Johmaalya Adelekan News

On his day off from appearing as Hermes in the Broadway production of Anais Mitchell's Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theatre, two-time Tony nominee and Emmy winner Andre De Shields headed to the Victoria Theater at NJPAC in Newark to celebrate his company of fabulous singers and dancers under his direction in the Crossroads Theatre Company and NJPAC's co-production of Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies. Scroll down for photos from the party.

Symphony Siren and Broadway Diva N'Kenge (Motown: The Musical and Sondheim and Sondheim), is currently in Sophisticated Ladies, directed by Emmy Award Winner and multiple Tony Award Nominee Andre De Shields with choreography by Kimberly Schafer alongside other Broadway veterans and young stars.

The jazz king of Harlem is alive and well in Newark, New Jersey. In honor of the 120th anniversary of his birth next month, Crossroads Theater Company and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center have co-produced a short run of DUKE ELLINGTON'S SOPHISTICATED LADIES. The musical revue, which originally made its way to Broadway in 1981, includes all of Ellington's best-known standards, including 'In A Sentimental Mood,' 'I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good,' and 'Mood Indigo.' This collaborative production at NJPAC is directed by Andre De Shields.

Two-time Tony nominee and Emmy winner Andre De Shields, currently in rehearsal for the Broadway production of Anais Mitchell's Hadestown, is simultaneously at the helm of Crossroads Theatre Company and New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)'s co-production of Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies at NJPAC, 1 Center Street in Newark, Thursday, March 21 - Sunday, March 24, 2019. Click here to purchase tickets.

Andr De Shields directs this high-stepping revival for the 21st century, starring a dazzling cast of Broadway talent and featuring an onstage band well-versed in Duke's greatest music at New Jersey Performing Arts Center 1 Center Street, Newark NJ Victoria Theater $69 - $89

Crossroads Theatre Company and New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) are presenting a co-production of Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies at NJPAC, 1 Center Street in Newark, Thursday, March 21 - Sunday, March 24, 2019. Click here to purchase tickets.

Richard Maltby, Jr. the original director and director of last night's sensational celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Ain't Missbehvin' : The Music Of Fats Waller said it best when he explained the trajectory of the 1978 production…..'Jan 1 1978 we went into rehearsal with a stack of sheet music, a company of wonderful actors, who turned out to be 5 good ideas….Feb 1st we opened, March 1st we closed, April 1st we started rehearsals for Broadway, May 1st we opened on Broadway, and June 1st we won the Tony Award for Best Musical. I thought, well that's the way Broadway is!

Charlayne Woodard (FX's Pose, ER) who starred in the original AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', the 1978 Tony Award-winning musical that celebrated the music of American composer Fats Waller, has joined the show's 40th-anniversary celebration at Feinstein's/54 Below on Sunday, September 9th at 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm.

Andre DeShields (The Full Monty, The Wiz) and Ken Page (Cats, The Nightmare Before Christmas), who starred in the original AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', the 1978 Tony Award-winning musical that celebrated the music of American composer Fats Waller, have joined the show's 40th-anniversary celebration at Feinstein's/54 Below on Sunday, September 9th at 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm.

This past weekend, theatergoers had the exciting opportunity to attend 'Ain't Misbehavin' The Fats Waller Musical' directed by Andre De Shields at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). The dazzling show was performed in NJPAC's Victoria Theater from Thursday, February 1st through Sunday February 4th with sold-out performances.

NJPAC and Crossroads Theatre Company are co-presenting a limited encore production of Ain't Misbehavin', starring Johmaalya Adelekan as Armelia (Ragtime), Zurin Villanueva as Charlaine (Mean Girls and Shuffle Along), Rheaume Crenshaw as Nell (Groundhog Day), David Samuel as Ken (Ruined, Arena Stage), Borris York as Andre (Holiday Inn; Love Never Dies, U.S. tour), with musical direction from David Alan Bunn, in NJPAC's Victoria Theatre through February 4.

Last night, NJPAC and Crossroads Theatre Company celebrated the opening night performance of their encore production of Ain't Misbehavin', starring Johmaalya Adelekan as Armelia (Ragtime), Zurin Villanueva as Charlaine (Mean Girls and Shuffle Along), Rheaume Crenshaw as Nell (Groundhog Day), David Samuel as Ken (Ruined, Arena Stage), Borris York as Andre (Holiday Inn; Love Never Dies, U.S. tour), with musical direction from David Alan Bunn, in NJPAC's Victoria Theatre.

NJPAC and Crossroads Theatre Company are co-presenting an encore production of Ain't Misbehavin', in NJPAC's Victoria Theatre from Thursday, February 1 to Sunday, February 4.

From February 1 to February 6, NJPAC and Crossroads Theatre Company will present an encore production of Ain't Misbehavin' directed by Andre De Shields. Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing Marshall Jones III, the Producing Artistic Director of Crossroads Theatre Company about 'Crossroads on the Road' and the upcoming production of Ain't Misbehavin'.

When NJPAC and Crossroads Theatre Company needed a director for their upcoming co-production of Ain't Misbehavin', they landed an artist who says the show is part of his 'performing DNA.'

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents Ain't Misbehavin'. Experience the glory of the Harlem Renaissance in a musical production brimming with 'contagious energy' (The New York Times).

On Monday, August 11th STAGES St. Louis hosted Cheers!, a one-night-only cabaret event benefiting the organization's Education and Artistic Programs. This year's theme, Broadway Goes Country, featured some of STAGES' favorite talents including Jacqueline Petroccia and Zoe Vonder Haar (currently playing in the hit production of Always... Patsy Cline). The show also featured cast members, Johmaalya Adelekan and Steve Isom from STAGES current mainstage production How To Succeed In Business..., and former TeamSTAGES members Broadway Actress Taylor Louderman and also Jeff Foster. Under the direction of STAGES Associate Artistic Director Stephen Bourneuf, this sixth annual Cabaret was fun, fresh, and financially successful, breaking all previous records.

The corporate business world of today is far removed from the tropes that abound in the musical HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, and that's one of things that makes it so interesting and enjoyable to watch, particularly when it's a production as sharply staged and exuberantly performed as the current presentation by Stages St. Louis. This is the type of musical that this company really excels at, and the overall enthusiasm and energy expended on the stage of the Robert G. Reim Auditorium makes this show an absolute must-see!

STAGES St. Louis is thrilled to announce the opening of the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The witty comedy about climbing the corporate ladder (in record time!) will run July 18th through August 17that the Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood.