Joaquina Kalukango News

Just before its first preview tomorrow night, November 10, THE COLOR PURPLE has announced its rush ticket policy.

The Lilly Awards Broadway Cabaret, an evening of musical showstoppers written by women and performed by Broadway's best, will benefit The Lilly Awards Foundation (Marsha Norman, President) whose mission is to promote gender parity at all levels of theatrical production, and develop and celebrate the work of women in the theater.

The Color Purple begins preview performances this coming Tuesday, November 10 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 West 45th street). Grammy, Academy Award, and Golden Globe award winner JENNIFER HUDSON will make her Broadway debut opposite CYNTHIA ERIVO, the breakout star of John Doyle's acclaimed Menier Chocolate Factory production, and Orange is the New Black's DANIELLE BROOKS, in this fall's highly anticipated production. All three women will be making their Broadway debuts.

Over the past few decades, many have bemoaned the rash of movies adapted for the Broadway stage, claiming that the theatre had lost its sense of creativity and enginuity. Some of these movie adaptations have gone on to have successful, award-winning runs (THE PRODUCERS and THE 39 STEPS to name a few), while many, many others have, simply, not. However, long before the stage looked to the screen as a source for new works, the inspiration for many of the theatre's best shows came from the pages of some of the world's best books; like THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, or the longest running show in Broadway history, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

Edie Brickell and Carmen Cusak have been added to the roster of performers for The Lilly Awards Broadway Cabaret, an evening of musical showstoppers written by women and performed by Broadway's best to benefit The Lilly Awards Foundation (Marsha Norman, President) whose mission is to promote gender parity at all levels of theatrical production, and develop and celebrate the work of women in the theater.

The Public Theater presents the American play Eclipsed, written by Danai Gurira. Directed by Obie Award winner Liesl Tommy and featuring Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o in her New York stage debut, this powerful story of survival and resilience opened at The Public Theater earlier this week, October 14, and will now run an additional two weeks through Sunday, November 29.

THE COLOR PURPLE producer Oprah stopped by a recent rehearsal for the show's upcoming Broadway run and joined in on a song after hugging some of the cast members, among them Danille Brooks, Jennifer Hudson and Cynthia Erivo. Check out a clip from the surprise visit below!

Producers Scott Sanders Productions, Roy Furman, Oprah Winfrey, David Babani, and Tom Siracusa just announced complete casting for this fall's highly anticipated production of THE COLOR PURPLE, directed by Tony Award winner John Doyle.

The box office for the highly anticipated production of THE COLOR PURPLE will open on Tuesday, October 6 at 10:00am at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 West 45th street). 

The Lilly Awards Foundation (Marsha Norman, President) proudly presents The Lilly Awards Broadway Cabaret, an evening of musical showstoppers written by women and performed by Broadway's best to benefit The Lilly Awards Foundation whose mission is to promote gender parity at all levels of theatrical production, and develop and celebrate the work of women in the theater.

I am always excited by the opportunity to see an August Wilson play. Only Actors Theatre has managed to deliver them to Louisville audiences, the most recent having been an outstanding production of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom in 2010. Now we have Seven Guitars to feast upon.

Jennifer Hudson and Cynthia Erivo perform the title song from the upcoming Broadway revival of THE COLOR PURPLE.

THE COLOR PURPLE, directed by Tony Award winner John Doyle, will begin preview performances on Tuesday, November 10 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (242 West 45th street) and will officially open on Thursday, December 10. Check out photos of the marquee below!

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: A murderer returns to Broadway, UP HERE opens in La Jolla and more!

Additional principal casting for this fall's highly anticipated production of THE COLOR PURPLE, directed by Tony Award winner John Doyle, has been confirmed.

Andrew Lippa's substantially revised version of his adaptation of Joseph Moncure March's Jazz Age narrative poem features an outstanding cast.

Directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Sonya Tayeh, THE WILD PARTY opened last night, July 15, at New York City Center. FUN HOME Tony winner Jeanine Tesori is the Artistic Director of Encores! Off-Center and Chris Fenwick is Music Director. Let's see what the critics had to say...

Led by Tony winner Sutton Foster, Encores! Off-Center's presentation of Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party also features Steven Pasquale (who made his New York stage debut and understudied the role of Burrs in the MTC production of The Wild Party), Ryan Andes, Brandon Victor Dixon, Foster's YOUNGER co-star Miriam Shor, Joaquina Kalukango and Talene Monahon, along with Renee Albulario, Penelope Armstead-Williams, James Brown III, Rachel DeBenedet, Raymond J. Lee, Kenita R. Miller, Sydney Morton, Clifton Oliver, Charlie Pollock, Britton Smith, Ryan Steele and Samantha Sturm. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the opening night after party below!

Led by Tony winner Sutton Foster, Encores! Off-Center's presentation of Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party also features Steven Pasquale (who made his New York stage debut and understudied the role of Burrs in the MTC production of The Wild Party), Ryan Andes, Brandon Victor Dixon, Foster's YOUNGER co-star Miriam Shor, Joaquina Kalukango and Talene Monahon, along with Renee Albulario, Penelope Armstead-Williams, James Brown III, Rachel DeBenedet, Raymond J. Lee, Kenita R. Miller, Sydney Morton, Clifton Oliver, Charlie Pollock, Britton Smith, Ryan Steele and Samantha Sturm. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the opening night bows below!

Andrew Lippa's tragic Jazz Age love story The Wild Party follows party girl Queenie (two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster) over the course of one decadent, booze-soaked night as she and her lover Burrs (Steven Pasquale) throw the party to end all parties-with a guest list of vaudevillians, hookers, and a handsome stranger (Brandon Victor Dixon) who offers Queenie the hope of a less tawdry life.