Leslie Uggams News

Award-winning director and choreographer Jonathan Cerullo (The Boys from Syracuse, Big Apple Circus), has been named an Artistic Associate at Amas Musical Theatre. Donna Trinkoff announced Cerullo will be joining SDC director and choreographer Christopher Scott and Lynne Taylor-Corbett.

2019 Tony winner Andre De Shields has been attending The National Black Theatre Festival® (NBTF) in Winston-Salem, N. C. since 1995. Dubbed the 'Black Theatre Holy Ground,' NBTF is the international outreach program of the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, founded by the late Larry Leon Hamlin in 1979. The Festival, also founded by Hamlin, has been held biennially since 1989. The NCBRC celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, while the NBTF celebrated its 30th.

2019 Tony Award winner André De Shields spent his day off from HADESTOWN at The National Black Theatre Festival® (NBTF) in Winston-Salem, NC.

When the stars come out…there is magic in the air.  That's exactly how the opening day of the National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) in Winston-Salem felt…majestic and magical.  As the originators and attendees declare…”This Is Holy Ground!”   The NBTF is “taking over” the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina this entire week, July 29-August 3. 

Broadway World's own Genevieve Rafter Keddy dropped by East Side Sound to capture the recording session of 'Mark William: Come Croon With Me', which will be available this fall on all music streaming services and on CD through Amazon.com Mark William has enjoyed a season full of sold-out performances of his debut nightclub act, Mark William: Come Croon With Me, at The Green Room 42. Putting his own unique, youthful spin on golden age crooner styling, Mark performs a collection of classic tunes from Broadway and The Great American Songbook. With his glossy approach, he glides from Jerry Herman to Peter Allen to Henry Mancini‬ with charismatic ease and a spring in his step. Both critics and audiences alike are over the moon for Mark William. Theatre Pizzazz said “ Mark William is the epitome of panache, adding his own brand of pizazz. Whatever that 'it' is, he's got IT!” and Times Square Chronicles called him “ The newest star rising in the heavens of cabaret and musical theatre.” Tony-winning lyricist Lynn Ahrens calls him “Baby Sinatra” and John Lloyd Young, the original, Tony-winning Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys, says he is “Golden-Age Hollywood Reborn”. Mark was named one of the top ten cabaret acts of 2018 by both Theater Pizzazz and Times Square Chronicles, and rang in 2019 headlining New Years Eve at the famed ‪McKittrick Hotel‬. He will spend Fall 2019 at the Walnut Street Theatre playing Bertram Batram in Young Frankenstein, and has appeared around the world in such shows as My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, Mame with Leslie Uggams, and Jerry's Girls with Susan Anton. Backed by a stellar five-piece band led by musical director Clint Edwards, Come Croon With Me is directed by Preston and Richard Ridge. This November, Mark returns to The Green Room 42, continuing his love affair with the Great American Songbook. Mark William: Feeling Good hypnotizes with a set of enduring classics filtered through Mark's youthful perspective and talent set. The show is distinctly new-age romantic, while still evocative of golden-age cinematic glamour. This performance will also celebrate the release of Mark's debut album, Mark William: Come Croon With Me. Closing out 2019, Mark will be playing luxury cruise engagements, featuring both of his shows.

This Broadway hit features all the best songs for women from such immortal musicals as Mame, Hello Dolly!, Milk and Honey, Mack and Mabel, A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine and La Cage Aux Folles.

Skylight Music Theatre today announced that Michael Unger will become the company's new artistic director. Unger, a theatre and opera director based in New York City, has worked in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Yekaterinburg, Russia - and many places in between. 

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report the passing of Martin Charnin, Broadway lyricist and director. The news was reported on Facebook, by Charnin's daughter, Sasha. Charnin was 84.

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts has announced Andrea McArdle and Donna McKechnie: Celebrate Sondheim & Hamlisch on Monday, July 8 at 8 pm as part of Bay Street Theater's Music Mondays concert series. Tickets range from $79 - $125 and are on sale now at baystreet.org and through the Box Office at 631-725-9500, open daily from 11am to showtime. 

Just in time for our 50th Anniversary of The Stonewall Riots that started the Gay Liberation Movement leading to the LGBTQIAA Community and countless numbers of PRIDE festivities happening all over the world, my podcast would like to take a moment and throw some love to some of the out and open performers working in theater today that have stopped by for a chat with me.

A fresh and all-new(d) off-Broadway musical' is pitching its tent on 42nd Street! Camp Morning Wood, A Very Naked Musical launched a four-week limited engagement. I got a chance to sit with some of the performers and creatives in this campy, yet brave and heartfelt show.

Sometimes when you are a talented actor and just happened to be married to a newly minted Tony Award Winner, people might overlook that you, too, have a song in your heart and show for a stage.

Mark William returned, by popular demand, with yet another encore performance of his critically acclaimed, sold-out solo nightclub debut 'Come Croon With Me' on Friday June 7th at The Green Room 42. Putting his own unique, youthful spin on golden age crooner styling, Mark performed a collection of classic tunes from Broadway and The Great American Songbook.

The penultimate award show leading up to the Tony Awards is the Drama Desk Awards. It is a celebration of both Broadway and Off Broadway theater. In addition to the standard performance prizes for acting, music, sets, writing, and costumes, there are other categories like, Fight Coordinating, Hair and Wigs, Projections, and more. I fortunately got a chance to work the Red Carpet and the Press Room. I love working the Drama Desk Awards, because I get the chance to meet some of the new voices that are making interesting and innovative theater.

As you already know, the 2019 Tony Awards Show is coming this Sunday night, and of course, I have plenty to say about them, and it is so much more fun to dish with friends.

Multiple Award Winning (Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk, etc.), Broadway power producing couple, and founders of Broadway HD, Bonnie Comley and Stewart Lane, stopped by for a chat about what's the latest happening with them and Broadway HD, including the release of the recent, West End Production of 42ND STREET, choreographed by Tony Award© Nominee, Randy Skinner, currently streaming on their service.

Mark William will return, by popular demand, with yet another encore performance of his critically acclaimed, sold-out solo nightclub debut "Come Croon With Me" on  Friday June 7th at The Green Room 42 located in the Yotel at 570 10th Ave. at 42nd Street on the 4th floor. Putting his own unique, youthful spin on golden age crooner styling, Mark performs a collection of classic tunes from Broadway and The Great American Songbook.

Well, it's that time again. As Leslie Uggams sings 'all the lidda bidder dridges and they hucka the bejeepers...because it's June!' Uggams performance of 'June Is Bustin' Out All Over' is remembered each June due to her mixing up the words, creating her own lyrics, but staying professional and fierce throughout.

Randy Skinner is an award-winning director, choreographer, and performer whose work has encompassed Broadway, off-Broadway, regional, and Los Angeles productions. He sits with me to chat about his life, some of the many fabulous people that he'd worked with, and of course, the preservation of his work as a dancer and choreographer.

I had the chance to sit with these fabulous two women nominated for their work in Choreography. First, 2019 Drama Desk Nominee, Lorin Latarro, for her work on last summer's TWELFTH NIGHT, and 2019 Tony Award Nominee, Camille A. Brown, for her work on CHOIR BOY.