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Broadway Black Celebrates National Swing Day

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Actors’ Equity Association has declared Jan. 13 “National Swing Day” in an attempt to “honor the unsung heroes of theatre.” As mentioned on Broadway Black, swings have one of the toughest jobs on Broadway and in theatre in general. Different from an understudy or standby, who go on as one character, the swing essentially must learn ALL parts of the show.

As Actors Equity puts it, “swings are those members of the company who cover all the other chorus members. Often the most important to cast because of the nature of the job, a Swing must have a wide vocal range, be able to dance and be able to step into a role from young child to an older character, male or female. A Swing also must know the smallest detail of every ‘track.’ Essentially, the Swing must be able to do it all and must be ready to go on at a moment’s notice.”

So in honor of #NationalSwingDay here’s a few of our favorite swing testimonials from some Broadway Black stars!

Rachel Oneika Phillips

Yesterday was declared #NationalSwingDay by the Actors Equity Association. My Broadway debut was a dream come true…and that dream in reality was some of the hardest and most rewarding artistic experiences of my life. Brought on as a Swing and Understudy I rehearsed relentlessly to learn 8 female tracks and 2 lead roles in FELA! The Musical. Trust me, it is not for the faint of heart. One of my proudest accomplishments. Big respect to those who dare, can and do! As Equity puts it, “Swings are those members of the company who cover all the other chorus members. Often the most important to cast because of the nature of the job, a Swing must have a wide vocal range, be able to dance and be able to step into a role from young child to an older character, male or female. A Swing also must know the smallest detail of every ‘track.’ Essentially, the Swing must be able to do it all and must be ready to go on at a moment’s notice.” #EquityTeamSwing #TBT #FELA! #Kikelomo #bereadyatamomentsnotice #swingnation #blocstars

A photo posted by Rachel Oneika Phillips (@dragonpassionfruit) on

Phoenix Best

Trisha Jeffery

Tracie Thoms

Jaquez Rudolpho

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Events and Happenings

Iconic Entertainer Gregory Hines Honored With a Black Heritage Series Stamp

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Savion Glover; Maurice Hines, Gregory’s brother; and Daria Hines, Gregory’s daughter Photo courtesy of USPS

The U.S. Postal Service honored iconic entertainer Gregory Hines with a Black Heritage Series stamp in a ceremony on January 28th. As the 42nd entry in the series, the stamp featuring a 1988 photo of a smiling Hines is now available at Post Offices and usps.com. 

At the ceremony Tony Award winner Savion Glover talked about the role Hines played in elevating tap into an art form and the value of his work. Joining him in the celebration were Maurice Hines, actor, dancer, choreographer, and Hines’ brother; Daria Hines, actress, costume designer, and Hines’ daughter; dancers Chloe and Maud Arnold; Tony Waag, the American Tap Dance Foundation’s artistic director, and tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith.

“I don’t exist without this man,” said Glover, “These young people that you see, they aren’t born without this. We are not here today without this.”

The Chief Postal Inspector, Gary Barksdale, who led the ceremony, said “Gregory Hines was an extraordinary artist in every sense of the word. This Forever stamp pays tribute to his life and career as an actor, singer and most importantly, as a performer whose unique style of tap dancing injected new artistry and excitement into a traditional American form.”

Gregory Hines’ Broadway credits include Eubie!, Sophisticated Ladies, & Comin’ Uptown,  all of which garnered him Tony Award nominations. He became a Tony Award winner for his starring role in “Jelly’s Last Jam” in 1992. In 2003 he passed away at 57 years old from cancer.

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Events and Happenings

Casts of Disney’s The Lion King, Frozen, & Aladdin Broadway Celebrate Black History Month

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Noah Ricketts, Aisha Jackson, Donald Jones Jr. Photo by Darnell Bennett

It’s a beautiful time to be Black on Broadway. For Black History Month, the casts of The Lion King, Aladdin, and Frozen on Broadway came together in a celebratory photo shoot with photographer Darnell Bennett involving 35+ company cast members.

Take a look at the behind-the-scenes video above and the accompanying photos below.

Cast members included The Lion King‘s Tryphena WadeLawrence Keith Alexander, Brian C. Binion, Lidiwe DlaminiDonna Michelle VaughnLaMar Baylor, Kyle Lamar MitchellBradley GibsonJamal Lee Harris, Elisha BowmansRay MercerL. Steven TaylorBongi DumaKimberly MarableSyndee WintersCameron AmandusPearl KhweziJaysin McCollumAngelica EdwardsIndia Bolds, Bonita HamiltonTshidi Manye, & Bravita Threatt.

Also, Noah RickettsAisha JacksonDonald Jones Jr. of Frozen, and Aladdin‘s Tyler RobertsPaige Williams, Deonte L WarrenTiffany EvaristeMajor AttawayAmber OwensJamie Kasey PattersonApril HollowayKathryn AllisonAriel ReidJuwan CrawleyTrent SaundersDennis Stowe, and Stanley Martin.

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Twitter: @BroadwayBlack

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