Leslie Uggams Plays Concert At Capital Repertory Theatre 7/19-31

Capital Repertory Theatre presents a LIMITED TWO-WEEK ENGAGEMENT of Tony and Emmy Award winning Leslie Uggams in concert between July 19 - July 31, 2011.

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.

The legendary actress and singer brings her acclaimed two-act solo show UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN to Capital Rep after a triumphant engagement at Pasadena Playhouse, for which Ms. Uggams won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Solo Performer in Spring 2011. The LA Times said of Uggams, "Whether dialing down her voice so that it sounds like a muted trumpet or opening up, full on, as a one-woman brass section, she emits such exuberance that listeners can't help but foot-tap or head-bop along. She makes a song her own, using it to express something deep inside."

UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN was developed in 2010 and first played at New York City's Jazz at Lincoln Center. The show is directed by Michel Bush, who previously directed Stormy Weather: The Lena Horne Story for Ms. Uggams and Cactus Flower at Capital Rep in 2010. It is only natural that the unique alchemy of these two show business veterans should reveal itself again in the limited, two-week run of UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN at Albany's Capital Rep.

In this special show, Ms. Uggams is accompanied by eight swinging pop-jazz musicians and affixes her signature style and personal stamp on classic songs, which mark milestones in her Uptown (Harlem) and Downtown (Broadway) careers. Her renditions of modern classics highlight her musical journey: Born in a Trunk tells of her beginnings as a nine-year-old opening for greats such as 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.

Beyond her distinguished career as a stage actress, concert performer and recording artist, Uggams probably is best known for her history-making role as Kizzy in the unforgettable and groundbreaking television series, Alex Haley's Roots. Garnering worldwide recognition as a dramatic actress as a result of this 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, now available on DVD.

She also recently starred in the Broadway-bound Stormy Weather: The Lena Horne Story at the Pasadena Playhouse in California.

Ms. Uggams plans to bring UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN to Broadway in the near future.

Leslie Uggams' CD of UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN will be available for sale in the lobby during her run at Capital Rep. The CD features 21 tracks from the show.
Performance details and ticket information for Leslie Uggams' UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN at Albany's Capital Rep for the TWO WEEK LIMITED ENGAGEMENT (July 19 - July 31) are available at www.capitalrep.org and www.proctors.org. Seating will be limited. For Information about group discounts, call 518-382-3884 x 187.

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