Unlike many Americans, I didn’t grow up on Disney films. Sure, I owned Pocahontas, The Lion King and Aladdin on VHS, but I can’t quote an entire movie and I certainly don’t know every song. It wasn’t until I visited Disney World with Princeton High School Symphonic Band that I began to understand the magic behind the world of Disney.
Disney shaped the childhood memories of many and continues to make memories eight times a week on Broadway through The Lion King and Aladdin.
Not only do the shows have large ensembles of, arguably, the most spirited people on Broadway prone to break out in song in an otherwiselifeless layover in La Guardia, but each cast boasts a large representation of men and women of color.
I’m still replaying Viola Davis’ Emmy acceptance speech and the Tony and Emmy-Award Winning actress could not be more spot on with her remark that Black women can’t win awards if there is no opportunity for them. It’s no secret that Broadway continues to struggle with diversity on the stage and with its patrons. Mega-hit Hamilton is changing the game by not only bringing a show to the stage that features a hip hop influence, but highlighting the talent of people of color by blindly casting some of America’s greatest historical figures.
But to me, the question is still how do we make theatre more accessible? How do we bring in a diverse crowd? How do we cultivate a love and passion for the stage at a young age?
A lot of this starts by seeing people of color in complex, sincere, challenging, leading roles. Creating opportunity. Writing a new reality.
The Lion King recently made history by surpassing Phantom of the Opera as the highest- grossing Broadway show of all time. Phantom producer Cameron MacKintosh credits Tony Award-Winning director, Julie Taymor, and her vision for “bringing in elements of Asian and African theater, music and performance” as one of the many factors in its success.
Here’s to writers, producers, and directors reaching through “green fields and lovely flowers” and giving opportunity to these talented men and women.
Special shout out to the incredible men and women of color in these productions!
The Lion King: L. Steven Taylor (Mufasa), Gugwana Dlamini (Rafiki), Jelani Remy (Simba), Chantel Riley (Nala), James Brown-Orleans (Banzai), Bonita J. Hamilton (Shenzi), K’Lynn Jackman (Young Nala), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Young Nala), Nathaniel Logan McIntyre (Young Simba), Jahi Diallo Winston(Young Simba), Lawrence Keith Alexander (Ensemble), LaMar Baylor (Ensemble), Allison Blackwell (Ensemble) India Bolds (Ensemble), Elishah Bowman (Ensemble), Derrick Davis (Ensemble), Lindiwe Dlamini (Ensemble), Bongi Duma (Ensemble), Angelica Edwards (Ensemble), Jamal Lee Harris (Ensemble), Kenny Ingram (Ensemble), Andre Jackson (Ensemble), Lindsey Jolyn Jackson (Ensemble), Joel Karie (Ensemble), Lisa Lewis (Ensemble), Mduduzi Madela (Ensemble), Kimberly Marable (Ensemble), Jaysin McCollum (Ensemble), Ray Mercer (Ensemble), Kyle Lamar Mitchell (Swing), S’bu Ngema (Ensemble), Nhlanhla Ngobeni (Ensemble), James A. Pierce III (Swing), Chondra La-Tease Profit (Sarabi/ Ensemble), Jacqueline Rene (Swing), Thandazile A. Soni Donna Michelle Vaughn (Ensemble), Kellen Stancil (Swing Dance Captain), Sophia Stephens (Ensemble/ Understudy Rafiki, Sarabi, and Nala), Bravita Threatt (Swing/ Dance Captain), Natalie Turner (Swing), and Donna Michelle Vaughn (Ensemble).
The Lion King is directed by Julie Taymor and choreographed by Garth Fagan. It is on stage at the Minskoff Theater. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
Aladdin: James Monroe Iglehart (Genie), Clifton Davis (Sultan), Trevor Dion Nicholas (Standby Genie/Babkak/Sultan), Tia Altinay (Attendant, Ensemble), Donald Jones, Jr. (Henchman, Ensemble), Amber Owens (Ensemble), Khori Michelle Petinaud (Attendant, Ensemble), Ariel Reid (Ensemble), and Jaz Sealy (Prince Abdullah, Ensemble).
Aladdin is directed and choreographed by Tony Award-Winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Something Rotten!) and is on stage at the New Amsterdam Theater. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
In the same line of thought as “innocent until proven guilty,” do we grant the assumption of positive intent in our expectations of our brothers and sister in regards to woke-ness, à la woke until proven problematic?
Now don’t get me wrong, there was no doubt in my heart that Tony and Grammy Award-winner, Billy Porter, was woke. Nope, none. What I wasn’t ready for, was the way he fixed his fingers to pen one of the greatest acceptance speeches of my lifetime, and how he turned the Gospel classic “I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired” into a battle song.
The 28th Annual GLAAD Media Awards honored Billy Porter with the Vito Russo Award, presented to an openly LGBTQ media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance.
He started by affirming the room full of members of marginalized communities, with my personal daily mantra: “You are enough. we are enough.”
Since the beginning of time artists are the folks who engage critically and encourage those who think they are powerless to question the status quo.
Brothers and sisters across the room leaned in.
The days of shut up and sing are over.
Alliteration informed and illustrated as Porter preached on remaining “vigilantly visual” as we tell our stories. Acknowledging the reality of our times, he spoke on Number 45:
Where they slipped up this time is in that declaration of war. It’s not only against Black and Brown people and Queer people anymore, it’s against ALL of us. And as a result, the good news is: white folk, and straight folk, and all those fierce women folk, are mad now. And NOW maybe something might get done!
Get. Your. War. Clothes. On.
From slavery to emancipation, to the 13th Amendment, to Jim Crow, to the Civil Rights Movement. From Stonewall to AIDS, to marriage equality— we gotta remember the shoulders who we stand on—the ones who fought and died for those freedoms that we hold so dear. Let’s use these historical strides we’ve made as a nation to empower us as warriors on this battlefield of equality.
Amen.
Until we can figure out how to love one another unconditionally, no one wins. Freedom. Equality. Justice. Have always come at a cost and evidently the always will.
If that’s not the truth.
Stay strong. Stay vigilante. Stay visible. Stay hopeful. Stay focused. Be brave. Be fierce.
Resist.
RESIST.
RESIST.
RESIST.
For a full list of this year’s winners, honorees, and guests, visit GLAAD.
We recently caught up with Jazmine Sullivan at The HeLa Project, a multimedia exhibition inspired by the HBO film, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
Like the rest of us, Jazmine is in awe of the under-told story of Henrietta Lacks and her instrumental role in modern medicine. We further asked about why she got involved with the project and she said: “Anyway I can give light to an extraordinary woman like that, I’m there.”
Some of the integral women in bringing this story to light have their roots in Broadway: Tony Award-winning producer Oprah Winfrey, who not only stars in the film, but also credited as executive producer, and Tony Award winner Renée Elise Goldsberry, who portrays the title character.
We wouldn’t be Broadway Black if we didn’t keep it real.
Let’s be honest, we can’t get enough of 11-year-old Jazmine singing “Home” like she wrote the piece, so we got to asking, and it turns out Jazmine wouldn’t mind putting her pen to paper to create a musical for the Broadway stage.
She said performing on Broadway isn’t in the plans for the near future but, “You never know! I love writing and creating characters!”
Until then, it sounds like we have some new music to expect. What kind of musical would you like to see from Ms. Sullivan? Sound off below in the comments!
