Leslie Uggams News

Point Foundation (Point), the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students of merit, today announced the recipients of its Courage, Inspiration and Legend Awards.

Country music star, CMA Winner, ACM Winner and four-time Grammy Nominee Joe Nichols has been offered the role made famous by George Strait in the Broadway production of the hit movie, Pure Country. According to producer Randall L. Wreghitt, the musical is in the process of securing the remainder of its financing and casting, and plans to open in early 2010.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director) will launch its 31st season this fall with the New York premiere of Anna Deavere Smith's LET ME DOWN EASY. Conceived, written, and performed by Ms. Smith and directed by Leonard Foglia, LET ME DOWN EASY will begin preview performances on Tuesday, September 15 and will officially open in early October.

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Producing Artistic Director; Rosetta LeNoire, Founder), celebrated its 40th Anniversary with a Gala evening on Monday, March 30th featuring a special 'Blast from the Past' concert of songs and numbers from four decades of Amas Musicals, including Bubbling Brown Sugar, It's So Nice to Be Civilized, Zanna Don't!, SHOUT! The Mod Musical, Four Guys Named Jose, Stormy Weather, Langston Hughes's Little Ham, From My Hometown, Lone Star Love, and Wanda's World, among others.

New York: Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Producing Artistic Director; Rosetta LeNoire, Founder), will celebrate its 40th Anniversary with a Benefit Gala on Monday, March 30th, 2009. The evening will feature a special 'Blast from the Past' concert of songs and numbers from four decades of Amas Musicals, including Bubbling Brown Sugar, Zanna Don't!, Barrio Babies, Bobos, SHOUT! The Mod Musical, Four Guys Named Jose, Latin Heat, Starmites, Langston Hughes's Little Ham, From My Hometown, Lone Star Love, and Wanda's World. The director and choreographer for the evening is Amas Artist-in-Residence Maria Torres, with musical direction by Doug Oberhamer. The event will take place at the Lighthouse International, 111 East 59th Street, at 7pm.

Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning waltz musical A Little Night Music returns to Michigan Opera Theatre for the first time in over 25 years, and the fall 2009 production will represent the first time since 1992 that Michigan Opera Theatre has presented a musical as part of the main stage opera season. Tony Award winner Leslie Uggams and Broadway and television star Ron Raines have been announced to star as Desiree Armfeldt and Frederik Egerman in the production, set to run November 14-21. No other casting has been announced at this time.

Signature Theatre Company celebrated the Opening Night performance of Charles Fuller's ZOOMAN AND THE SIGN on Tuesday March 24th, the play is the final production of Signature Theatre Company's (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) 2008-2009 season celebrating the historic Negro Ensemble Company (NEC). BroadwayWorld's cameras were there to celebrate to opening of the production!

The award-winning York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director) is thrilled to announce casting for two forthcoming presentations in their Developmental Reading Series. As always, these readings are open to the general public and admission is free, but reservations are suggested, and can be obtained by e-mailing series coordinator Jeff Landsman at jlandsman@yorktheatre.org or calling 212-935-5824 x24. Upcoming readings include:

Pasadena Playhouse (Artistic Director, Sheldon Epps; Interim Managing Director, Ken Novice; Producing Director, Tom Ware) today announced that upon closing night on March 8, 2009 Stormy Weather starring Leslie Uggams as Lena Horne has surpassed SISTER ACT the Musical as the top selling production in both dollars and tickets (SISTER ACT the Musical bows at the London Palladium on June 2, 2009).

New York: Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Producing Artistic Director; Rosetta LeNoire, Founder), will celebrate its 40th Anniversary with a Benefit Gala on Monday, March 30th, 2009. The evening will feature a special 'Blast from the Past' concert of songs and numbers from four decades of Amas Musicals, including Bubbling Brown Sugar, Zanna Don't!, Barrio Babies, Bobos, SHOUT! The Mod Musical, Four Guys Named Jose, Latin Heat, Starmites, Langston Hughes's Little Ham, From My Hometown, Lone Star Love, and Wanda's World. The director and choreographer for the evening is Amas Artist-in-Residence Maria Torres, with musical direction by Doug Oberhamer. The event will take place at the Lighthouse International, 111 East 59th Street, at 7pm.

The Book of Lambert opened on February 14 and continues through March 1, 2009 in a limited engagement at the historic La MaMa e.t.c. as part of their Black History Month celebration.

La MaMa e.t.c. proudly presents the World Premiere of The Book of Lambert, written by Tony Award nominated and Obie/Audelco Award winning playwright Leslie Lee. The play, directed by Cyndy A. Marion, features Lucille Lortel and Obie Award winning actor Arthur French, who recently performed on Broadway in Horton Foote's Dividing The Estate. The Book of Lambert runs from February 13th to March 1st, 2009 in a limited engagement at the historic La MaMa e.t.c. as part of their Black History Month celebration. Lambert previews on February 13th and officially opens on February 14th, Valentines Day.

