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Jennifer Holliday In Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies

Published

9 years ago

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Tony award winning actress Jennifer Holliday is set to return to the stage in Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies.  The concept for this musical was developed by Donald Mckayle and is based on the greatest hits of the Duke himself. The original production ran for 767 performances between 1981 and 1983 at the Lunt-Fontanne in New York City and starred legends like Judith Jamison, Gregory Hines, and Phyllis Hyman.

Ellington was born in the District of Columbia and went to New York in the 1920s. He is said to have composed over one thousand pieces of music and lead his band from its inception in 1923 until his death.  A career that spanned more than fifty years. The Duke was known for recording and performing music that not only highlighted the unity within his orchestra but individual musicians of particular talent.

Those of us who are theatre enthusiasts are no stranger to the talent of Jennifer Holliday.  She had her Broadway debut in 1971 and later performed in Dreamgirls where she received her Tony and also a Grammy for her recorded performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.”  Holliday is also the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 2000.

The spectacle of the affair does not stop at the full onstage orchestra, but extends to tap dancers, elaborate costumes, and incredible jazz vocalists. Set in the famous Cotton Club in Harlem. Holliday will perform Ellington hits such as:  “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)“, Sentimental Mood“, “Sophisticated Lady“, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore“, and “Old Man Blues”. The cast also features : Brandon O’neal, J.P. Qualters, Afra Hines, Brian Whitted, Kenny Williams, and Chanel Haynes-Schwartz.

This show will be opening in Austin on July 15, 2015 and running until August 23, 2015 at the Zach Theatre in the Topfer Theatre on the Karen Kuykendall stage. For more information or to purchase tickete click here.

Watch the original cast give the essence of Sophisticated Ladies below

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Box Office

Dave Chappelle Live On Broadway Grosses Over 1.4 Million Despite Blackout

Published

5 years ago

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July 16, 2019

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Dave Chappelle/Netflix. Photo by Mathieu Bitton
Dave Chappelle/Netflix. Photo by Lester Cohen

Dave Chappelle/Netflix. Photo by Lester Cohen

Comedian Dave Chappelle made his Broadway debut July 9th with Dave Chappelle Live on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.

Originally scheduled to close July 13th the residency was extended an additional week through July 20. Made possible by the In Residence on Broadway series which is a collaboration between Live Nation, The Araca Group, and Entertainment Benefits Group.

Saturday nights are the money makers on Broadway especially during the middle of July, in what we New Yorkers like to call tourist season. However, that all came crashing down when a power outage shut down most of the 41 Broadway houses this past Saturday. The blackout didn’t stop the show for most of those Broadway casts. They took to singing in the New York City streets, but the overall Broadway ticket sales took a 10% hit for the week.

Chappelle somehow came out unbothered by the blackout in his first week on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne. In just four nights on Broadway, the comedian raked in over 1.4 million, making him the 6th highest selling ticket of the week with an average ticket price of $243. He followed behind Hamilton at $2.67m  The Lion King at $2.39m, To Kill a Mockingbird at $1.7m, Wicked at $1.5m, and Moulin Rouge at 1.49m.

So, your Saturday night show is canceled, what do you do? Dave Chappelle does to impromptu sets at Gramercy Theatre and The Comedy Cellar.

 

 

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So there was a blackout on Broadway…. all roads lead to the #ComedyCellar.

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Box Office

Shuffle Along Launches Rush Tickets For Previews

Published

8 years ago

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March 22, 2016

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45th Street really is a magical.

We’ve got The Color Purple, Eclipsed, Kinky Boots, and The Lion King, all featuring casts largely, if not all, of color. #MYGOD

And if that wasn’t enough to bring you shuffling along down 45th, then we have a new incentive!

While in previews, Shuffle Along Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed is offering $40 rush tickets.

GIRL. You heard me. $40.

Let’s face it. The theatre isn’t cheap. So listen here, there’s a WAY to see this history making performance and the growth it is making every day until it opens. All you need is the WILL to get yourself to the box office before 10 a.m.

Shuffle Along welcomes six-time Tony Award Winner, Queen Audra McDonald, back to the stage, alongside Tony Award winners Brian Stokes Mitchell and Billy Porter. The cast of 34 is rounded out by Tony Award nominees Joshua Henry and Brandon Victor Dixon, and features Broadway Black’s Off-Book The Theatre Podcast host Amber Iman.

Tickets are for day-of performances and are available beginning at 10 a.m., Monday through Saturday until April 27. The box office of the Music Box Theatre is located at 239 West 45th Street.

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