Connect with us

Broadway Black Box

Broadway Black Box Featuring Ben Vereen

Published

on

Here at Broadway Black we’ve wanted to really sit down and pick the brains of the Leads & Legends who have paved the way and those who are still laying gold down the streets of Broadway. We have finally gotten a chance to do so and we could not be more thrilled for it to begin with the phenomenal Ben Vereen. If you’re even questioning who Ben Vereen is, then you need to watch this interview.

If you remember the powerful moment in an episode of Fresh Prince where Will Smith cried because his biological father “didn’t want him”, which is a memory many of us have from childhood, Vereen portrayed that father. Also the Tony Award winners’ list of credits is long. He truly paved the way for Broadway Black to even exist.

A Tony and Drama Desk Award winner for his renowned performance in Bob Fosse’s Pippin, Mr. Vereen’s Broadway credits include: Wicked, I’m Not Rappaport, Chicago, Hair,Fosse, Jelly’s Last Jam, Jesus Christ Superstar, and A Christmas Carol. In 2010, Ben completed a successful run in the world premiere of Fetch Clay, Make Man, directed by Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys) at the McCarter Theatre. Film: Idlewild,All That Jazz, Sweet Charity, Funny Lady (Golden Globe nomination), Why Do Fools Fall in Love, Once Upon a Forest. Television: The legendary television miniseries Roots, How I Met Your Mother (recurring), Grey’s Anatomy (Prism Award), Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Hallmark’s An Accidental Friendship (NAACP nomination),Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, Louis Armstrong – Chicago Style,Ellis Island (Golden Globe Nomination), Anne Rice’s Feast of All Saints, Zoobilee Zoo, and Star Trek – The Next Generation. Ben’s most recent feature film was Paramount Studios’ Top Five starring Chris Rock and is co-starring with Richard Gere in the upcoming Time Out Of Mind.

Watch our interview below as we talk about his upcoming show @ 54 Below (March 17th -21st) and highlight his career and influence in our community and beyond.

Join Ben Vereen at 54 Below for an unforgettable evening of song and story. The Broadway legend returns to our stage with his acclaimed show Steppin’ Out, including new songs! The New York Daily News wrote, “Vereen blows onto the stage with a gale force ready to sweep the audience up, up and away”… so be prepared to be knocked off your feet by this riveting performance. Get Your Tickets HERE!

Founder/Editor-In-Chief of BroadwayBlack.com | Actor | Artist | 1/3 of @OffBookPodcast | Theatre connoisseur | All Audra Everything | Caroline over Change | I'm Not Charl Brown | Norm Lewis is my play cousin | Producing an all-black production of Mame starring Jenifer Lewis in my head

Advertisement
1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Pingback: Ben Vereen Brings Acclaimed One-Man Show To Schimmel Center - BroadwayBlack.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Broadway Black Box

Joshua Henry Goes Back to School…Kinda

Published

on

Shuffle Along star Joshua Henry took some time before rehearsals to go back to the place where it all began.

The University of Miami graduate got a little nostalgic with his social media followers as he took a literal walk down memory lane through the campus.  Boasting his Miami green “U” tank top and sandals (clearly enjoying the antithesis of New York winter weather), Henry stood proudly in front of the Jerry Herman Ring Theater, the student performance space that cultivated his budding creativity as well as that of several other notable students.

Never forget where you came from. Before I was ready for Broadway, I honed my performing chops here at the University of Miami’s #JerryHermanRingTheater. This is where the fire was fanned. Just visited today and felt all the feelings again! #AllAboutTheU #humblebeginnings

Inside the theater, it was almost as if Henry had stepped back in time and could see and feel all of the experiences he’d had in the space.  He vividly narrated the memory of his first acting class:

This is the black box theater at the University of Miami. Bruce Miller was the first person to give me an acting class in college.  Freshman year we all sat in a circle here and we said something about where we’re from and what we wanna accomplish in the next four years and there was just so much love here, but it just brings back the craziest memories.  Wow.

After graduating from the Coral Gables campus in 2006, Henry instantly landed a role in Godspell at Papermill Playhouse.  By 2007, the crooner was on Broadway with In the Heights.  Henry played “Tin Man” in The Wiz at City Center and a very sexy “Favorite Son” in American Idiot before earning a 2011 Tony Award nomination for his powerful depiction of Haywood Patterson in Scottsboro Boys.

VIDEO: Where did I learn how to act? University of Miami theater department! #DaU #HumbleBeginnings Jerry Herman Ring Theatre

Posted by Joshua Henry on Tuesday, January 5, 2016

I’m counting the days until we get to see many of our favorite Broadway Black stars in Shuffle Along, namely, my boo, Mr. Henry.  I’m also hoping that somewhere in Hamilton’s eternal run (because it’s obviously not going anywhere anytime soon) I will get to see a Joshua Henry portrayal of Aaron Burr. #FangirlFantasy.  Lin Manuel, are you listening??

Continue Reading

Broadway Black Box

EXCLUSIVE: The Musical Brandy Would Love To Star In & Its NOT The Wiz

Published

on

We recently chatted it up with Grammy award winning Brandy Norwood and, just in case you’ve been living under a rock, she is currently starring on Broadway as Roxie Hart in Chicago The Musical. She made her Broadway debut back in April and will continue in the show until Aug 2nd. (So make sure you have your tickets!) However, it seems as though Brandy has gotten the theatre bug and is not letting go.

She was recently seen on the subway singing the classic song “Home” From The Wiz. BUT she’s got her eye on an even bigger fish. Brandy told us in our Broadway Black Box interview that she wants to come back to Broadway as Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun. A show that originally starred Ethel Merman in 1946 and had a really popular revival in 1999 with Bernadette Peters, who played the wicked stepmother to Brandy’s Cinderella in the popular television remake. (Reba McEntire did a limited engagement in Annie Get Your Gun back then, much like Brandy is doing in Chicago now) We never seen or heard of a black Annie Oakley buy we’re definitely not opposed.

It was such a surprise to us, so excuse the squeals of excitement as Brandy gives us an exclusive snippet into what she’d sound like as Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun. We would actually be thrilled to see this and who knows? Maybe this could be Brandy’s Tony winning role or nomination at the very least.

We are so proud to know that she is a Broadway lover and that she’ll be coming back to us soon in one show or another. A revival of Annie Get Your Gun doesn’t sound to shabby now does it?

Watch the video & sound off in the comments of what show you’d want Brandy to return to Broadway with?

Watch our entire interview with the superstar by clicking the link below

BROADWAY BLACK BOX FEATURING BRANDY NORWOOD

Continue Reading

Twitter: @BroadwayBlack

Hot Topics