in the Kreeger Theater.
Today we are revisiting a groundbreaking play that premiered this week in 1959.
Audra McDonald has earned Tonys, Grammys and other accolades for her work on stage and screen. Soon, the multitalented performer will add another accomplishment to her extensive resume.
On March 11, 1959, a play opened on Broadway that changed American theatre forever. 'A Raisin in the Sun' examined issues that had never been presented on Broadway. It was the first play written by a black woman to be presented on Broadway with Broadway's first black director. This heartwarming, hilarious, groundbreaking story of a family's heroic efforts to make a better life for their children will run at Open Stage of Harrisburg today, February 6-22, 2015.
Wayne State University's Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance will present a staged reading Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun, at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. The readings take place at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. today, January 24, 2014 and is free and open to the public. The staged reading is being presented to celebrate the contributions of African-American artists to the stage.
On March 11, 1959, a play opened on Broadway that changed American theatre forever. "A Raisin in the Sun" examined issues that had never been presented on Broadway. It was the first play written by a black woman to be presented on Broadway with Broadway's first black director. This heartwarming, hilarious, groundbreaking story of a family's heroic efforts to make a better life for their children will run at Open Stage of Harrisburg February 6-22, 2015.
Wayne State University's Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance will present a staged reading Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun, at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. The readings take place at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 24, 2014 and is free and open to the public. The staged reading is being presented to celebrate the contributions of African-American artists to the stage.
Broadway fans had plenty of reasons to celebrate this year, with dozens of shows having opened since January, hundreds of actors having made their debuts, and many more having returned to the stage for critically acclaimed performances. Not all news was good though, as we also suffered a loss of an incredible amount of talent.
Below, BroadwayWorld sends a fond farewell to those who passed away in 2014.
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will present a live panel discussion with the producing team behind Broadway's Of Mice and Men in conjunction with the HD broadcast of the play by National Theatre Live tonight, December 20.
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will present a live panel discussion with the producing team behind Broadway's Of Mice and Men in conjunction with the HD broadcast of the play by National Theatre Live on Saturday, December 20. The pre-screening panel will take place onstage at the Mahaiwe starting at 7:00pm, followed by the 8:00pm broadcast. Panelists will include Broadway Producer David Binder, Marketing Director/Associate Producer Eric Schnall, Steinbeck Estate Representative Elizabeth Winick Rubinstein, and Executive Producer/General Manager Wendy Orshan, who will serve as moderator.
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