Cleavant Derricks Videos

What does it take to bring Wicked to cities across the country? Go inside the load-in process for the Wicked national tour, filmed at Tucson's Centennial Hall!

Today, producers Eden Espinosa, Bridget Elise Yingling, Scott Prisand, Doug Feurring and Jana Shea announced a one-night-only 15th Anniversary reunion concert of BKLYN: The Musical featuring Original Broadway stars Drama League nominee Eden Espinosa (RENT, Wicked) as Brooklyn, Tony Award winner Karen Olivo (Moulin Rouge, In the Heights) as Faith, and stage star Ramona Keller (The Public Theatre's Hercules, City Center's Little Shop of Horrors) as Paradice. The concert, which benefits Covenant House Foundation (www.covenanthouse.org), will be presented on the 15th anniversary of the show's Broadway opening night, Monday, October 21 at 7:30 PM, at Brooklyn Steel (319 Frost Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222). Tickets can be purchased HERE. 

Amber Riley dropped in on The Graham Norton Show this week in support of her upcoming West End turn as Effie White in the first ever UK production of the 1980's classic musical, Dreamgirls. Watch the video below to catch one of the first glimpses of the production as Ms. Riley slays the iconic ballad, 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going'.

Signature Theatre's JELLY'S LAST JAM, directed by Signature Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature's La Cage Aux Folles, West Side Story) and choreographed byJared Grimes (Broadway's After Midnight), runs now through September 11 in Signature Theatre's intimate MAX Theatre. The musical about famed and notorious jazz entertainer Jelly Roll Morton by George C. Wolfe, Susan Birkenhead, and Luther Henderson features the music of Jelly Roll Morton. Click below to watch highlights from the show!

Below, check out the cast of Jelly's Last Jam in the rehearsal room, plus watch Signature's talented, hardworking tech crew transform the MAX Theatre from a drag club on the French Riviera in La Cage aux Folles to the Jungle Inn, a 1920s jazz club, for Jelly's Last Jam!

Signature Theatre's JELLY'S LAST JAM, directed by Signature Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature's La Cage Aux Folles, West Side Story) and choreographed by Jared Grimes (Broadway's After Midnight), runs August 2 - September 11 in Signature Theatre's intimate MAX Theatre. The musical about famed and notorious jazz entertainer Jelly Roll Morton by George C. Wolfe, Susan Birkenhead, and Luther Henderson features the music of Jelly Roll Morton. Click below to watch a teaser for the show!

Goodman Theatre Resident Director Chuck Smith presents the Chicago premiere production of Cheryl L. West's Pullman Porter Blues-a 2013 Helen Hayes/Charles MacArthur Award nominee for Outstanding New Play/Musical. BroadwayWorld has a first look at highlights of the show below!

TREASURE ISLAND ~ A NEW MUSICAL set to sail at Arkansas Rep on March 8, 2013. Featuring a book by Brett Smock and Carla Vitale and music and lyrics by Corinne Aquilina, the show is directed and choreographed by Brett Smock. Watch the video below as cast and crew replicate storms on the high seas in 'Hispaniola'!

Syfy's new original movie SWAMP VOLCANO will premiere on Saturday, January 28th from 9-11 p.m. ET.

30 years ago today, Dreamgirls premiered on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre. The production was directed by Michael Bennett, produced by Bennett, Bob Avian, Geffen Records, and The Shubert Organization, and choreographed by Bennett and Michael Peters. It starred Sheryl Lee Ralph as Deena Jones, Jennifer Holliday as Effie White, Loretta Devine as Lorrell Robinson, Ben Harney as Curtis Taylor, Jr., Cleavant Derricks as James 'Thunder' Early, and Obba Babatundé as C. C. White. Dreamgirls proved to be a star-making vehicle for several of its performers, particularly Holliday, whose performance as Effie received significant praise.

The Pasadena Playhouse just opened the west coast premiere of the new musical TWIST - An American Musical by William F. Brown and Tina Tippit (book), Tena Clark (lyrics and music) and Gary Prim (music). Golden Globe and multi-Emmy Award-winner Debbie Allen directs a cast of 31 performers led by Tamyra Gray ('American Idol,' Rent and Bombay Dreams) and Cleavant Derricks (Tony Award-winner, Dreamgirls). The five-week limited engagement performs June 14 - July 17, 2011 with the official press opening on June 26, 2011 at The Pasadena Playhouse (39 S. El Molino Avenue).

Producer John Breglio and the Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. will bring Broadway uptown for four weeks only with Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theater, prior to the national tour of the new production of the groundbreaking musical.

BroadwayWorld's own James Sims recently caught up with Jason Alexander during rehearsals for Damn Yankees discussing the former 'Seinfeld' alum joining Reprise! as Artistic Director and his vision for the future of the Los Angeles theatre company.