Reagle Music Theatre Presents Leslie Uggams in Concert 10/16-17
By: Gabrielle Sierra
The Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston presents Tony and Emmy Award winner Leslie Uggams in concert for two shows only October 16 and 17 at 2 p.m. The legendary actress and singer brings her acclaimed cabaret Uptown, Downtown to the Robinson Theatre in Waltham straight from a triumphant three-week engagement at the Café Carlyle in New York City. Stephen Holden, music critic for the New York Times, called Uggams "a show-biz trouper with sawdust in her blood" whose jazzy voice, "dazzling smile," and internal feistiness are reminiscent of an earlier musical giant, Lena Horne.
In her concert, accompanied by a swinging pop-jazz quintet, Uggams puts her own personal stamp on classic songs which mark milestones in her Uptown (Harlem) and Downtown (Broadway) careers. "Born in a Trunk" tells of her beginnings as a nine-year-old opening for greats like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington. "If He Walked into My Life" recalls her two-year run in the hit musical revue Jerry's Girls based on the music of renowned composer Jerry Herman. Two numbers from Hallelujah, Baby! celebrate her Tony Award-winning Broadway debut at the age of 24.Despite her long and distinguished career as a stage actress, concert performer and recording artist, Uggams is probably best known for her history-making role as Kizzy in the unforgettable television series, Alex Haley's "Roots." Gaining worldwide recognition as a dramatic actress as a result of her remarkable portrayal, Uggams earned the Critics Choice Award, an Emmy nomination, and a Golden Globe nomination. She later starred in the NBC miniseries "Backstairs at the White House" which is available on DVD.
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