Fantasia Barrino News

Broadway In Chicago has announced Original Broadway Cast member Jackie Burns (If/Then, Wicked, Hair), Tamyra Gray (American Idol Season One Finalist, Rent), and Matthew Hydzik (Side Show, West Side Story, Grease), will join Chicago native and Original Broadway Cast member Anthony Rapp (Rent, Six Degrees of Separation, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) and the rest of the previously announced cast in the National Tour of IF/THEN, playing Broadway In Chicago's Oriental Theatre for a limited two-week engagement February 23, 2016 - March 6, 2016.

Original Broadway Cast member Jackie Burns (If/Then, Wicked, Hair), Tamyra Gray (American Idol Season One Finalist, Rent), and Matthew Hydzik (Side Show, West Side Story, Grease), will join Original Broadway Cast member Anthony Rapp (Rent, Six Degrees of Separation, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) and the rest of the previously announced cast in the National Tour of IF/THEN, starting Wednesday, January 27 at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas. 

Original Broadway Cast member Jackie Burns (If/Then, Wicked, Hair), Tamyra Gray (American Idol Season One Finalist, Rent), and Matthew Hydzik (Side Show, West Side Story, Grease), will join Original Broadway Cast member Anthony Rapp (Rent, Six Degrees of Separation, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) and the rest of the previously announced cast in the National Tour of IF/THEN, starting Wednesday, January 27 at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas.

JACKIE BURNS (Elizabeth) is thrilled to be starring in If/Then, returning to many of the same cities she visited playing Elphaba in Wicked, a role for which she received an IRNE Award nomination. She subsequently played Elphaba on Broadway, to great acclaim. Other Broadway: Hair (Revival, Original Cast), If/Then (Original Cast). Off-Broadway: Rock of Ages (Original Cast), Unlock'd, Ripper. Regional: Aldonza in Man of La Mancha (PCLO), Wedding Singer, A Grand Night for Singing (Connecticut Critics Circle Award), The Full Monty, Singin' in the Rain, Joseph..., Sweeney Todd, Drood, Candide, Smokey Joe's Cafe (Paper Mill). TV: 'All My Children.' Concept Albums: Lucifer (Michael Mott), Swept Away (Disney), Tears from Heaven, and Excalibur (Frank Wildhorn). ANTHONY RAPP (Lucas). Broadway: Rent; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Six Degrees of Separation; Precious Sons (Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama Desk nomination). Off-Broadway: Raised in Captivity, Sophistry, The Destiny of Me, Some Americans Abroad, among others. Film: Adventures in Babysitting, School Ties, Dazed and Confused, Six Degrees of Separation, Rent, Man of the Century, Roadtrip, Winter Passing, A Beautiful Mind. TV: 'The X-Files,' 'Law & Order: SVU' and 'Psych.' Author of Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent, which was adapted into the one-man show Without You and performed nationally and internationally. @albinokid on Twitter TAMYRA GRAY (Kate). After the acclaim that followed her appearances in the inaugural season of 'American Idol,' Tamyra parlayed the attention into a successful theater, televison, and film career. Broadway credits include: Bombay Dreams, Rent. Film: Sony's The Gospel, Jonathan Demme's Rachel Getting Married. Tamyra won the Hollywood NAACP award for 'Best Lead Female' for her role in Debbie Allen's Twist. Tamyra is a devoted wife and mother who leans on spirituality to maintain balance between work, home, and health. MATTHEW HYDZIK (Josh). Broadway: Side Show (Buddy), West Side Story (Tony), Grease (Kenickie), It Shoulda Been You. Off-Broadway: Tomorrow Morning. Some regional favorites: The Lyric Opera of Chicago, La Jolla Playhouse, Kennedy Center, Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, Fulton Opera House. National tours: Rent, Fame, Grease, and Flashdance. Proud grad of Penn State University. Insta/Twitter: @matthew_hydzik

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: INTO THE WOODS comes to Forest Park, MACK & MABEL take over Chichester, LOVE LETTERS heads out on tour and more!

Following the success of the previous two festivals, the 3rd Annual New York Hot Jazz Festival -- produced by the impresario Michael 'Misha' Katsobashvili, performer Bria Skonberg, and composer/producer Patrick Soluri (of Prohibition Productions and The Salon) -- returns to The Players this year and promises some of the biggest stars of the Hot Jazz and swing scenes in a summit of uptown and downtown talent spanning three generations.

