Get ready to watch more Freevee this February! Most of the free streamer's new additions will come all at once on the first of the month, including the three-time Oscar nominee "A Soldier’s Story" directed by the recently departed Norman Jewison, the franchise-launching "How to Train Your Dragon," and more classics of the past four decades.
Check out The Streamable’s top picks for Freevee’s February additions, and continue below to see the full list!
Watch Now Free amazonfreevee.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Freevee in February 2024? “A Soldier’s Story” | Thursday, Feb. 1
Early-career Denzel Washington appears in a supporting role in this Oscar-nominated adaptation of Charles Fuller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “A Soldier’s Play.” But it’s Howard E. Rollings Jr. who leads the cast here as Captain Richard Davenport, a Black Army investigator who travels to a remote military base to look into...
Check out The Streamable’s top picks for Freevee’s February additions, and continue below to see the full list!
Watch Now Free amazonfreevee.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Freevee in February 2024? “A Soldier’s Story” | Thursday, Feb. 1
Early-career Denzel Washington appears in a supporting role in this Oscar-nominated adaptation of Charles Fuller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “A Soldier’s Play.” But it’s Howard E. Rollings Jr. who leads the cast here as Captain Richard Davenport, a Black Army investigator who travels to a remote military base to look into...
- 1/31/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
“Segregation is a ridiculous institution and it makes decent people do ridiculous things,” playwright, actor-director, and activist Ossie Davis told the New York Times on September 24, 1961, four days before his play Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch opened on Broadway, co-starring himself and his wife, Ruby Dee. “Maybe if they can be made to laugh at it they can see how absurd it is.”
Especially on a Great White Way where actors played predominantly to white audiences that had seen few comedies by Black playwrights, let alone satires on segregation, Purlie Victorious must have been a jolting event. Though the play, which ran for nearly eight months on Broadway, begat a film adaptation in 1963 (Gone Are the Days!) and the successful musical Purlie in 1970, Davis’s comedy about an aggrieved “self-made minister” righteously “disembezzling” a racist plantation owner has largely faded from popular memory.
Opening one day...
Especially on a Great White Way where actors played predominantly to white audiences that had seen few comedies by Black playwrights, let alone satires on segregation, Purlie Victorious must have been a jolting event. Though the play, which ran for nearly eight months on Broadway, begat a film adaptation in 1963 (Gone Are the Days!) and the successful musical Purlie in 1970, Davis’s comedy about an aggrieved “self-made minister” righteously “disembezzling” a racist plantation owner has largely faded from popular memory.
Opening one day...
- 9/28/2023
- by Dan Rubins
- Slant Magazine
This article first appeared as part of Jenelle Riley’s Acting Up newsletter – to subscribe for early content and weekly updates on all things acting, visit the Acting Up signup page.
In “A Soldier’s Play,” Captain Richard Davenport isn’t meant to sing. But when you cast legendary baritone Norm Lewis in the role, you take advantage of his talents. Lewis can be seen in the national touring production, currently playing at L.A.’s Ahmanson Theatre — and it’s thanks to director Kenny Leon that audiences get to hear Davenport sing at certain points it the show.
Written by Charles Fuller, “A Soldier’s Play” is set on an Army base in 1944, when the military is still segregated. Captain Davenport, a rare Black officer, is sent to investigate the shooting of Sergeant Vernon Waters. Though Black himself, Waters despises and persecutes Black men who he feels perpetuate old-fashioned stereotypes.
In “A Soldier’s Play,” Captain Richard Davenport isn’t meant to sing. But when you cast legendary baritone Norm Lewis in the role, you take advantage of his talents. Lewis can be seen in the national touring production, currently playing at L.A.’s Ahmanson Theatre — and it’s thanks to director Kenny Leon that audiences get to hear Davenport sing at certain points it the show.
Written by Charles Fuller, “A Soldier’s Play” is set on an Army base in 1944, when the military is still segregated. Captain Davenport, a rare Black officer, is sent to investigate the shooting of Sergeant Vernon Waters. Though Black himself, Waters despises and persecutes Black men who he feels perpetuate old-fashioned stereotypes.
- 6/9/2023
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Four-time Grammy winner Lenny Kravitz will perform for Sunday’s emotional “In Memoriam” segment on the Oscars 2023 ceremony. While only 40-50 people are generally remembered for the television ceremony hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on ABC, over 200 people will be recognized on the Academy’s webpage starting that evening.
SEEWho is Performing at the Oscars 2023?: Full List of Presenters and Performers
Here is a lengthy list of many contributors to film who died since last year’s Academy Awards ceremony:
Mary Alice (actor)
Gil Alkabetz (animator)
Kirstie Alley (actor)
Burt Bacharach (composer)
Angelo Badalamenti (composer)
Simone Bär (casting director)
Joanna Barnes (actor)
Carl A. Bell (animator)
Jeff Berlin (sound)
David Birney (actor)
Bruce Bisenz (sound)
Robert Blake (actor)
Eliot Bliss (sound)
Nick Bosustow (shorts)
Albert Brenner (production designer)
Tom Bronson (costume designer)
James Caan (actor)
Michael Callan (actor)
Donn Cambern (editor)
Irene Cara (songwriter)
Gary W. Carlson (sound)
Marvin Chomsky...
