August Wilson Videos

Leslie Uggams recently recorded a rendition of Curtis McKonly's latest tune, 'Wishing You a Happy New Year,' alongside a 41-piece orchestra in celebration of 2015 coming to a close. Check it out below!

Today in 1989, City of Angels opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 879 performances. City of Angels is a musical comedy with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by David Zippel, and book by Larry Gelbart. The musical weaves together two plots, the 'real' world of a writer trying to turn his book into a screenplay, and the 'reel' world of the fictional film. The musical is an homage to the film noir genre of motion pictures that rose to prominence in the 1940s. It was directed by Michael Blakemore with sets designed by Robin Wagner and costumes by Florence Klotz.

The cast of the long-running hit musical JERSEY BOYS, now celebrating ten years on Broadway, performed a medley of songs on yesterday's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS.

The Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical Jersey Boys officially celebrated 10 record-breaking years on Broadway this weekend at the August Wilson Theatre, and oh, what a celebration it was. 

Frankie Valli himself has a lot to celebrate this weekend and he told us all about it on the opening night red carpet for ON YOUR FEET. Check out what he had to say about ten years of JERSEY BOYS below!

In honor of JERSEY BOYS' 10th anniversary on Broadway, the cast shared their top 10 favorite lines from the show. See what they had to say in the video below, and check out some surprise guests from around the globe to help celebrate the milestone!

Today in 2003, Little Shop of Horrors opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 372 performances. Little Shop of Horrors is a comedy horror rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman. The music, composed by Menken in the style of early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, 'Skid Row (Downtown)', 'Somewhere That's Green', and 'Suddenly, Seymour'.

Today in 1989, the first Broadway revival of Shenandoah opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 32 performances. Shenandoah is a musical that was written in 1975 with music by Gary Geld, lyrics by Peter Udell, and a book by Udell, Philip Rose and James Lee Barrett, based on Barrett's original screenplay for the 1965 film Shenandoah. The musical first opened at the Goodspeed Opera House in 1974 and then transferred to Broadway, opening on January 7, 1975. It ran on Broadway for a total of 1,050 performances, closing August 7, 1977. The production was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and won two, one for Best Actor in a Musical (John Cullum) and the other for Best Book of a Musical.

Happy Birthday Leslie Uggams! Uggams starred in Hallelujah, Baby!, which premiered on Broadway in 1967, and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a musical. She appeared on Broadway in the revue Blues in the Night in 1982 and in the musical revue of the works of Jerry Herman, Jerry's Girls in 1985. Later Broadway roles include Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (2003 - 2004) and Ethel Thayer in On Golden Pond at the Kennedy Center in 2004 and on Broadway at the Cort Theatre in 2005. In 2001 she appeared in the August Wilson play King Hedley II, receiving a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

Today in 1988, Carrie opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 5 performances. Carrie: The Musical is a musical with a book by Lawrence D. Cohen, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and music by Michael Gore. Adapted from Stephen King's novel Carrie, it focuses on an awkward teenage girl with telekinetic powers whose lonely life is dominated by an oppressive religious fanatic mother. When she is humiliated by her classmates at the high school prom, she wreaks havoc on everyone and everything in her path.

Today in 2000, The Wild Party opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 68 performances. The Wild Party is a musical with a book by Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe and music and lyrics by LaChiusa. It is based on the 1928 Joseph Moncure March narrative poem of the same name. The Broadway production coincidentally opened during the same theatrical season (1999-2000) as an off-Broadway musical with the same title and source material. Its plot centers on a party - fueled by bathtub gin, cocaine, and uninhibited sexual behavior - hosted by Queenie and Burrs, whose relationship is disintegrating. The cast included Toni Collette (making her Broadway debut) as Queenie, Mandy Patinkin as Burrs, and Yancey Arias as Black.

Today in 1995, Smokey Joe's Cafe opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre) where it ran for 2036 performances. Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Original Broadway cast recording, Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller won a Grammy award in 1996. In revue format with no unifying theme the 39 songs are presented by various members of the cast in various combinations, with no dialogue. There are novelty songs ('Charlie Brown'), romantic ballads ('Spanish Harlem') and infectious melodies ('There Goes My Baby').

THIRTEEN's AMERICAN MASTERS series and Pittsburgh PBS affiliate WQED join forces to explore the life and legacy of playwright August Wilson (April 27, 1945 - October 2, 2005) -- the man some call America's Shakespeare -- from his roots as an activist and poet to his indelible mark on Broadway. 'AMERICAN MASTERS -- August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand' premieres Friday, February 20, 2015, at 9 p.m. on PBS. Click below to watch three excerpts, featuring Phylicia Rashad, Rosalyn Coleman and others performing exclusive, original dramatic readings from August Wilson's 10-play 'Century Cycle'!

Today in 2005, Little Women opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 137 performances. Based on Louisa May Alcott's classic 1869 semi-autobiographical novel, it focuses on the four March sisters - brassy, tomboy-like, aspiring writer Jo, romantic Meg, pretentious Amy, and kind-hearted Beth - and their beloved Marmee, at home in Concord, Massachusetts while the family patriarch is away serving as a Union Army chaplain during the Civil War. Intercut with the vignettes in which their lives unfold are several recreations of the melodramatic short stories Jo writes in her attic studio. The Broadway cast included Sutton Foster, Maureen McGovern, Janet Carroll, Jenny Powers, Megan McGinnis, and Amy McAlexander.

The stars of Broadway's JERSEY BOYS have released a video shout-out to let the DNC know that NYC would like to host the DNC in 2016 - check it out below!

Following the publication of the interview, Rashad's comments, in particular her use of the words 'forget these women,' hit a nerve with those who interpreted the remarks as being uncaring and dismissive

JERSEY BOYS cast members Joseph Leo Bwarie, Richard H. Blake, Quinn VanAntwerp and Nathan Scherich stopped by this morning's GMA to perform their 'Big 3' Medley of songs from the smash Broadway musical.

Today in 1989, City of Angels opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 879 performances. City of Angels is a musical comedy with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by David Zippel, and book by Larry Gelbart. The musical weaves together two plots, the 'real' world of a writer trying to turn his book into a screenplay, and the 'reel' world of the fictional film. The musical is an homage to the film noir genre of motion pictures that rose to prominence in the 1940s. It was directed by Michael Blakemore with sets designed by Robin Wagner and costumes by Florence Klotz.

Today in 2003, Little Shop of Horrors opened at the Virginia Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre), where it ran for 372 performances. Little Shop of Horrors is a comedy horror rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman. The music, composed by Menken in the style of early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, 'Skid Row (Downtown)', 'Somewhere That's Green', and 'Suddenly, Seymour'.

Huntington Theatre Company welcomes Julia Duffy, Tony Award winner Adriane Lenox, and Boston favorite Will Lyman alongside Malcolm-Jamal Warner in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, the opening production of the 2014 Best of Boston's 33rd season. Adapted for the stage from the William Rose's Academy Award-winning screenplay by Todd Kreidler (Holler If Ya Hear Me on Broadway, August Wilson's longtime dramaturg) and directed by David Esbjornson (All My Sons at the Huntington and Driving Miss Daisy on Broadway), this funny and poignant stage adaptation of the award-winning 1967 film opens tomorrow, September 10. Click below to go behind the scenes with the cast and creative team, plus watch an invite from Warner to see the show!