Heather Headley News

TODAY'S BIG NEWS: Its a busy day! The 7th annual Lilly Awards, 72nd annual Theater World Awards and The 61st annual Obie Awards are all being presented today. NYTW will also celebrate opening night of HADESTOWN!

Tony and Grammy Award winner HEATHER HEADLEY just assumed the role of 'Shug Avery' in John Doyle's critically acclaimed production of the Broadway musical, The Color Purple. This is Ms. Headley's first appearance on Broadway since winning the 2000 Tony Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her performance in Aida. Check out a first look at Headley in action below!

Goodman Theatre Chair Joan Clifford previously announced the Alice will open today, May 18, in conjunction with the Goodman-curated citywide Celebration of Chicago native playwright Lorraine Hansberry (A Raisin in the Sun, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window, To Be Young, Gifted and Black).

THE COLOR PURPLE will be hosting a special talk back series with cast members following four select performances, Tuesday, May 17 through Thursday, May 19.

Today's big news: The new, Broadway-bound ANASTASIA musical starts tonight in Hartford, and the New Dramatists honor Audra McDonald at today's luncheon!

Beginning last night, Tony and Grammy Award winner Heather Headley stepped into the role of 'Shug Avery' in John Doyle's critically acclaimed production of the Broadway musical, The Color Purple. This is Ms. Headley's first appearance on Broadway since winning the 2000 Tony Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her performance in Aida. BroadwayWorld is taking you inside her opening night bows below!

Today's big news: Heather Headley takes her first bows in Broadway's THE COLOR PURPLE, and the stars gather for CUTTING EDGE COMPOSERS at Feinstein's/54 Below!

Samantha Massell and Monica Swayne are currently both playing the role of Hodel in two different productions of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Swayne in Sydney, Australia and Massell on Broadway! The two actresses decided to interview each other, asking questions about Fiddler and more. Check out the video below!

Goodman Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, becomes the first Chicago theater to establish a facility dedicated to education and engagement programs next when it opens the new Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement ('the Alice') next month.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? This weekend's big news: Goodspeed's starry ANYTHING GOES sets sail and more!

The award-winning musical based on the blockbuster film, THE BODYGUARD, comes to the New Victoria Theatre, Woking for just two weeks from Today 29 March - Saturday 9 April, direct from the West End, and starring three-time Brit nominee and X-Factor winner, Alexandra Burke as Rachel Marron.

Samantha Massell was featured at 54 Below's 'Broadway Princess Party' earlier this month, singing 'God Help the Outcasts' from Disney's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. Check out the video here!

Today in 2000, Aida opened at the Palace Theatre, where it ran for 1852 performances. Aida is a musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, and David Henry Hwang. Aida was nominated for five Tony Awards and won four Tony Awards in 2000, including Best Musical Score and Best Performance by a Leading Actress. Aida was also named by Time Magazine in 2000 as one of the top ten theatre productions of the year. The First National tour was nominated for nine National Broadway Theatre awards (now 'Touring Broadway Awards') and won five awards, including Best Musical, Best Direction, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

Ben Richards will join previously announced Beverley Knight in the international hit musical The Bodyguard when it returns to the West End for a limited six month run in July this year.  Richards will play Frank Farmer, Rachel Marron's bodyguard, alongside Beverley Knight in the leading role of the Oscar-nominated superstar Marron.   Performances begin at the Dominion Theatre on 15 July 2016 for this strictly limited season to 7 January 2017. 

In this week's edition, we caught up with Patrice Covington, who stars as 'Squeak' in THE COLOR PURPLE, playing at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

It's time for the Broadway Inspirational Voices online auction!

Earlier this month, Broadway united for INSPIRATIONAL BROADWAY, a dynamic and soulful evening of music at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. The one-night-only concert featured theater's biggest names singing Broadway, Gospel, Pop, and Rock classics with a stirring and spiritual twist, including musical arrangements by BIV founder and Tony Award-nominee Michael McElroy.

Broadway leading ladies LaChanze (Tony Award winner for The Color Purple) and Lindsay Mendez (Wicked, Godspell) lead an all-star lineup for INSPIRATIONAL BROADWAY, a dynamic and soulful evening of music, set for tonight, February 15, 2016 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill.

The award-winning musical based on the blockbuster film, THE BODYGUARD, comes to the New Victoria Theatre, Woking for just two weeks from Tuesday 29 March - Saturday 9 April, direct from the West End, and starring three-time Brit nominee and X-Factor winner, Alexandra Burke as Rachel Marron.

Broadway leading ladies LaChanze (Tony Award winner for The Color Purple) and Lindsay Mendez (Wicked, Godspell) have been added to the all-star lineup of INSPIRATIONAL BROADWAY, a dynamic and soulful evening of music.