SEEWho is Performing at the Oscars 2023?: Full List of Presenters and Performers
Here is a lengthy list of many contributors to film who died since last year’s Academy Awards ceremony:
Mary Alice (actor)
Gil Alkabetz (animator)
Kirstie Alley (actor)
Burt Bacharach (composer)
Angelo Badalamenti (composer)
Simone Bär (casting director)
Joanna Barnes (actor)
Carl A. Bell (animator)
Jeff Berlin (sound)
David Birney (actor)
Bruce Bisenz (sound)
Robert Blake (actor)
Eliot Bliss (sound)
Nick Bosustow (shorts)
Albert Brenner (production designer)
Tom Bronson (costume designer)
James Caan (actor)
Michael Callan (actor)
Donn Cambern (editor)
Irene Cara (songwriter)
Gary W. Carlson (sound)
Marvin Chomsky...
- 3/10/2023
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
(Welcome to Best Actor Ever, an ongoing series where we explore the careers and performances of the greatest performers to ever grace the screen.)
If the young Denzel Washington had his way, the now 68-year-old Mount Vernon native would have a bust in Canton's Pro Football Hall of Fame. The man who would be Malcolm X, Rubin Carter, and Alonzo Harris initially had his sights trained on the gridiron before he enrolled at Fordham University in 1977, where he was a skilled enough athlete to play under Coach P.J. Carlesimo for the school's junior varsity team. "He would run us all day, and make us work," Washington told the New York Times in 1998. "But you know what? We were always prepared for the fourth quarter, and we hardly ever lost. Some of the things I learned from him, I still apply myself."
Washington knew by this point that a pro sports...
If the young Denzel Washington had his way, the now 68-year-old Mount Vernon native would have a bust in Canton's Pro Football Hall of Fame. The man who would be Malcolm X, Rubin Carter, and Alonzo Harris initially had his sights trained on the gridiron before he enrolled at Fordham University in 1977, where he was a skilled enough athlete to play under Coach P.J. Carlesimo for the school's junior varsity team. "He would run us all day, and make us work," Washington told the New York Times in 1998. "But you know what? We were always prepared for the fourth quarter, and we hardly ever lost. Some of the things I learned from him, I still apply myself."
Washington knew by this point that a pro sports...
- 1/27/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Charles Fuller, whose Pulitzer Prize-winning play “A Soldier’s Play” was adapted into Best Picture Oscar nominee “A Soldier’s Story,” has died at age 83.
Fuller died of natural causes on Monday in Toronto, his wife, Claire Prieto-Fuller, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Fuller’s play about the racially motivated murder of a Black sergeant on an Army post in Louisiana during World War II won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1982. He wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay for Norman Jewison’s 1984 film “A Soldier’s Story.” The film, which starred Howard E. Rollins Jr., Denzel Washington, David Alan Grier and Robert Townsend, was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Adolph Caesar.
Rest n Peace Charles Fuller author of A Soldiers Play and the Oscar nominated screenplay of A Soldiers Story. Pulitzer Prize recipient and amazing and wonderful artist. It has been my greatest honour to...
Fuller died of natural causes on Monday in Toronto, his wife, Claire Prieto-Fuller, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Fuller’s play about the racially motivated murder of a Black sergeant on an Army post in Louisiana during World War II won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1982. He wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay for Norman Jewison’s 1984 film “A Soldier’s Story.” The film, which starred Howard E. Rollins Jr., Denzel Washington, David Alan Grier and Robert Townsend, was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Adolph Caesar.
Rest n Peace Charles Fuller author of A Soldiers Play and the Oscar nominated screenplay of A Soldiers Story. Pulitzer Prize recipient and amazing and wonderful artist. It has been my greatest honour to...
- 10/4/2022
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Charles Fuller, the groundbreaking playwright who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1982 for his enduring drama A Soldier’s Play, died Monday of natural causes in Toronto. He was 83.
His death was announced to the Associated Press by his wife Claire Prieto-Fuller.
“It has been my greatest honour to perform his words on both stage and screen,” said David Alan Grier, who starred in the 2020 Broadway production of A Soldier’s Play and also appeared in the 1984 film adaptation A Soldier’s Story. “His genius will be missed.”
Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery
Set on a Louisiana Army base during World War II and focusing on a segregated Black regiment, A Soldier’s Play used a murder mystery to examine the racism present both in the world at large and within the regiment itself: The murder victim was a tough-as-nails Black sergeant loathed by his own soldiers.
Fuller...
His death was announced to the Associated Press by his wife Claire Prieto-Fuller.
“It has been my greatest honour to perform his words on both stage and screen,” said David Alan Grier, who starred in the 2020 Broadway production of A Soldier’s Play and also appeared in the 1984 film adaptation A Soldier’s Story. “His genius will be missed.”
Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery
Set on a Louisiana Army base during World War II and focusing on a segregated Black regiment, A Soldier’s Play used a murder mystery to examine the racism present both in the world at large and within the regiment itself: The murder victim was a tough-as-nails Black sergeant loathed by his own soldiers.
Fuller...
- 10/4/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Charles Fuller, the pioneering Philadelphia playwright who received a Pulitzer Prize, a Tony Award and an Oscar nomination for A Soldier’s Play, has died. He was 83.
Fuller, who also explored racism and the Black experience with his earlier plays The Brownsville Raid and Zooman and the Sign, died Monday at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, his son, David, told The Hollywood Reporter.
A Soldier’s Play tells the story of the racially charged investigation by a Black captain for the murder of a Black sergeant on a segregated U.S. Army base in Jim Crow Louisiana in 1944.
Originally produced by New York’s Negro Ensemble Company, the courtroom drama/murder mystery debuted off-Broadway at Theater Four in November 1981 and ran for almost 600 performances through January 1963. It starred Charles Brown as Capt. Richard Davenport and Adolph Caesar as the murdered Sgt. Vernon C. Waters.
Charles Fuller, the pioneering Philadelphia playwright who received a Pulitzer Prize, a Tony Award and an Oscar nomination for A Soldier’s Play, has died. He was 83.
Fuller, who also explored racism and the Black experience with his earlier plays The Brownsville Raid and Zooman and the Sign, died Monday at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, his son, David, told The Hollywood Reporter.
A Soldier’s Play tells the story of the racially charged investigation by a Black captain for the murder of a Black sergeant on a segregated U.S. Army base in Jim Crow Louisiana in 1944.
Originally produced by New York’s Negro Ensemble Company, the courtroom drama/murder mystery debuted off-Broadway at Theater Four in November 1981 and ran for almost 600 performances through January 1963. It starred Charles Brown as Capt. Richard Davenport and Adolph Caesar as the murdered Sgt. Vernon C. Waters.
- 10/4/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Thanks to a Tony Award win for “Take Me Out” in the Best Revival of a Play category, Second Stage Theater can finally join the ranks of the other nonprofit theater organizations on Broadway. The re-staging of Richard Greenberg’s baseball drama is their first Tony win in one of the production categories since Second Stage found a permanent home on Broadway.
Second Stage was founded in 1979 and has been a haven for exciting Off-Broadway ventures for years. While some of those productions have transferred to Broadway houses and even won Tonys (including Best Musical champion “Dear Evan Hansen” which was produced “in association with” the nonprofit), a Second Stage produced play has never won a top Tony category until now. Not bad considering they’ve only been on Broadway for four years.
The non-profit purchased The Hayes Theater (named after the legendary Helen Hayes) in 2015. This theater is the...
Second Stage was founded in 1979 and has been a haven for exciting Off-Broadway ventures for years. While some of those productions have transferred to Broadway houses and even won Tonys (including Best Musical champion “Dear Evan Hansen” which was produced “in association with” the nonprofit), a Second Stage produced play has never won a top Tony category until now. Not bad considering they’ve only been on Broadway for four years.
The non-profit purchased The Hayes Theater (named after the legendary Helen Hayes) in 2015. This theater is the...
- 6/13/2022
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Elle Johnson (Bosch) has been tapped to write, executive produce and serve as showrunner on A Soldier’s Story, a limited series adaptation of the award-winning A Soldier’s Play, which has been in development at Sony Pictures Television with the play’s Tony winner David Alan Grier attached to star and executive produce.
Grier, who won the 2021 Tony Award for his role as Sgt. Vernon Waters in the Broadway play, will play the character’s father in the series adaptation, which spans multiple wars and several decades and centers on Sgt. Vernon Waters and the emotional impact he is subjected to as a soldier in the 1940s.
The Pulitzer-winning A Soldier’s Play, written by Charles Fuller, is set at a Black army base in the segregated Louisiana of 1944. Sergeant Waters has been murdered, and Army captain Davenport – played by Blair Underwood in the Broadway play — arrives at...
Grier, who won the 2021 Tony Award for his role as Sgt. Vernon Waters in the Broadway play, will play the character’s father in the series adaptation, which spans multiple wars and several decades and centers on Sgt. Vernon Waters and the emotional impact he is subjected to as a soldier in the 1940s.
The Pulitzer-winning A Soldier’s Play, written by Charles Fuller, is set at a Black army base in the segregated Louisiana of 1944. Sergeant Waters has been murdered, and Army captain Davenport – played by Blair Underwood in the Broadway play — arrives at...
- 3/25/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Almost 30 years after earning his first Tony Awards nomination for portraying Jackie Robinson in the musical “The First,” David Alan Grier may finally take home his first trophy. Nominated this year for his work in the Broadway debut of Charles Fuller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “A Soldier’s Play,” Grier currently leads our odds in the Featured Actor category.
Grier earned some of the best notices of his career for his role in the revival, which ran at the American Airlines Theater from January to March 2020. Set on a segregated military base in Louisiana in 1944, the play starred Grier as the vicious Sergeant Vernon C. Waters, whose murder gives the play its central mystery and plot. Helen Shaw (Vulture) wrote that Grier “machines each of his scenes to the inch, developing his portrait from a comic tinpot bellower into villainy and then, remarkably, something more tragic,” while Vinson Cunningham (New Yorker) said,...