Stormy Weather has been extended at The Pasadena Playhouse through 3/8 Conceived and written by Sharleen Cooper Cohen Suggested by the biography Lena Horne, Entertainer published by Chelsea House By special arrangements with Stewart F. Lane, Bonnie Comley and Armica Productions Music by Cole Porter, Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer, Rodgers & Hart, Jerome Kern, Billy Strayhorn and more Choreography by Randy Skinner Directed by Michael Bush

Stormy Weather is a powerhouse of an evening. If you?re like me, it will make you want to run out and get the DVD of Ms. Horne?s Tony Award winning, one woman Broadway show, Lena: The Lady and Her Music, so you can re-discover the magic of this courageous survivor...

Pasadena Playhouse (Artistic Director, Sheldon Epps; Interim Managing Director, Ken Novice; Producing Director, Tom Ware) announced on Friday, January 30 that Stormy Weather, starring Leslie Uggams as Lena Horne, is now the non-profit?s record-holder for advance single ticket sales prior to opening night.

Stormy Weather, starring Tony and Emmy Award-winner Leslie Uggams, celebrates The Life of the legendary Lena Horne. The Pasadena Playhouse West Coast premiere is conceived and written by Sharleen Cooper Cohen, directed by Michael Bush and choreographed by Randy Skinner. The production features music by Cole Porter, Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer, Rodgers & Hart, Billy Strayhorn, and more. Stormy Weather, is suggested by the biography Lena Horne, Entertainer published by Chelsea House. Uggams sat down with the Los Angeles Times to discuss a variety of subjects in relation to the production.

SHARON CARR ASSOCIATES, LTD announced today the addition of Jessica-Snow Wilson to the cast of GLIMPSES OF THE MOON. Wilson will be replacing Autumn Hurlbert in the leading role of Susy. GLIMPSES OF THE MOON premiered exactly one year ago at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel to rave reviews and quickly sold out its limited run. The show returned this fall with an expanded production and received more enthusiastic reviews. The run has now been extended through the end of March, with performances every Monday night. Starting in February, in partnership with the Algonquin Hotel, the production is adding alternating Thursday lunch matinees. The following special guest stars confirmed to appear in the show, Monday nights at 8pm in the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel: January 26 - ANDREA MARCOVICCI (Mabel Award Winner/Back Stage Bistro Award Winner) February 2, 5 & 9 - NATASCIA DIAZ (Jacques Brel) February 16 & 23 - TOM WOPAT Future guest stars to include: Leslie Uggams (Tony and Emmy Award-winning), Robert Cuccioli (Tony Nominated), and Gay Marshall (Jacques Brel). GLIMPSES OF THE MOON, a Jazz Age musical with book & lyrics by Tajlei Levis and music by John Mercurio, choreographed by Denis Jones, and directed by Marc Bruni, plays 'only on Monday nights but elicits a Sunday kind of love,' (John Simon, Bloomberg.com) in the Oak Room at the historic Algonquin Hotel (59 West 44th Street, between 5th and 6th Ave.).

Stormy Weather, starring Tony and Emmy Award-winner Leslie Uggams, celebrates the life of the legendary Lena Horne. The West Coast premiere is conceived and written by Sharleen Cooper Cohen, directed by Michael Bush and choreographed by Randy Skinner. The production features music by Cole Porter, Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer, Rodgers & Hart, Billy Strayhorn, and more. Stormy Weather, is suggested by the biography Lena Horne, Entertainer published by Chelsea House.

La MaMa e.t.c. proudly presents the World Premiere of The Book of Lambert, written by Tony Award nominated and Obie Award winning playwright Leslie Lee. The play, directed by Cyndy A. Marion, features Lucille Lortel and Obie Award winning actor Arthur French, who recently performed on Broadway in Horton Foote's Dividing The Estate. The Book of Lambert runs from February 13th to March 1st, 2009 in a limited engagement at the historic La MaMa e.t.c. as part of their Black History Month celebration. Lambert previews on February 13th and officially opens on February 14th, Valentines Day. Founded by the venerable Ellen Stewart, La MaMa e.t.c. is located at 74A East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue & Bowery in NYC. Performances take place in the First Floor Theatre and run Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm with an added performance on Wed 2/18 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $18 for adults and $13 for students and seniors and can be purchased by calling 212-475-7710 or visiting www.LaMaMa.org. The Book of Lambert depicts the lives of six lost souls hiding from society in the subterranean depths of an abandoned NYC subway tunnel. Their leader is Lambert, an African-American man who has been hurt - possibly beyond repair - by his former love, a beautiful Caucasian woman. A bright but disillusioned ex-college professor, Lambert begins writing a prophetic book on life. In an effort to guide and re-focus this wayward flock, Lambert unleashes his own identity issues while coming face to face with the demons of his past. The Book of Lambert is a telling story of how our histories can haunt us, and how we may or may not recover from them.

Sundance Institute announced today the lineup of films selected to screen in the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions for the 25th Sundance Film Festival. In addition to the four Competition categories, the Festival presents films in five out-of-competition sections to be announced tomorrow. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival runs January 15-25 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.