A Darker Nerd Harlem
vintageblackglamour: Happy 80th Birthday Nichelle Nichols! Ms. Nichols was born on December 28, 1932 in Robbins, IL and in this 1961 photo, Ms. Nichols rehearses a dance number with some of the cast from “Kicks and Co.,” a 1961 musical satire about segregation that was directed at one point by Lorraine Hansberry and produced by her husband). Although the show had major financial backing, an “all-star interracial cast” (Burgess Meredith, Lonnie Sattin, Vi Velasco) and success in Chicago, it never made it to Broadway as planned. Photo via The New York Public Library. 

vintageblackglamour:

Happy 80th Birthday Nichelle Nichols! Ms. Nichols was born on December 28, 1932 in Robbins, IL and in this 1961 photo, Ms. Nichols rehearses a dance number with some of the cast from “Kicks and Co.,” a 1961 musical satire about segregation that was directed at one point by Lorraine Hansberry and produced by her husband). Although the show had major financial backing, an “all-star interracial cast” (Burgess Meredith, Lonnie Sattin, Vi Velasco) and success in Chicago, it never made it to Broadway as planned. Photo via The New York Public Library. 

(via aragingquiet)

29 / 12
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vintageblackglamour: Ethel Ayler, Leslie Scott (left) and LeVern Hutcherson (right) arrive in Berlin for a second tour of concert performances of music from “Porgy and Bess” on December 12, 1955. You may remember Ms. Ayler as a model (with gorgeous silver hair)  in the 1980s and as Claire Huxtable’s mother on “The Cosby Show.” Mr. Scott was a baritone who sang the part of “Porgy” and played “Jake” in the film version in 1959. Mr. Hutcherson was also a baritone who sang the role of “Porgy” many times and recorded a cast album of “Porgy and Bess” with my aunt, Margaret Tynes and the wonderful Avon Long as “Sportin’ Life.” Photo: Popperfoto/Getty Images

vintageblackglamour:

Ethel Ayler, Leslie Scott (left) and LeVern Hutcherson (right) arrive in Berlin for a second tour of concert performances of music from “Porgy and Bess” on December 12, 1955. You may remember Ms. Ayler as a model (with gorgeous silver hair)

 in the 1980s and as Claire Huxtable’s mother on “The Cosby Show.” Mr. Scott was a baritone who sang the part of “Porgy” and played “Jake” in the film version in 1959. Mr. Hutcherson was also a baritone who sang the role of “Porgy” many times and recorded a cast album of “Porgy and Bess” with my aunt, Margaret Tynes and the wonderful Avon Long as “Sportin’ Life.” 

Photo: Popperfoto/Getty Images
13 / 08
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Audra McDonald calls the theater her home. Sunday night she took her place at the head of the table.

McDonald’s star turn in a revival of Porgy & Bess culminated in her winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the fifth Tony of her career. But as Shadow and Act’s Tambay reported Monday, not only has McDonald reached some rarified air–she’s only the third woman ever (and first woman of color) to win this many Tonys–but she’s done so with shocking efficiency: she’s appeared in only 10 Broadway productions since 1991.

“To help put this into some perspective,” Tambay writes, “imagine a Hollywood actress making 10 movies over a 20 year period, and winning Academy Awards (whether supporting or lead) for her performances in 5 of them.”

Tambay also raises a good question–where could McDonald, who also has two Grammy Awards and two Emmy Award nominations under her belt, go from here? One tantalizing possibility: Aretha Franklin reportedly wants McDonald to play her in a movie.

Arturo García explains how and why Audra McDonald is so fly on the R today. (via racialicious)
12 / 06
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vintageblackglamour: Diahann Carroll and Richard Kiley on Broadway in the 1962 musical, “No Strings.” The iconic composer, Richard Rodgers (Rodgers & Hammerstein) conceived the role of Barbara Woodruff, a fashion model in Paris who falls in love with a white writer from Maine (Mr. Kiley) with Ms. Carroll in mind. She won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (tied with Anna Maria Alberghetti in Carnival!) for her work. Photo: Bettman/Corbis

vintageblackglamour:

Diahann Carroll and Richard Kiley on Broadway in the 1962 musical, “No Strings.” The iconic composer, Richard Rodgers (Rodgers & Hammerstein) conceived the role of Barbara Woodruff, a fashion model in Paris who falls in love with a white writer from Maine (Mr. Kiley) with Ms. Carroll in mind. She won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (tied with Anna Maria Alberghetti in Carnival!) for her work. Photo: Bettman/Corbis

10 / 06
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'Death of a Salesman' Sets Record Broadway Ticket Price by Charging $499 | NY Times

popculturebrain:

For one ticket. I mean Andrew Garfield is cute … but that cute?

