On this ‘Beyond the Stage Door’ we have Marcus Paul James. Y’all Marcus has credits for days and a voice that was soaked in the blood of the lord (HALLELUJAH) and coated in vanilla. This man sing for days and is one of my biggest inspirations. If you’re like me you first saw his face in ‘RENT: filmed live on Broadway’. Marcus closed out the show and rightfully so with all he gave to the show. So let’s get into the interview Your Journey with RENT has been extensive to say the least, what calls you back to this show after all this time? RENT is timeless to me. Being…
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Shows that will make you cry laughing: ‘Black Nerd’
“Black Nerd is a dark comedy about a young man’s journey navigating the expectations of his black family and white friends. When race and geekdom collide, you get a Black Nerd.” As soon as I read this synopsis of the show I fell in love. My first thought was “Finally a show for me!” As a black nerd this was the show of my dreams but as an audience member there was something interesting about the show. Naturally, Black Nerd’s target audience is black people. But the jokes range from ‘Saved by the bell’ to Missy Elliot’s “Work it” and it’s interesting to see how different audiences react to the…
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Waitress’ next Jenna and why she’s important
“#representationmatters” On Wednesday, it was announced that following Katharine McPhee’s run in ‘Waitress’ on Broadway that Nicolette Robinson would take over the role of Jenna. Nicolette will be the FIRST woman of color to take on this role on Broadway. If you’re like me, you’ve been waiting on this to happen since the show opened on Broadway. Waitress has been one of the biggest “maybes” for women of color in recent history. I want you to think in this scenario, you walk into the waiting of an audition and you’re the only person of color there not auditioning for the token “black” role. You’ve been going in for this show…
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Seize the day with ‘Newsies’ at the Aurora Theatre
The Aurora Theatre changed the game with this production of Disney’s “Newsies”. The Aurora takes the music riddling audition books across the country and brings it to life in this breathtaking production of ‘Newsies’. Since Newsies opened on Broadway in March 2012, it has taken the world by storm. Its infectious and hard hitting music is some of the most beautiful and complex music written by Alan Menken. In their 23rd season, The Aurora theatre upholds its reputation of being one of the most consistent theatres in Atlanta. My favorite thing about the Aurora is that whenever you enter their doors you’re not only welcomed by the atmosphere but even…
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Parents’ Guide to National Tours: The Book of Mormon
If you’re the parent of a theatre kid, you likely never have any idea what your kids are asking you to see, especially if it’s The Book of Mormon. From rapping founding fathers or maybe even their favorite movies. Who cares about the ten dollar founding fathers or why is anyone still trying to make fetch happen? What does Hasa Diga Ebowai and why is your teen randomly talking about Cher, well you have a theatre kid so here’s a glimpse into their minds. The Book of Mormon is a musical comedy written by the creators of ‘South Park’, Trey Parker and Matt Stone. In 2011, the show won…
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Review: ‘Titanic’ brings history to life before your eyes
How did they build titanic? Those words ring throughout the audience early on in this show and set you on the journey. Serenbe Playhouse brings this show to life in an extraordinarily rare production. Without a doubt, this is truly the production to end all other productions at this show. Serenbe Playhouse has recently been reimagining shows from Evita to The Little Mermaid but nothing on this level. This is the biggest season Serenbe has seen so far and with this show, they’ve done something unprecedented. Simply put “You can’t fire a flare or sink a ship on a Broadway stage”. Brian Clowdus and the team at Serenbe found…
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Bonus Reason to go see Book of Mormon on tour
….But wait, there’s more! 6. There’s going to be a LOTTERY! THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, is pleased to announce a lottery ticket policy for the National Tour, which begins Tuesday, July 17 at the Fox Theatre, and plays a limited engagement through Sunday, July 22 as part of the Broadway in Atlanta 2017/2018 season. In Atlanta, the production will conduct a pre-show lottery at the box office, making a limited number of tickets available at $25 each (cash only). The wildly popular lottery for the Broadway production has attracted as many as 800 entries at some performances. The producers of THE BOOK…
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5 Reasons to see The Book of Mormon on Tour
5 reasons to go see The Book of Mormon on tour The Book of Mormon is making its return to the Fox Theatre and they’re not here for long! This uber talented cast starts their run on July 17 and they leave on July 22. and if that wasn’t reason enough to buy tickets, here are five more! 1.This show won NINE Tonys Winning a Tony is an accomplishment but in 2011, ‘The Book of Mormon’ practically swept the Tonys. They won nine Tonys, including best musical, best book, best original score AND best orchestrations. Essentially, that means the music of this show is out of this world. Every time…
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Beyond the Stage Door with Alvin Hough Jr.
This week’s ‘Beyond the Stage Door’ is with Alvin Hough Jr. Alvin is part of a new wave of young conductors and music directors on Broadway, and one of the few people of color in this group. He career is extensive and it’s just beginning. Alvin has performed everywhere from the White house to Tokyo. He has performed worldwide – in opera houses, theatres, cathedrals and everywhere in between on top of being a husband and father. Here’ his interview You have a degree from Harvard and one from Georgia tech, how did your path change and bring you to broadway? I’ve been playing piano since I was 5, and my…
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The Horizon Theatre’s Citizens Market review
Citizens Market Horizon Theatre review ‘Humanizing the hashtags’ Every time you enter the Horizon Theatre be prepared to witness perspective shifting art. They are committed to telling the story behind the articles and committed to humanizing the hashtags. Daily, we see so many hashtags come across our screens that we become desensitized to the things behind the tag.To giving these stories, ideas, and lives a place to be seen. it’s only recently that I picked up on this, but it is the most honest thing I can say about this theatre. The Horizon Theatre leads in truth telling. At the Horizon I’ve seen shows about everything from immigration, rape, to…
