Forest Whitaker’s Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative #Performers4Peace Benefit Concert

I had the opportunity to be in the room where it happens and see a sneak peak into the Performers4Peace Benefit Concert rehearsal.

Let me fill you in.

Carly Hughes and Marcus Paul James sang the Michiko studios down. Hamilton’s, Alysha Deslorieux, stopped by and left with my edges.

And that was only two performances.

Hosted by Academy Award winner & recent star of Hughie on Broadway, Forest Whitaker, this will be a night to remember. Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart will emcee the concert with Sirius XM’s Julie James The evening will be directed by Olivier Award nominee Stafford Arima (Allegiance, The Secret Garden in Concert, Ragtime [West End], Carrie, Altar Boyz), and have performances by many Broadway Black favorites including:

Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin, Memphis, Spelling Bee)
Patrice Covington (The Color Purple)
Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews (co-author’s of Invisible Thread recently at Second Stage)
Mykal Kilgore (“The Wiz Live,” Motown, Book of Mormon)
Bryan Terrell Clark (“Person of Interest,” Motown)
Alysha Deslorieux (Hamilton, Beautiful, Sister Act)
Marcus Paul James (Rent, In the Heights, Motown)
Carly Hughes (Chicago, Pippin, Book of Mormon)
Drama Desk Award winner Derrick Baskin (“Difficult People,” Memphis, Spelling Bee)
Tony Award nominee Daniel Breaker (“Mozart in the Jungle,” Book of Mormon, Passing Strange)
Master Bucket Drummer ChoclattJared (featured percussion for Bring in Da Noise Bring in Da Funk, Lauryn Hill, Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé, & more)

Come in your cocktail attire, ready to hear songs of peace made popular by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, Whitney Houston, Bob Marley, Barbra Streisand & more in this one-night-only concert!

I can say without a doubt that 42West is the place to be on Monday, May 9, 2016.

Perhaps the best part of it all, is that this is for a good cause that was founded by such a humble and selfless member of our Broadway Black community, Forest Whitaker (Hughie,The Last King of Scotland, The Butler, Bird). The proceeds from Performers4Peace benefit concert will support Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative’s work to build peace in war-torn countries.

Okay!? You get it. This is a one-night performance that you MUST see!

The show starts at 8pm at 42West (514 West 42nd Street www.42west.com). Broadway Black will be doing our part to support peace and community building. Will you?

For tickets click HERE.

Performers4Peace is produced by Untitled Theatricals (An American in Paris, Hughie, Dames at Sea) in association with Langfelder Presents. The concert will be music directed by Juilliard alumnaAnnastasia Victory (Little Dancer, Leap of Faith, 3 Mo’ Divas), and the band will be comprised of musicians from various Broadway shows (The Lion King, Les Miserables, An American in Paris and The Color Purple, among others). The concert is orchestrated by Academy Award nominee & 6-time Emmy Award winner Chris Boardman; Grammy, Emmy & Drama Desk Award nominee Joseph Joubert; Andrew Beall & Annastasia Victory.

More about Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative:

Founded in 2012 by Academy Award, Golden Globe Award & BAFTA winner and UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace & Reconciliation, Forest Whitaker, WPDI’s mission is to help societies impacted by destructive conflicts transform into safer and more prosperous communities. They work to empower and inspire youth, women and global citizens to promote peace across the planet. WPDI currently has projects in South Sudan, Uganda, Mexico and The United States. For more information, please visit: www.wpdi.org