Grier earned some of the best notices of his career for his role in the revival, which ran at the American Airlines Theater from January to March 2020. Set on a segregated military base in Louisiana in 1944, the play starred Grier as the vicious Sergeant Vernon C. Waters, whose murder gives the play its central mystery and plot. Helen Shaw (Vulture) wrote that Grier “machines each of his scenes to the inch, developing his portrait from a comic tinpot bellower into villainy and then, remarkably, something more tragic,” while Vinson Cunningham (New Yorker) said,...
- 9/23/2021
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: A Soldier’s Play, which is heading into Sunday’s Tony Awards with seven nominations, is getting a TV adaptation as a limited series by Sony Pictures Television. David Alan Grier, a Tony nominee for his role in the play, is set to star and executive produce the limited series, which will be titled A Soldier’s Story.
The series adaptation, spanning multiple wars and several decades, will center on Sgt. Vernon Waters and the emotional impact he is subjected to as a soldier in the 1940s. Grier, who plays Sgt. Waters in the play, will play the character’s father in the limited series.
The Pulitzer-winning A Soldier’s Play, written Charles Fuller, is set at a Black army base in the segregated Louisiana of 1944. Sergeant Waters – played on Broadway by Grier in a production directed by Kenny Leon – has been murdered, and Army captain Davenport – played by Blair Underwood...
The series adaptation, spanning multiple wars and several decades, will center on Sgt. Vernon Waters and the emotional impact he is subjected to as a soldier in the 1940s. Grier, who plays Sgt. Waters in the play, will play the character’s father in the limited series.
The Pulitzer-winning A Soldier’s Play, written Charles Fuller, is set at a Black army base in the segregated Louisiana of 1944. Sergeant Waters – played on Broadway by Grier in a production directed by Kenny Leon – has been murdered, and Army captain Davenport – played by Blair Underwood...
- 9/23/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon Studios has closed a first-look deal with Nnamdi Asomugha, who produced and starred in the Amazon film “Sylvie’s Love,” as well as his company iAm21 Entertainment. Asomugha will develop and produce projects for both theatrical and Amazon Prime Video premieres.
Asomugha is a former professional football player, having been a cornerback for the Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. He retired from football in 2013, then founded his production company in 2015 in partnership with producer Jonathan T. Baker.
Asomugha’s first collaboration with Amazon was in 2017 when the company distributed the biographical drama “Crown Heights,” which he produced and starred in as Carl King. Then, he played Robert opposite Tessa Thompson’s Sylvie in “Sylvie’s Love.”
His production credits also include “Beasts of No Nation,” “The Banker” and “Harriet,” as well as the Broadway play “American Son.” In 2020, Variety named him one of 10 Producers to Watch.
His upcoming...
Asomugha is a former professional football player, having been a cornerback for the Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. He retired from football in 2013, then founded his production company in 2015 in partnership with producer Jonathan T. Baker.
Asomugha’s first collaboration with Amazon was in 2017 when the company distributed the biographical drama “Crown Heights,” which he produced and starred in as Carl King. Then, he played Robert opposite Tessa Thompson’s Sylvie in “Sylvie’s Love.”
His production credits also include “Beasts of No Nation,” “The Banker” and “Harriet,” as well as the Broadway play “American Son.” In 2020, Variety named him one of 10 Producers to Watch.
His upcoming...
- 9/15/2021
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon Studios has signed a first-look deal with Nnamdi Asomugha and the former NFL All-Pro cornerback turned actor/producer’s production label iAm21 Entertainment.
Asomugha has received an Emmy nomination as producer of the Amazon film “Sylvie’s Love,” which he also starred in alongside Tessa Thompson. Amazon also released Asomugha’s 2017 film “Crown Heights,” which premiered at Sundance and earned him supporting actor nominations at the Independent Spirit and NAACP Image Awards.
“I’m thrilled to be joining forces with Jennifer Salke and the entire Amazon team,” Asomugha said in a statement. “Since ‘Crown Heights,’ Amazon has been an inspiring and rewarding creative home for me and they’ve consistently supported my desire to tell compelling and authentic stories. I couldn’t be more excited to continue our collaboration.”
“We have loved working with Nnamdi, and we’re so pleased to continue and grow the Amazon Studios relationship with him,...
Asomugha has received an Emmy nomination as producer of the Amazon film “Sylvie’s Love,” which he also starred in alongside Tessa Thompson. Amazon also released Asomugha’s 2017 film “Crown Heights,” which premiered at Sundance and earned him supporting actor nominations at the Independent Spirit and NAACP Image Awards.
“I’m thrilled to be joining forces with Jennifer Salke and the entire Amazon team,” Asomugha said in a statement. “Since ‘Crown Heights,’ Amazon has been an inspiring and rewarding creative home for me and they’ve consistently supported my desire to tell compelling and authentic stories. I couldn’t be more excited to continue our collaboration.”
