Isaiah Johnson is set to lead a reading of Reginald: From Baltimore to Billionaire, which is based on the life of Reginald F. Lewis.
In case you missed this day in history class, Reginald F. Lewis is the first Black billionaire. He rose to affluence in the ’80s and died at the age of 50. Over his 5 decades of life, Reginald attended Harvard Law and achieved his status through his corporate acquisitions. He left his legacy through philanthropic efforts, donating millions of dollars each year to a number of institutions, from homeless shelters to neighborhood churches.
Written by Kevin Ray Johnson, Reginald takes us on a journey from childhood to billionaire status, and the struggles of life he faced in between. Isaiah joins the cast as Reginald F. Lewis. Lora Nicolas will play Loida Nicolas-Lewis, the wife of Reginald F. Lewis. The rest of the cast includes: Jessica Frances Dukes (Booty Candy at Playwrights Horizons), Savannah Frazier (Amazing Grace), Troy Hopper, Matt Welsh, Joe Sergio, Emily Bailey and Timothy-Michael Chastain.
The reading will be held Monday August 15th, 7:00 pm at Shetler Studios Penthouse 2.
Johnson is currently wondering how a man can do good, when all he knows is bad, under “Celie’s Curse” as Mister in the Tony-winning best revival of The Color Purple. Before The Color Purple, Johnson was seen in The Winter’s Tale, Peter and The Starcatcher, and The Merchant of Venice as Prince of Morocco.
The longest-running musical revue to play Broadway is making a triumphant return this summer as producers announced the comeback of hit revue Smokey Joe’s Cafe.
The Jukebox musical that garnered Tony award nominations for Broadway Black stars Victor Trent Cook, B.J. Crosby and the illustrious Brenda Braxton, is set for a revival, with rehearsals starting around the end of May, according to an Actors Equity audition posting. Previews are scheduled for July 19
Original producers Richard Frankel, Steve Baruch, Tom Viertel and Marc Routh are joining original cast Tony-nominated director Jerry Zaks to revive the hit revue. The show features songs by writers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, including fan favorites “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “I’m a Woman,” and “On Broadway.” After Midnight Choreographer,Warren Carlyle, has also signed on, along with musical direction by Sonny Paladino.
Smokey Joe’s opened on Broadway March 2, 1995 and despite harsh critical reviews, had substantial commercial success. The revue earned five Tony award nominations in 1995 including Best Featured Actress, Best Featured Actor, Best Choreography, Best Direction of a Musical and Best Musical. It also won the Grammy for Best Musical Show Album in 1996. After a nearly five year run and a bevy of special appearances, including Gloria Gaynor, Lou Rawls and Gladys Knight, the show closed Jan of 2000 after 2,036 performances.
In 2014, nearly 20 years after the first performance, Braxton directed original cast members for reunion concert performance of Smokey Joe’s at the famed Feinstein’s/ 54 Below.
“There’s so much history with us,” Braxton shared with the second of two sold-out crowds. “We weren’t just [together] on Broadway, we were a family.”
Production has yet to announce a venue.
Be sure to check in with Broadway Black for all the latest information!
I think it’s safe to say, we’re all sitting on the edge of our seats with popcorn and Sour Patch Kids, waiting for the Dec 3 arrival of NBC’s The Wiz Live! We may not be able to reach new levels of obsession over Shanice Williams and the rest of the star studded and immensely talented cast, but let me tell you something: there is more good news! Ne-Yo, I mean NBC, is taking us on a backstage, all-access look into the teamwork it takes to ease on down the road through “The Making of The Wiz Live!” on November 25 from 8-9pm EST.
We’ll see Shanice belting her face off, Queen Latifah bringing back “U.N.I.T.Y,” Mary J. Blige teaching us how she fits her infamous bop into her role as “Evilene”, and the original Dorothy, Stephanie Mills, reliving her experiences from the original Broadway production.
Okay, okay, okay! None of that was promised.. but tune in for an hour of insight that covers costumes to casting! And I’m sure candid (or not so candid) shots of Shanice singing! #yassss
UPDATE: Watch the latest promo video for #TheWizLive below!
The Wiz is an adaptation of L. Frank Baulm’s timeless, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, told through a lens that weaves in African American culture. Many were exposed to The Wiz through the 1978 film which featured Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Richard Pryor. However, the show we’ll see in December is based on the 1974 Broadway production of The Wiz that went on to snag seven Tony awards, including Best Musical.
The cast is like the Broadway Black version of The Avengers, bringing together our favorite veterans to give life to the revamped 2015 version of The Wiz. Shanice Williams leads us through the streets of Oz as “Dorothy”, Queen Latifah serves as the powerful, yet powerless legend: “The Wiz”, Mary J. Blige is “Evillene” (The Wicked Witch of the West), David Alan Grier searches for courage as the “Cowardly Lion”, Uzo Aduba is “Glinda”, Amber Riley is “Addaperle”, Stephanie Mills joins the company as “Auntie Em”, Elijah Kelley finally gets his brain as the “Scarecrow”, Common is the “Bouncer”, and Ne-Yo gets loose as the “Tin Man”. In the midst of so many talented stars, it’s no surprise that creativity produced magic. Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, music producer Harvey Mason, Jr., and music director Stephen Oremus, cowrote a new song which will be featured in the show.
Maybe we’ll get insight into that new song. Maybe we’ll see David Alan Grier crack jokes on his fellow castmates. Maybe we’ll just see Shanice smiling. All I know is we’re getting a glimpse into this highly anticipated production– the very glimpse my impatience needed.
Take a look at glimpse of the panel discussion we attended with a part of the cast at the Apple Store in Soho. If you follow us on Periscope you know we streamed the entire thing. It was great!
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