04 / 06
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Broadway's 'Leap of Faith' to Close Sunday | Playbill

popculturebrain:

Despite a Tony nomination. Yikes.

Once again… karma is a bitch.

08 / 05
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Tony Award Nominees 2012 | Playbill

Best Play 

Clybourne Park
Other Desert Cities
Peter and the Starcatcher
Venus in Fur

Best Musical
Leap of Faith
Newsies
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Once

Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
Master Class
Wit

Best Revival of a Musical
Evita
Follies
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Jesus Christ Superstar

Best Book of a Musical

Lysistrata Jones
Douglas Carter Beane

Newsies
Harvey Fierstein

Nice Work If You Can Get It
Joe DiPietro

Once
Enda Walsh

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Bonnie & Clyde
Music: Frank Wildhorn
Lyrics: Don Black

Newsies
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Jack Feldman

One Man, Two Guvnors
Music & Lyrics: Grant Olding

Peter and the Starcatcher
Music: Wayne Barker
Lyrics: Rick Elice

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

James Corden, One Man, Two Guvnors
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
James Earl Jones, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
Frank Langella, Man and Boy
John Lithgow, The Columnist

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda, Venus in Fur
Tracie Bennett, End of the Rainbow
Stockard Channing, Other Desert Cities
Linda Lavin, The Lyons
Cynthia Nixon, Wit

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Follies
Jeremy Jordan, Newsies
Steve Kazee, Once
Norm Lewis, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Ron Raines, Follies

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Jan Maxwell, Follies
Audra McDonald, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Cristin Milioti, Once
Kelli O’Hara, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Laura Osnes, Bonnie & Clyde

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher
Michael Cumpsty, End of the Rainbow
Tom Edden, One Man, Two Guvnors
Andrew Garfield, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Jeremy Shamos, Clybourne Park

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Linda Emond, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Spencer Kayden, Don’t Dress for Dinner
Celia Keenan-Bolger, Peter and the Starcatcher
Judith Light, Other Desert Cities
Condola Rashad, Stick Fly

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Phillip Boykin, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Michael Cerveris, Evita
David Alan Grier, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Michael McGrath, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Josh Young, Jesus Christ Superstar

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Elizabeth A. Davis, Once
Jayne Houdyshell, Follies
Judy Kaye, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Jessie Mueller, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Ghost the Musical

Best Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty, Other Desert Cities
Daniel Ostling, Clybourne Park
Mark Thompson, One Man, Two Guvnors
Donyale Werle, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bob Crowley, Once
Rob Howell and Jon Driscoll, Ghost the Musical
Tobin Ost and Sven Ortel, Newsies
George Tsypin, Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark

Best Costume Design of a Play
William Ivey Long, Don’t Dress for Dinner
Paul Tazewell, A Streetcar Named Desire
Mark Thompson, One Man, Two Guvnors
Paloma Young, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Follies
ESosa, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Eiko Ishioka, Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark
Martin Pakledinaz, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Jeff Croiter, Peter and the Starcatcher
Peter Kaczorowski, The Road to Mecca
Brian MacDevitt, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Kenneth Posner, Other Desert Cities

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Christopher Akerlind, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Natasha Katz, Follies
Natasha Katz, Once
Hugh Vanstone, Ghost the Musical

Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti, One Man, Two Guvnors
Scott Lehrer, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Gareth Owen, End of the Rainbow
Darron L. West, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Acme Sound Partners, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Clive Goodwin, Once
Kai Harada, Follies
Brian Ronan, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Evita
Christopher Gattelli, Newsies
Steven Hoggett, Once
Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Best Direction of a Play
Nicholas Hytner, One Man, Two Guvnors
Pam MacKinnon, Clybourne Park
Mike Nichols, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Direction of a Musical
Jeff Calhoun, Newsies
Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Diane Paulus, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
John Tiffany, Once

Best Orchestrations
William David Brohn and Christopher Jahnke, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Bill Elliott, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Martin Lowe, Once
Danny Troob, Newsies

Just give things to Newsies, please.

(Source: popculturebrain)

01 / 05
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Smash's Megan Hilty to Play Lorelei Lee in Encores' "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" | NY Times

popculturebrain:

Meta.

01 / 02
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popculturebrain: Here you go theater nerds. via Lin Manuel Miranda (yup) <3333333333333333333333333333333

popculturebrain:

Here you go theater nerds.

via Lin Manuel Miranda (yup)

<3333333333333333333333333333333

22 / 11
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vintageblackglamour: Howard University theater students photographed in 1946 by LIFE magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt. This is the coolest.

vintageblackglamour:

Howard University theater students photographed in 1946 by LIFE magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt.

This is the coolest.

12 / 11
187 notes
Single Black Female addicted to retail, and well...