“We have loved working with Nnamdi, and we’re so pleased to continue and grow the Amazon Studios relationship with him,...
- 9/15/2021
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Since the first ceremony, Oscar voters have honored the importance of the first step in the filmmaking process by awarding screenwriters on an annual basis. The Best Adapted Screenplay award is given in recognition of each year’s most outstanding script derived from an existing work. Academy rules allow for a variety of source materials, including fiction and nonfiction books, plays, and even previous short and feature films.
The films in contention for the 2021 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar are “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” “The Father,” “Nomadland,” “One Night in Miami,” and “The White Tiger.” Our odds currently indicate that “Nomadland” (82/25) will win the award, followed in order by “The Father” (37/10), “One Night in Miami” (9/2), “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (9/2), and “The White Tiger” (9/2).
In adapting his play “The Father” from stage to screen, Florian Zeller teamed with Christopher Hampton, who previously won this award in 1989 for “Dangerous Liaisons.” Hampton is now one of...
The films in contention for the 2021 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar are “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” “The Father,” “Nomadland,” “One Night in Miami,” and “The White Tiger.” Our odds currently indicate that “Nomadland” (82/25) will win the award, followed in order by “The Father” (37/10), “One Night in Miami” (9/2), “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (9/2), and “The White Tiger” (9/2).
In adapting his play “The Father” from stage to screen, Florian Zeller teamed with Christopher Hampton, who previously won this award in 1989 for “Dangerous Liaisons.” Hampton is now one of...
- 4/19/2021
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Douglas Turner Ward, the director, actor and playwright who co-founded the landmark, influential Off Broadway Black theater group the Negro Ensemble Company, died Saturday, Feb. 20, at his home in New York City. He was 90.
His death was announced by his wife Diana Ward.
Ward had already begun a solid New York stage acting career in the 1950s and ’60s – including Off Broadway roles in The Iceman Cometh and on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun – when, according to The New York Times, he wrote a 1966 editorial for that newspaper headlined “American Theater: For Whites Only?” The article called for the establishment of a Black repertory theater company. Turner wrote, “Not in the future…but now!”
A year later the Ford Foundation awarded a $434,000 grant to create the Negro Ensemble Company with Ward as artistic director, along with Robert Hooks and Gerald S. Krone in other leadership roles.
The Company...
His death was announced by his wife Diana Ward.
Ward had already begun a solid New York stage acting career in the 1950s and ’60s – including Off Broadway roles in The Iceman Cometh and on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun – when, according to The New York Times, he wrote a 1966 editorial for that newspaper headlined “American Theater: For Whites Only?” The article called for the establishment of a Black repertory theater company. Turner wrote, “Not in the future…but now!”
A year later the Ford Foundation awarded a $434,000 grant to create the Negro Ensemble Company with Ward as artistic director, along with Robert Hooks and Gerald S. Krone in other leadership roles.
The Company...
- 2/23/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The curtain’s inching up on the Tony Awards: A ceremony will be held on an as-yet-undetermined date in coordination with Broadway’s eventual reopening, but voters will finally be able to make their selections beginning March 1, Tony organizers tell Deadline.
Nominees for the 74th Annual Tony Awards were announced last October, with the 18 eligible productions reflecting the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season (the count usually numbers in the 30s). The 2020 Tony ceremony and CBS broadcast had originally been set for June 7 at New York’s Radio City Musical Hall, but of course was scuttled due to the Covid shutdown.
The voting period will run from March 1 to March 15. Although Broadway remains officially closed until June, most insiders don’t expect any stagings before fall at the earliest, with timing contingent on widespread Covid-19 vaccinations.
The March 12 theater closure preceded the official end of the Broadway season and the traditional late-April/early-May announcement of nominees,...
Nominees for the 74th Annual Tony Awards were announced last October, with the 18 eligible productions reflecting the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season (the count usually numbers in the 30s). The 2020 Tony ceremony and CBS broadcast had originally been set for June 7 at New York’s Radio City Musical Hall, but of course was scuttled due to the Covid shutdown.
The voting period will run from March 1 to March 15. Although Broadway remains officially closed until June, most insiders don’t expect any stagings before fall at the earliest, with timing contingent on widespread Covid-19 vaccinations.
The March 12 theater closure preceded the official end of the Broadway season and the traditional late-April/early-May announcement of nominees,...
- 1/29/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon will join Roundabout Theatre Company’s artistic leadership team as Senior Resident Director next month. The director, most recently of Roundabout’s Tony-nominated A Soldier’s Play, is expected to help develop and nurture the careers of young Bipoc directors and play a key part in the non-profit’s “commitment to anti-racism and increased equity, diversity and inclusion.”
In his new role, Leon will participate in the selection of plays and musicals for production, and for workshops and readings. A Soldier’s Play, which starred David Alan Grier and Blair Underwood, is currently nominated for seven Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Play and Best Director.
“The great artistry of Kenny’s revival of A Soldier’s Play revealed the possibilities of what Roundabout can, and should, do,” said Todd Haimes, Artistic Director and CEO, Roundabout Theatre Company. “Roundabout has historically played a large...
