Denise Burse News

In celebration of President Jimmy Carter's 95th birthday (October 1, 1924), Charlotte's Off Broadway (Producer, Anne Lambert) today announced the cast and creative team for the Off-Broadway premiere of CONFIDENCE (and The Speech), a new play, written by Susan Lambert Hatem and directed by Hannah Ryan (Hamilton, An American in Paris) for a limited engagement at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street a?' between 9th & 10th Avenues).

Woodie King's New Federal Theatre has set four plays for the June, 2019 edition of its Annual Ntozake Shange Readings Series. The series will run four Tuesdays--June 4, 11, 18 and 25--with all readings at Castillo Theatre, 543 W 42nd Street.

The Billie Holiday Theatre at RestorationART, in association with Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company, is presenting Colman Domingo's Dot under the direction of Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon (American Son currently on Broadway starring Kerry Washington, A Raisin in the Sun and August Wilson's Fences) and starring Emmy Award-winning Billie Holiday Theatre alumna Denise Burse ('Black Mirror,' Tyler Perry's 'House of Payne') as Dotty. The production began previews on October 20th, opened on October 25th and will run through November 18th at The Billie Holiday Theatre, 1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11216. Scroll down for full coverage of the evening's festivities.

The cast of GETTIN' THE BAND BACK TOGETHER have had many guests from the Broadway community throughout its run. Among those were Lori Tan Chinn, Baayork Lee, Paul Shaffer, Andre De Shields, Denise Burse, Tracie Thoms, Jose Llana, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Marsha Mason, Alex Newell, Daniel K. Isaac, the kids from SCHOOL OF ROCK, Eric William Morris and his cast members from KING KONG.

Keith Josef Adkins and Devin Haqq have assembled a spectacular cast for the private industry reading of their socially-charged horror screenplay The Night Man at United Talent Agency (UTA) in NYC on Monday, September 10th.

This week, Atlanta audiences get to see Kenny Leon's latest directorial work showcasing a group of talented actors bringing to life Colman Domingo's authentically relatable family drama DOT.

Artistic Director Kenny Leon and True Colors Theatre Company present Colman Domingo's Dot this July. In its Atlanta debut, Dot takes a light-hearted look at an illness facing all communities. Through the interactions of widowed matriarch Dotty and her family, mental health in the Black community is explored. As Dotty struggles to hold onto her memory-a result of her Alzheimer's diagnosis-her children must fight to balance care for their mother and care for themselves. Crackling with humor, this dramedy grapples with aging parents, midlife crises, and the strength of family.

Artistic Director Kenny Leon and True Colors Theatre Company present Colman Domingo's Dot this July. In its Atlanta debut, Dot takes a light-hearted look at an illness facing all communities. Through the interactions of widowed matriarch Dotty and her family, mental health in the Black community is explored. As Dotty struggles to hold onto her memory-a result of her Alzheimer's diagnosis-her children must fight to balance care for their mother and care for themselves. Crackling with humor, this dramedy grapples with aging parents, midlife crises, and the strength of family.

The Billie Holiday Theatre (The Billie) has launched its 46th Season in the newly-renovated theater with a production of THE OLD SETTLER, written by Brooklyn-born playwright John Henry Redwood and directed by Tony Award nominee Michele Shay, October 20 - November 19.

The Billie Holiday Theatre (The Billie) is launching its 46th Season in the newly-renovated theater with a production of The Old Settler, written by Brooklyn-born playwright John Henry Redwood and directed by Tony Award nominee Michele Shay.

The Billie Holiday Theatre (The Billie) is launching its 46th Season in the newly-renovated theater with a production of The Old Settler, written by Brooklyn-born playwright John Henry Redwood and directed by Tony Award nominee Michele Shay.

Spanning 28 theater companies and 59 productions, from the largest and most prominent to small, humble and innovative, the Gypsy Rose Lee Awards honor as much professional theater as we reviewers can cram into our year.

The 'large theater' productions of ACT Theatre's The Royale and The 5th Avenue Theatre's How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying take top honors and the 'small theater' productions of ArtsWest's Death of a Salesman and Washington Ensemble Theatre's The Things Are Against Us take top honors - for most category wins!?

Spanning 28 theater companies and 59 productions, from the largest and most prominent to small, humble and innovative, the Gypsy Rose Lee Awards honor as much professional theater as we reviewers can cram into our year.

Seattle Repertory Theatre presents A Raisin in the Sun, a classic Lorraine Hansberry's drama, directed by Timothy McCuen Piggee. A Raisin in the Sun is currently running thru October 30, 2016 in the Bagley Wright Theatre. Tickets are on sale now through the Seattle Rep Box Office at (206) 443-2222 and online at seattlerep.org.  BroadwayWorld brings you a sneak peek at the making of the show below!

There are certain plays out there that remain enduring classics. Maybe they're just that good. Or maybe they still pack a punch all these years later and resonate with attitudes of today. Well the Seattle Rep is presenting one on those classics with Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" and while it falls firmly into that first category of "just that good" unfortunately watching it last night I also felt how far we have and haven't come since it debuted in 1959 as many of the themes of inequality and prejudice on display are still all too prevalent today.

Seattle Repertory Theatre presents its season opening production, A Raisin in the Sun, a classic Lorraine Hansberry's drama, directed by Timothy McCuen Piggee.

Seattle Repertory Theatre today announced the full ensemble cast of its season opening production, A Raisin in the Sun, a classic Lorraine Hansberry's drama, directed by Timothy McCuen Piggee.

On May 2nd, The 52nd Street Project held their annual benefit, LAUGHING MATTERS, Kids' Stand-up, Adults Deliver at the Edison Ballroom in New York. The raucous sold-out event hosted by comedians Lewis Black and Kathleen Madigan, was The Project's most successful to date with over 350 people in attendance, raising funds for the Project's academic and artistic mentoring programming. The Project makes a difference in the lives of Hell's Kitchen (Clinton) kids by pairing them with theater professionals who mentor them through the creation of original theater. Scroll down for photos!

It's all well and good to want to shine a spotlight on urban violence and inner city gangs through entertainment (theater, film, TV, etc.). It gets the issues out there in the hopes that something might get changed. But as it's been done time and time before, if you're going tell another one of these kinds of stories then have something new to say and tell it well. Unfortunately the current production at the Seattle Rep, "brownsville song (b-side for tray)" fails in both respects with bad writing, bad direction and bad performances amounting to a show that felt it was important but came across as cliche.