Angela Bassett News

The Mountaintop starring Samuel L. Jackson (DR. Martin Luther King, Jr.,) and Angela Bassett, directed by the Tony-nominated Kenny Leon (Fences, A Raisin in the Sun), officially opens tonight, October 13, 2011 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Want to see a sneak peek? Click below for performance highlights!

The Award Honorees were announced today for the Seventh Annual LA Femme Film Festival 2011,October 13-16, 2011.

When Jerry Herman was pegged by producer Gerard Oestreicher to write the score for a Broadway musical set in the fledgling State of Israel, he was a 28-year-old composer/lyricist mostly known for writing clever lyrics and snazzy tunes for Greenwich Village topical reviews like Nightcap and Parade.  But now, instead of writing for hip, downtown performers like Charles Nelson Reilly and Dody Goodman, he'd be penning a romantic score for opera stars Mimi Benzell and Robert Weede, with special comic relief material for Yiddish Theatre legend Molly Picon.

The Mountaintop starring Samuel L. Jackson (DR. Martin Luther King, Jr.,) and Angela Bassett, directed by the Tony-nominated Kenny Leon (Fences, A Raisin in the Sun), will open officially tomorrow, October 13, 2011 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Jackson recently stopped by 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,' where he chatted about the show, joining Twitter, and more. Click below to check out his appearance!

When we first meet Rita Lyons, she's sitting in a hospital room casually thumbing through a furniture catalogue, asking her husband, Ben, who lies in bed, dying of cancer, to help her come up with ideas for redecorating the living room after he's gone.

The Mountaintop starring Samuel L. Jackson (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,) and Angela Bassett, directed by the Tony-nominated Kenny Leon (Fences, A Raisin in the Sun), will open officially on October 13, 2011 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. This morning's episode of 'The View,' featured stars of the show Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett. Click below to hear what they had to say about the new show!

The Mountaintop starring Samuel L. Jackson (DR. Martin Luther King, Jr.,) and Angela Bassett, directed by the Tony-nominated Kenny Leon (Fences, A Raisin in the Sun), will open officially on October 13, 2011 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Production shots have been released and appear below!

Talk show listings for Tuesday, October 11.

Jackson is currently appearing on Broadway in THE MOUNTAINTOP, which is set to open on October 13. Taking place on April 3, 1968, The Mountaintop is a gripping reimagining of events the night before the assassination of civil rights leader DR. Martin Luther King, Jr. After delivering one of his most memorable speeches, an exhausted Dr. King (Samuel L. Jackson) retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel while a storm rages outside. When a mysterious stranger (Angela Bassett) arrives with some surprising news, King is forced to confront his destiny and his legacy to his people. Check out Jackson talking about his role and the play below!

The Mountaintop starring Samuel L. Jackson (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,) and Angela Bassett, directed by the Tony-nominated Kenny Leon (Fences, A Raisin in the Sun), will open officially on October 13, 2011 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. On the October 11 episode of 'The View,' stars of the show Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett chat about the big Broadway opening, and Bernadette Peters stops by as well. Tune in at 11AM on ABC to catch the trio in action!

The Mountaintop starring Samuel L. Jackson (DR. Martin Luther King, Jr.,) and Angela Bassett, directed by the Tony-nominated Kenny Leon (Fences, A Raisin in the Sun), will open officially on October 13, 2011 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Samuel L. Jackson recently stopped by 'CBS Evening News' where he chatted about the production. Click below to hear what he had to say!

Penguin Rep Theatre, Rockland County's professional theatre, will hold its sixth annual auction Sunday, October 9 at the Stony Point Conference Center, located just up the street from the theatre at 17 Crickettown Road in Stony Point, New York. Admission is free.

Talk show listings for Tuesday, October 11.

Theatre503 and the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse presents the world première of The Swallowing Dark, a new play by Lizzie Nunnery. Directed by Theatre503's joint-Artistic Director, Paul Robinson, it stars Wil Johnson (Waking The Dead and Adulthood) and Allyson Ava-Brown (Secret Diary of a Call Girl). It will run at Theatre503 in London from 1 to 26 November, after its premiere at Liverpool's Playhouse Studio from 20 to 29 October.

Producers Jean Doumanian and Sonia Friedman announced today that tonight's performance of The Mountaintop, by Katori Hall, will be dedicated to civil rights pioneer and longtime Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. confidant Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth. Reverend Shuttlesworth passed away on Wednesday, October 5 at the age of 89, leaving behind a legacy of extraordinary work on behalf of the civil rights movement.

Welcome to NOW SHOWING, your monthly guide to all of the Broadway offerings opening and beginning performances! October is ripe with plays, including Man and Boy, Relatively Speaking, The Mountaintop and more! Be sure to head to the Rialto this month to catch as many as you can!

The Lark Play Development Center will host a special event on October 11th celebrating playwright Katori Hall on her Broadway debut with The Mountaintop. (The Mountaintop was extensively developed at the Lark.) Lark board member and playwright Sandi Goff Farkas will also be honored at the October 11th event with the first every Lark Risktaker Award for her creation of the Playwrights of New York (PONY) Fellowship. The Risktaker Award recognizes the leadership, vision and commitment of an individual who has defied convention in making a major contribution to supporting daring new voices in the American theater.

The Lark Play Development Center will host a special event on October 11th celebrating playwright Katori Hall on her Broadway debut with The Mountaintop. (The Mountaintop was extensively developed at the Lark.)

The Mountaintop starring Samuel L. Jackson (DR. Martin Luther King, Jr.,) and Angela Bassett, directed by the Tony-nominated Kenny Leon (Fences, A Raisin in the Sun), will open officially on October 13, 2011 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Samuel L. Jackson recently stopped by 'The Late Show with David Latterman' where he chatted about the production! Click below to hear what he had to say!

The Pasadena Playhouse has announced the full cast and creative team for BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY at The Pasadena Playhouse. BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY, by Pearl Cleage, which begins rehearsals this week will be directed by Artistic Director Sheldon Epps and performs November 1 - 27, with the official press opening on November 6, 2011.