Nelson Mandela News

Rosie Kay Dance Company's new production of Romeo + Juliet reimagines the Shakespearean tragedy, setting the action in the hot Birmingham summer of 2021.

The Frist Art Museum presents Mary Sibande: Blue Purple Red, an exhibition of the Johannesburg-based artist’s hyperrealistic sculptures and photographs that confront inequities of race, gender, politics, and economics in South Africa. Organized by the Frist Art Museum, the exhibition will be on view from October 8, 2021, through January 2, 2022.

The recording features performances from Kris Myers (Umphrey's McGee), Juno award winner Alpha Yaya Diallo, Grammy award winner Dobet Gnahoré, Grammy award winner Al Walser, Greek superstar George Perris, New York City Opera soprano Tharanga Goonetilleke, and many more.

The season includes Well Made @ The Playground – a mini-season of new theatre, opera, and contemporary dance from developing artists – and Ida Rubinstein: The Final Act, a play with music and dance that chronicles the untold story of dance’s Forgotten Diva. 

The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance announced today its Harris Theater Presents season for 2021-22. Beginning with a free outdoor event on the Harris Theater Rooftop in August, the Theater will reopen to the public for the first time since March 2020.

The Whitefire Theatre's Solofest Best of Fest continues with streamed encore presentations of six award-winning shows airing June 6 through June 27. Grab some tickets and help support live theatre!

The work, composed by Chandler Carter with a libretto by Diana Solomon-Glover, portrays key events in the life of voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer.

Broadway veteran Laiona Michelle, writer and star of the George Street Playhouse’s production of Little Girl Blue - The Nina Simone Musical has joined the staff of George Street Playhouse as Artistic Associate. 

Stick a pony in your pocket – The Trotters are back in town! Following nearly 18-months of being holed up in Nelson Mandela House, Del Boy, Rodney and Grandad are heading back up West, as Only Fools and Horses The Musical is set to make a triumphant return to London's Theatre Royal Haymarket on Friday 1 October. 

The Time Traveller's Wife, the best-selling novel by Audrey Niffenegger and the New Line Cinema film screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin, will become a new musical and premiere in the UK in late 2021/early 2022. 

A presentation of excerpts of the musical drama Sheila's Day is being streamed as part of Crossroads Theatre Company's commemorative programming celebrating Women's History Month.  It will stream March 2 through March 23 on the Crossroads website. 

The event will feature just-added performances & appearances from Tiffany Haddish, Usher, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Charlamagne Tha God, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Susan Sarandon & Pete Buttigieg.

 As part of 'New Federal Theatre Celebrates Black History Month,' Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre is offering a live streaming virtual reading of 'Widows' by Mfundi Vundla on February 27 at 7:00 PM. The reading will be available on-demand through March 1. 

Belafonte started the organization in 2005 after witnessing a news report of a 5-year-old Black girl being handcuffed and arrested in her Florida classroom for “being unruly.” The organization’s mission is to build a movement to end child incarceration while working to eliminate the racial inequities that permeate the justice system.

The uncommonly versatile actor/writer/musician Darryl Van Leer has made it his mission to provide inspiration to others. It would therefore be hard to think of a more perfect way for The Marsh to launch Black History Month than with a live performance of his electrifying one-man play, Mandela: Let Freedom Reign, which it will present on MarshStream on Saturday evening, February 6th. From his early life to his epic struggles against apartheid, Nelson Mandela comes to vivid life in this life-affirming performance. An icon of democracy and social justice, Mandela’s life-long dedication to promoting forgiveness and equality are celebrated in this stirring reminder of one man’s incredible impact. Mandela: Let Freedom Reign will be presented at 7:30pm PST on Saturday, February 6th on MarshStream. Van Leer will also appear two days prior to that on Stephanie’s MarshStream at 7:30pm PST on Thursday, February 4th to discuss the play and perform a brief excerpt. For more information, visit www.themarsh.org/marshstream. Also, please note that the performance on February 6th will be live only, and not archived for later viewing. Van Leer is a man of many talents who has enjoyed an exceptionally wide-ranging career. While his theater work has focused primarily on his one-man shows about iconic historic and musical figures, he has also racked up some impressive film and TV credits in ensemble projects, sharing the screen with acting luminaries such as James Earl Jones, Samuel L. Jackson and Rue McClanahan. BroadwayWorld spoke with Van Leer last week from his home base in Nashville, Tennessee.  In conversation, he is instantly and effortlessly engaging, warm and upbeat, and clearly thankful for the opportunity to create and perform works of inspiration. His Kentucky roots are evidenced by the delightfully musical lilt in his speech patterns.

The Marsh welcomes a diversified line-up of guests for Stephanie's MarshStream – from an acclaimed playwright to a leader at the forefront of curriculum education, Bay Area-based actors, a longtime public radio journalist, and more.

Recipients to be honored at the 43rd annual national celebration of the arts are: multi-disciplinary artist, choreographer, and actress Debbie Allen; singer-songwriter and activist Joan Baez; country singer-songwriter Garth Brooks; violinist Midori; and actor Dick Van Dyke.

In 1520, Fernão de Magalhães explored seas never sailed before. In 2020, the Portuguese Philharmonic Orchestra takes to the Coliseu Porto Ageas scores never before presented and emblematic works, in a great journey through the sounds of countries that integrated the first round the world: Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Philippines and South Africa. the end of this commented concert, which will take place on December 17th , a “gift” for Christmas is reserved.

Actor and comedian Eddie Izzard has set himself an extraordinary New Year’s resolution, to stage ‘A  Run for Hope’ that will usher in a new year and a new future, encouraging people all over Europe and  around the world to unite together to ‘Make Humanity Great Again’ 

On United Nations Human Rights Day, which is December 10, 2020, award-winning artist, and activist John Legend has been awarded the High Note Global Prize for social justice, presented by United Nations Human Rights, Partner of the High Note Global Initiative, and David Clark Cause.