In his new role, Leon will participate in the selection of plays and musicals for production, and for workshops and readings. A Soldier’s Play, which starred David Alan Grier and Blair Underwood, is currently nominated for seven Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Play and Best Director.
“The great artistry of Kenny’s revival of A Soldier’s Play revealed the possibilities of what Roundabout can, and should, do,” said Todd Haimes, Artistic Director and CEO, Roundabout Theatre Company. “Roundabout has historically played a large...
- 12/7/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Let’s take a closer look at the three nominees for Best Play Revival: “Betrayal,” “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” and “A Solider’s Play.” Our exclusive odds give the edge to “A Soldier’s Play,” but this only remains to be one of the closest races at this year’s virtual awards. Remember, only those Tony voters who saw all three nominees can vote in this category. Tony watchers theorize that this new rule helped “The Boys in the Band” win this race last year despite being the first production of the season to have opened.
The first nominee is the third Broadway revival of Harold Pinter’s 1978 award-winning play, “Betrayal.” The story chronicles a seven-year affair in reverse chronological order. The original Broadway edition earned Tony nominations for star Blythe Danner and director Peter Hall.
This edition came to town after a successful run in...
The first nominee is the third Broadway revival of Harold Pinter’s 1978 award-winning play, “Betrayal.” The story chronicles a seven-year affair in reverse chronological order. The original Broadway edition earned Tony nominations for star Blythe Danner and director Peter Hall.
This edition came to town after a successful run in...
- 12/1/2020
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
“There was a lot on our shoulders with this production,” admits Blair Underwood of the Broadway revival of “A Soldier’s Play.” Despite winning the Pulitzer Prize after an Off-Broadway mounting in 1982, Charles Fuller’s moving examination of race was never produced on Broadway until Roundabout Theatre Company staged it in 2020. Underwood felt the “weight” of his duty to honor the show and earned his first ever Tony nomination for his performance. His awards career has included wins at the Grammys and Daytime Emmys. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Even though the play is over 30 years old, Underwood explains that director Kenny Leon highlighted the ways in which the story still holds importance for today’s audiences. The actor portrayed Captain Davenport, the army investigator in the murder of Sergeant Waters (David Alan Grier). The script’s examination of “the underlying issues of love and hate, self hatred,” explains Underwood,...
Even though the play is over 30 years old, Underwood explains that director Kenny Leon highlighted the ways in which the story still holds importance for today’s audiences. The actor portrayed Captain Davenport, the army investigator in the murder of Sergeant Waters (David Alan Grier). The script’s examination of “the underlying issues of love and hate, self hatred,” explains Underwood,...
- 11/24/2020
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Yesterday, the nominees for the 74th annual Tony Awards were announced. Honoring Broadway’s best, it comes as the industry is shut down due to Covid-19, reminding us all that the film industry isn’t the only one feeling the brunt of Coronavirus. Covid may have shut down the theaters, but the show will go on, Tony-wise. In terms of what faired the best with these nominations, the musical Jagged Little Pill led the way with a whopping fifteen nominations, with Moulin Rouge! next in line at fourteen. They led the pack, though also getting double digit citations were Slave Play and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at a dozen each, while The Inheritance managed eleven. Here are all of the Tony nominees for this year: Best Play Grand Horizons by Bess Wohl The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez Sea Wall/A Life by Simon Stephens and Nick Payne Slave Play...
- 10/16/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Lifetime has extended its partnership with journalist Robin Roberts for four new movies and they are about to fuel the soul with Robin Roberts Presents: The Mahalia Jackson Story. The movie will star Tony Award nominee, SAG and Grammy Award-winning actress Danielle Brooks as the iconic gospel legend and civil rights activist while Tony winner Kenny Leon will direct. The pic comes from Rock’n Robin Productions and Lincoln Square Productions. Roberts will executive produce alongside Linda Berman.
Born in New Orleans, Mahalia began singing at an early age and went on to become one of the most revered gospel figures in U.S. history, melding her music with the civil rights movement. Her recording of the song “Move on Up a Little Higher” sold millions of copies, skyrocketing...
Born in New Orleans, Mahalia began singing at an early age and went on to become one of the most revered gospel figures in U.S. history, melding her music with the civil rights movement. Her recording of the song “Move on Up a Little Higher” sold millions of copies, skyrocketing...
- 8/3/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Ronald L. Schwary, who won the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People,” died on July 2 in West Hollywood, Calif. He was 76.
Schwary, an Oregon native, had broken into the entertainment business through his friendship with John Wayne while working as a manager of the USC football team. Wayne assisted Schwary in getting work as a stand-in for Dustin Hoffman on “The Graduate” and as an extra in “Planet of the Apes.”
Schwary also became a DGA Trainee, which led to the start of his career as an assistant
director in the early 1970s. He began working with Jerry Lewis, Elvis, Peter Fonda, Ann-Margret, Jack Lemmon, and Walter Matthau and eventually became a production
manager with the assistance of director Bob Butler, and producer Ray Stark.
