NaTasha Yvette Williams News

A staged reading of This One Girl's Story will be presented on October 28th, 2009 at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City. This new musical, inspired by the life of Sakia Gunn (1988-2003), is described as the story of 'One girl on the way to being a woman ... and her friends... live, laugh, love and remember the time... the one night when they could be exactly who they were... before someone decided they couldn't.' The reading will begin at 7pm.

There are times when I really love being a correspondent for Broadwayworld.com. Certainly, stepping into the historic Lincoln Theatre on U. Street in Washington, DC and watching this feel good award-winning musical entitled Crowns is right at the top of the list.

Crowns is back in town, and with direction and choreography by Kenneth Lee Roberson (Broadway's Avenue Q, Arena's Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill) and musical direction by Grammy nominee e'Marcus Harper, this soulful musical will be bigger than ever in the Lincoln Theatre. Arena favorites Marva Hicks (The Women of Brewster Place) and E. Faye Butler (Dinah Was, Ain't Misbehavin') are joined by NaTasha Yvette Williams (Broadway's The Color Purple), Mary Millben, Kara Tameika Watkins, Phillip Boykin and Zurin Villanueva. Howard University student Villanueva was discovered in Arena's January 'Finding Yolanda' one-day casting search, and this production marks her debut professional performance.

The Annual Benefit at Arena Stage is a fun evening that raises over one-third of the funds necessary to run Arena's Community Engagement programs, which educate, excite and enrich the lives of over 20,000 students from across the region. This year's event on Monday, March 16, 2009 at Arena Stage in Crystal City highlights Arena's temporary home in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, VA, with co-chairs Angela Fox, President/CEO, Crystal City Business Improvement District and Mitchell N. Schear, President, Vornado/Charles E. Smith.

Crowns is back in town, and with direction and choreography by Kenneth Lee Roberson (Broadway's Avenue Q, Arena's Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill) and musical direction by Grammy nominee e'Marcus Harper, this soulful musical will be bigger than ever in the Lincoln Theatre. Arena favorites Marva Hicks (The Women of Brewster Place) and E. Faye Butler (Dinah Was, Ain't Misbehavin') are joined by NaTasha Yvette Williams (Broadway's The Color Purple), Mary Millben, Kara Tameika Watkins, Phillip Boykin and Zurin Villanueva. Howard University student Villanueva was discovered in Arena's January 'Finding Yolanda' one-day casting search, and this production marks her debut professional performance.

Theater News from Broadway and the Baltimore/Washington Area

Theater News from Broadway and the Baltimore/Washington Area

The winners in the ninth annual Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards, the only major UK theatre prize-giving decided by the public, were announced today (Sunday 15 February) at a glittering, star-studded evening at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

The Annual Benefit at Arena Stage is a fun evening that raises over one-third of the funds necessary to run Arena's Community Engagement programs, which educate, excite and enrich the lives of over 20,000 students from across the region. This year's event on Monday, March 16, 2009 at Arena Stage in Crystal City highlights Arena's temporary home in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, VA, with co-chairs Angela Fox, President/CEO, Crystal City Business Improvement District and Mitchell N. Schear, President, Vornado/Charles E. Smith.

Returning to Cleveland after acclaimed performances in The Color Purple on Broadway and Gone with the Wind in London?s West End, NaTasha Yvette Williams takes the stage in the lead role of The Cleveland Play House production of Mahalia: A Gospel Musical. Since 1997, when she performed in The Play House production of (I Could) Stop On a Dime and Get Ten Cents Change, Williams has also played in several Broadway national tours and performed her gospel music all over the world. Kent Gash, Associate Artistic Director of The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA, is directing Williams in this musical tribute to the most celebrated gospel singer of all time. Mahalia: A Gospel Musical begins in the Bolton Theatre at The Cleveland Play House on Friday, January 30 and runs through Sunday, February 22, 2009. Tickets are on sale now at The Cleveland Play House box office by calling 216.795.7000 ext 4 or online at www.clevelandplayhouse.com. Mahalia: A Gospel Musical is presented in promotional partnership with Time Warner Cable and The Kulus Foundation. The media sponsor for Mahalia: A Gospel Musical is 107.3 FM The Wave WNMV.

Trevor Nunn's production of Margaret Mitchell's classic novel, Gone with the Wind, which received its world premiere at the New London Theatre 5 April 2008 will, after 79 performances, complete its run on Saturday14 June 2008.

Trevor Nunn's production of Margaret Mitchell's classic novel, Gone with the Wind, which received its world premiere at the New London Theatre 5 April 2008 will, after 79 performances, complete its run on Saturday 14 June 2008.

Darius Danesh and Jill Paice lead the cast in Trevor Nunn's production of Margaret Mitchell's classic novel, Gone with the Wind, playing the iconic roles of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara. The show opens on April 22.

Darius Danesh and Jill Paice will lead the cast in Trevor Nunn's production of Margaret Mitchell's classic novel, Gone with the Wind, playing the iconic roles of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara. Joining them are Edward Baker-Duly who will play Ashley Wilkes, Madeleine Worrall who plays Melanie, NaTasha Yvette Williams as Mammy and Jina Burrows as Prissy.

Darius Danesh and Jill Paice, who play the iconic roles of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara in the up-coming West End musical Gone with the Wind, began rehearsals this week for Trevor Nunn's production of the classic love story which opens at the New London Theatre in April.

Darius Danesh and Jill Paice will lead the cast in Trevor Nunn's production of Margaret Mitchell's classic novel, Gone with the Wind, playing the iconic roles of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara. Joining them are Edward Baker-Duly who will play Ashley Wilkes, Madeleine Worrall who plays Melanie, NaTasha Yvette Williams as Mammy and Jina Burrows as Prissy. Gone with the Wind will have its first performance at the New London Theatre on Friday April 4, 2008, officially opening on Tuesday April 22, and is initially booking until September 27, 2008.

Producer Scott Sanders hosted a Christmas Party for the cast of The Color Purple at his Chelsea loft apartment on Saturday, December 8.

The cast of The Color Purple returned to the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway) after nearly 3-weeks of work-stoppage due to the stagehands' strike.

Michael Heitzman and Ilene Reid present an evening of their songs at Ars Nova (511 West 54th at 10th) on October 22 at 8PM

American Musical Theatre of San Jose proudly presents the rockin' musical, 'All Shook Up,' at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts June 19-24.