Below, you can get a preview of the Oscar winner performing the show's eleven-o'clock number 'I'm Here' at the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors

According to the New York Post, Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson will soon make her Broadway debut in an upcoming revival of THE COLOR PURPLE. Produced by Oprah Winfrey, who also produced the original 2005 production, this version of the show started at London's Menier Chocolate Factory, directed by John Doyle. Michael Riedel writes that Winfrey called Hudson personally to ask her to play Celie in the musical.

Below, watch Hall in his latest video spoof titled 'If Disney Princesses Were Black'

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week or you're just in the mood for a recap, BroadwayWorld's 'this week in pictures' is here to satisfy your end-of-the-week fix! Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to The West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more. Highlights this week include the winners room and red carpet of the 68th annual Tony Awards, Patti LaBelle joining 'After Midnight,' 'Rocky's' 100th performance, and more!

The cast of AFTER MIDNIGHT, including Fantasia Barrino and future stars Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle took the Tony Awards by storm earlier in the evening with their toe-tapping, showstopping number. Check it out below!

It's Tony Night and BroadwayWorld.com is all over the red carpet, and will be providing coverage throughout the night. Our own Walter McBride is there to capture the stars, the celebs, the creative teams and everyone else as they were 'dressed to the nines' for Tony night.

It's that time of year, and I can't help but wonder if your CD collection and iPod are Tonys ready. This Broadway season has some really interesting contenders in the musical categories, and to get you ready for the big night, I'm recapping the albums you should be listening to (or at the very least pre-ordering).

Look, we get it, whether due to budget or geography, you didn't see every show of the Broadway season, but that doesn't mean you can't be fully up-to-date for this Sunday's Tony Awards. To help get you prepared for theatre's biggest night, BroadwayWorld has put together the ultimate Tonys Crash Course. We've outlined all of the shows nominated in the Best Musical and Best Revival of a Musical categories, and provided you 'study materials' as only BWW can, by mining our one-of-a-kind archives.

On Sunday, 2014 Tony nominees Brian J. Smith (The Glass Menagerie) and Adriane Lenox (After Midnight), as well as American-Idol alum and one of After Midnight's Special Guest Stars Fantasia Barrino visited QUEEN OF THE NIGHT. Queen of the Night recently was extended to run through August 31st. Fantasia even had a moment with The Marchesa herself (played by Martha Graham principle ballet dancer Katherine Crockett)!

Just last night, Manhattan Theatre Club presented its annual Spring Gala an evening of cocktails and dinner followed by a special evening highlighting some of Broadway's most exciting shows. The special night featured performances by Fantasia Barrino, Adam Jacobs, James Monroe Iglehart, Kelli O'Hara, Nick Cordero, Brooks Ashmanskas, Jefferson Mays, Bryce Pinkham, Lena Hall, Caissie Levy, Andy Karl and more. BroadwayWorld was there for the special night an you can check out photos from the star-studded red carpet below!

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week or you're just in the mood for a recap, BroadwayWorld's 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end-of-the-week fix! Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to The West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more. Highlights this week include Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess's first bow in PHANTOM, the 2014 Drama Desk nominees, BroadwayWorld's own concert at Joe's Pub, and more!

Earlier this week, the cast and creative team of the Tony Award-nominated smash hit Broadway musical After Midnight welcomed back Grammy Award-winner Fantasia Barrino as 'Special Guest Star.' Last night, Mike Tyson stopped by the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, going backstage to visit Barrino and her castmates - check out a look back below!

Just last night, the cast and creative team of the Tony Award-nominated smash hit Broadway musical After Midnight, welcomed back Grammy Award-winner Fantasia Barrino as "Special Guest Star.' Fantasia Barrino returns to Broadway in the role she originated for a four-week engagement (5/13/14 - 6/8/14) leading up to the Tony Awards on June 9, 2014.

Some of the talented students from Rosie's Theater Kids were invited to a performance of After Midnight currently starring Vanessa Williams and soon to welcome back Fantasia Barrino. The kids were thrilled to meet some of the cast before the dazzling, awe-inspiring show. Check out photos from the special event below!