Schwary was hired by Redford as the sole producer on “Ordinary People” after Schwary had worked as an associate...
Schwary, an Oregon native, had broken into the entertainment business through his friendship with John Wayne while working as a manager of the USC football team. Wayne assisted Schwary in getting work as a stand-in for Dustin Hoffman on “The Graduate” and as an extra in “Planet of the Apes.”
Schwary also became a DGA Trainee, which led to the start of his career as an assistant
director in the early 1970s. He began working with Jerry Lewis, Elvis, Peter Fonda, Ann-Margret, Jack Lemmon, and Walter Matthau and eventually became a production
manager with the assistance of director Bob Butler, and producer Ray Stark.
Schwary was hired by Redford as the sole producer on “Ordinary People” after Schwary had worked as an associate...
- 7/17/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge!, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Grand Horizons, Mary-Louise Parker and Jonathan Groff are among this year’s Outer Critics Circle Awards recipients, a collection of Broadway and Off Broadway recipients that make up the organization’s first-ever slate of multiple honorees.
With the Tony Awards remaining a mere possibility this year, the 70th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards took an unusual approach to an unusual, pandemic-shortened theater season: In lieu of selecting traditional nominees with one winner from each category, the Occ named five honorees in each of its technical categories and up to six honorees in acting categories. Four artists received the annual John Gassner Award this season, commemorating works by new American playwrights.
Recalibrated to celebrate “widespread excellence in New York theater this season,” the Occ Awards – chosen by the official organization of writers on New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers and national...
With the Tony Awards remaining a mere possibility this year, the 70th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards took an unusual approach to an unusual, pandemic-shortened theater season: In lieu of selecting traditional nominees with one winner from each category, the Occ named five honorees in each of its technical categories and up to six honorees in acting categories. Four artists received the annual John Gassner Award this season, commemorating works by new American playwrights.
Recalibrated to celebrate “widespread excellence in New York theater this season,” the Occ Awards – chosen by the official organization of writers on New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers and national...
- 5/11/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
As we are now about halfway through the Broadway season, and there are currently 12 productions of plays set to open this spring. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tony Awards? Below, we recap the plot of each play as well as the awards history of its author, cast, creative types, the opening, and (where applicable) closing dates.
“My Name is Lucy Barton” (opens January 15; closes February 29)
In this stage adaptation of Elizabeth Strout’s 2016 novel of the same name, the story follows the title character, who, unsteady after an operation, awakens to find her mother sitting at the foot of her bed. She hasn’t seen her in years, and her visit brings Lucy back to her desperate rural childhood and her escape to New York. As she begins to find herself as a writer, she is still gripped by the urgent complexities of family life.
“My Name is Lucy Barton” (opens January 15; closes February 29)
In this stage adaptation of Elizabeth Strout’s 2016 novel of the same name, the story follows the title character, who, unsteady after an operation, awakens to find her mother sitting at the foot of her bed. She hasn’t seen her in years, and her visit brings Lucy back to her desperate rural childhood and her escape to New York. As she begins to find herself as a writer, she is still gripped by the urgent complexities of family life.
- 1/29/2020
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
The American Airlines Theatre was the place to be last night as Charles Fuller'sA Soldier's Play finally opened last night on Broadway, almost four decades after it premiered off Broadway. 'The reason Iwanted to do it was to get to speak these words that Charles Fuller wrote. We get to mine and uncover themes of racism, identity, love of country, an hatred of self,' says leading man Blair Underwood. 'To be able to do that in such an incredible play, that has won a Pulitzer for a good reason... it's exciting every night.'...
- 1/22/2020
- by TV - Opening Night Special
- BroadwayWorld.com
Nearly 40 years after its celebrated Off Broadway debut and subsequent hit movie adaptation, Charles Fuller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning A Soldier’s Play, opening tonight on Broadway at the Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre, has lost little of its power. Even in a Broadway landscape that could give home to the explosive Slave Play, Fuller’s 1981 mystery remains a bracing slap of a drama, a thoughtful examination of American bigotry and the many tolls it exacts.
With three-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier and a commanding Blair Underwood leading a first-rate, 12-member cast, this Soldier’s Play (adapted as A Soldier’s Story for the 1984 film) moves with all the precision of a military cadence. The production is not without its missteps – a few self-conscious moments seem like gratuitous elbow jabs to make sure we understand the contemporary relevance – but director Kenny Leon drives the narrative with a solid feel for momentum.
With three-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier and a commanding Blair Underwood leading a first-rate, 12-member cast, this Soldier’s Play (adapted as A Soldier’s Story for the 1984 film) moves with all the precision of a military cadence. The production is not without its missteps – a few self-conscious moments seem like gratuitous elbow jabs to make sure we understand the contemporary relevance – but director Kenny Leon drives the narrative with a solid feel for momentum.
