Viola Davis News

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that James Lipton, executive producer, writer, and host of the Bravo cable television series Inside the Actors Studio, has died at age 93.

In back-to-back events, the African American community comes together for a weekend celebrating Black excellence. On February 22, the 51st NAACP Image Awards airing live on BET Networks is the preeminent multicultural awards show from an African American point of view. It celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. The next evening, the American Black Film Festival will host its annual awards season gala, ABFF Honors. The ceremony celebrates Black culture by recognizing individuals who have made distinguished contributions to American entertainment. The honorees being celebrated at ABFF Honors have leveraged their career to carve out a space for people of color in Hollywood helping to create a more diverse landscape. ABFF Honors is an opportunity for the industry to acknowledge how far entertainment has come and thank the individuals who have made it their mission to propel the African American community forward.

BNS Productions brings August Wilson's FENCES to Charlotte, NC. Tony Award-Winning Fences is Wilson's 6th cycle out of a 10-Cycle series of Pittsburgh-based stage plays about the African American experience.

Today, Tina Brown Live Media and Women in the World announced the initial participants for the 11th annual Women in the World Summit to be held at Lincoln Center in New York City. This year's Summit will take place from Thursday, April 2 to Friday, April 3 and will feature a bold line-up - including actress, icon and best-selling author  Demi Moore, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge, female Kurdish warrior Commander Nesrin Abdullah, Nobel laureate Esther Duflo, Surviving R. Kelly documentarian dream hampton, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, Hong Kong activist Denise Ho, journalist and activist Gretchen Carlson, Endeavor CMO Bozoma St. John, and Corinne Vella, sister of heroic murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, with more compelling participants to be released. 

Variety reports that Jon Bernthal, Vincent D'Onofrio,Richard Thomas, Linda Emond and Emma Nelson have joined the cast of an upcoming, untitled thriller.

SHOWTIME has given a series order to the first season of the hour-long drama FIRST LADIES, starring and executive produced by Oscar, Emmy and Tony® winner Viola Davis, who will play former first lady Michelle Obama. Produced by SHOWTIME and Lionsgate Television, the series will also be executive produced by Julius Tennon, Oscar winner Cathy Schulman (Crash, Five Feet Apart), Jeff Gaspin (Rhythm + Flow, L.A.'s Finest), Brad Kaplan (Mr. Church) and author Aaron Cooley (Four Seats: A Thriller of the Supreme Court), who created the series and will write. The announcement was made today by Jana Winograde, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.

Emotive Fruition (Artistic Director, Thomas Dooley) has announced a live poetry event, LET LIGHTNING SET US ON FIRE, a one-night-only staged reading celebrating Valentine's Day with dramatic poems of modern love.

The Paley Center for Media will present A Salute to Black Achievements in Television Presented by Citi from February 1-March 1. This monthlong celebration will include an interactive exhibit focusing on comedy, spotlight BET Network's 40th anniversary, as well as family activities, education classes, and screenings featuring some of the most influential names in entertainment. Entry to the exhibit and screenings are free and open to the public.

A Soldier's Play officially opened on Broadway on January 21 for a limited engagement at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street).

Amazon Studios today announced it has signed an overall deal with Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning artist, director and screenwriter Steve McQueen, under which he will create and produce content for Amazon Studios to premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories. As part of the deal, the television project Last Days, a Lammas Park and See-Saw Films production, has been put into development. McQueen's upcoming drama Small Axe, a Turbine Studios and Lammas Park production for BBC One with Amazon co-producing in the U.S., starring John Boyega and Letitia Wright, will premiere on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S. later in 2020.

ABC today announced the explosive series finale of “How to Get Away with Murder” will air THURSDAY, MAY 14 (10:01-11:00 p.m. EDT). The critically acclaimed series, which will return for its six-episode killer farewell event on THURSDAY, APRIL 2, is currently in its sixth and final season. 

Trinity Rep continues its 2019-20 Season with the final play from American theatrical legend August Wilson - Radio Golf. Directed by resident acting company member Jude Sandy, the show features resident acting company member Joe Wilson, Jr., as Harmond Wilks, a man determined to revive his childhood neighborhood without considering the emotional cost. Both moving and funny, Radio Golf is the culmination of August Wilson's ten-play American Century Cycle chronicling each decade of African-American life in the twentieth century. Radio Golf runs January 31 - March 1, with press opening on Monday, February 3 at 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $27. More information can be found at www.TrinityRep.com/radiogolf.

Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director of Playwrights' Arena - the first and oldest theater dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and producing original works written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights - has announced its 2020 Season of World Premieres which include: RED INK by Steven Leigh Morris, A HIT DOG WILL HOLLER by Inda Craig-Galván, and FABULOUS MONSTERS by Diana Burbano.

Over the past ten years, Broadway has been home to a plethora of creative triumphs. From daring new works to re-imagined classics, theatre has consistently challenged our perspectives, ignited our passions, and defied our expectations. For that, audiences have the creative minds of Broadway to thank. 

ULISES OTERO of MIAMI, FL from NEW WORLD SCHOOL OF THE ARTS and UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, has been named a 2020 National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) Finalist in Theatre, the organization's highest honor. Otero has been recognized for his artistic achievement and joins 686 of the nation's most accomplished artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts.

“Live in Front of a Studio Audience: 'All in the Family' and 'Good Times'” adds even more star power to the highly anticipated live sitcom holiday special airing on ABC, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18 (8:00-9:32 p.m. EST). In this one-night-only event, an all-star lineup of talent will tackle the roles first portrayed in the iconic television sitcom “Good Times,” including Viola Davis and Andre Braugher as Florida Evans and James Evans, Jay Pharoah as J.J Evans, Asante Blackk as Michael Evans, Corinne Foxx as Thelma Evans and Tiffany Haddish recreating the role of Willona Woods. Jharrel Jerome is also confirmed to join the star-studded cast. Joining forces for a show-stopping musical performance will be ABC's Anthony Anderson and the legendary Patti LaBelle. This holiday-inspired live event produced by Sony Pictures Television will recreate installments of Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin's Emmy® Award-winning series “All in the Family” and groundbreaking sitcom “Good Times,” created by Mike Evans, Eric Monte and developed by Lear. 

Catarina de Luca Figueiredo of Miami, Florida from New World School of the Arts has been named a 2020 National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) Finalist in Theater, the organization's highest honor. De Luca Figueiredo has been recognized for her artistic achievement and was selected by an esteemed discipline-specific panel of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process. YoungArts award winners gain access to one of the most prestigious programs for emerging artists in the United States in which they will have opportunities for creative and professional development throughout their entire careers. A complete list of the 2020 winners, all 15-18 years old or in grades 10-12, is available online at youngarts.org/winners.

JORDAN RICE of ATLANTA, GA , has been named a 2020 National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) Finalist in DISCIPLINE, the organization's highest honor. RICE is a homeschooler and has been recognized for her artistic achievement and joins 686 of the nation's most accomplished artists in the visual, literary, and performing arts. RICE was selected by an esteemed discipline-specific panel of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process. This year's award winners represent the top 9.5% of applications across ten artistic disciplines. YoungArts award winners gain access to one of the most prestigious programs for emerging artists in the United States in which they will have opportunities for creative and professional development throughout their entire careers. A complete list of the 2020 winners, all 15-18 years old or in grades 10-12, is available online at youngarts.org/winners.

The Actors Fund, the national human services organization for everyone in performing arts and entertainment, will hold its Annual Gala on Monday, April 6, 2020. The evening will celebrate Tony Award-winning actor Matthew Broderick and Emmy Award-winning actor, producer and designer Sarah Jessica Parker; Tony Award-winning actor and Chairman of The Actors Fund Brian Stokes Mitchell; Academy Award-winning producer, co-owner of the New York Football Giants, and philanthropist Steve Tisch; and American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) President Richard L. Trumka as they receive The Actors Fund's Medal of Honor.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director/CEO) has announced the full cast of the new musical Darling Grenadine, book, music & lyrics by Daniel Zaitchik, directed & choreographed by Michael Berresse.