- 1/22/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Roundabout Theatre Company will soon present the first Broadway production of Charles Fuller's award-winning drama A Soldier's Play, directed by Kenny Leon. A Soldier's Play will star David Alan Grier as 'Sergeant Vernon C. Waters,' Blair Underwood as 'Captain Richard Davenport,' Nnamdi Asomugha as 'Private First Class Melvin Peterson,' Jerry O'Connell as 'Captain Charles Taylor,' McKinley Belcher III as 'Private Louis Henson,' Rob Demery as 'Corporal Bernard Cobb,' Jared Grimes as 'Private Tony Smalls,' Billy Eugene Jones as 'Private James Wilkie,' Nate Mann as 'Lieutenant Byrd,' Warner Miller as 'Corporal Ellis,' J. Alphonse Nicholson as 'Private C. J. Memphis' and Lee Aaron Rosen as 'Captain Wilcox.'...
- 12/9/2019
- by TV - Press Previews
- BroadwayWorld.com
Roundabout Theatre Companywill soon presentthe first Broadway production of Charles Fuller's award-winning drama A Soldier's Play, directed by Kenny Leon. A Soldier's Play will starDavid Alan Grier as 'Sergeant Vernon C. Waters,' Blair Underwood as 'Captain Richard Davenport,'Nnamdi Asomugha as 'Private First Class Melvin Peterson,' Jerry O'Connell as 'Captain Charles Taylor,' McKinley Belcher III as 'Private Louis Henson,' Rob Demery as 'Corporal Bernard Cobb,' Jared Grimes as 'Private Tony Smalls,' Billy Eugene Jones as 'Private James Wilkie,' Nate Mann as 'Lieutenant Byrd,' Warner Miller as 'Corporal Ellis,' J. Alphonse Nicholson as 'Private C. J. Memphis' and Lee Aaron Rosen as 'Captain Wilcox.'...
- 12/6/2019
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
A Broadway revival of the Tony Kushner-Jeanine Tesori musical Caroline, Or Change and a Broadway premiere of Off Broadway’s seminal A Soldier’s Play, starring David Alan Grier and Blair Underwood, are set for 2020 opening nights in Roundabout Theatre Company productions.
Caroline, Or Change, last on Broadway in 2004, will star Sharon D. Clarke, reprising as the title character direct from her Olivier Award-winning West End production performance.
Both Soldier and Caroline were announced today by Roundabout. The productions will close out the theater company’s 2019-20 season.
First up will be Charles Fuller’s A Soldier’s Play, directed by Kenny Leon (American Son) and beginning previews December 27, 2019 for a limited engagement at the Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre. Official opening is January 21, 2020.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning A Soldier’s Play premiered Off-Broadway in 1981 at the Negro Ensemble Company with an acclaimed cast that included Adolph Caesar, Denzel Washington and Grier,...
Caroline, Or Change, last on Broadway in 2004, will star Sharon D. Clarke, reprising as the title character direct from her Olivier Award-winning West End production performance.
Both Soldier and Caroline were announced today by Roundabout. The productions will close out the theater company’s 2019-20 season.
First up will be Charles Fuller’s A Soldier’s Play, directed by Kenny Leon (American Son) and beginning previews December 27, 2019 for a limited engagement at the Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre. Official opening is January 21, 2020.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning A Soldier’s Play premiered Off-Broadway in 1981 at the Negro Ensemble Company with an acclaimed cast that included Adolph Caesar, Denzel Washington and Grier,...
- 8/19/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Memorial Day is that time Americans set aside each year to remember and honor the sacrifices of our fallen military veterans. But it's also a day off from work, and for those who want to spend the day in front of their TV without feeling unpatriotic or ungrateful — relax, we've got you've covered. We've scoured the streaming services and digital rental outlets, and we've found nine movies (and one mini-series) that'll fill your entire holiday with thoughtful, provocative, appropriate entertainment. By the time you're done, our nation's fighting forces may...
- 5/30/2016
- Rollingstone.com
After three years on the boards, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has decided to call it quits on Jan. 5 after a tumultuous, headline-grabbing ride on Broadway that will result in a reported $60 million loss. Will producers be leery of investing in the next wave of in-development super-musicals (including a buzzed-about King Kong that is eyeing New York after a successful run in Melbourne). Meanwhile, this week’s openings are significantly less costly, including Ethan Hawke’s first Shakespeare turn on Broadway in 10 years, Tony winner Jefferson Mays in an eight-role bonanza, a first-time play by actress Amanda Peet with some heavy-hitting leads,...
- 11/23/2013
- by Jason Clark
- EW.com - PopWatch
The annual Primary Stages November Night to Remember Gala, a fundraiser benefiting the extensive artistic development programs offered by the company, was just held at the Edison Ballroom, last night, November 9, 2011. Each year at their annual Gala, Primary Stages honors an individual or group who has made significant contributions to the American theater. This year's gala honored the writers, lyricists, and composers who have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The Honorary Committee of Pulitzer Prize Winners includes Edward Albee, David Auburn, Michael Cristofer, Nilo Cruz, Charles Fuller, Frank Gilroy, Sheldon Harnick, Beth Henley, Tom Kitt, James Lapine, Tracy Letts, David Lindsay-Abaire, Donald Margulies, Marsha Norman, Bruce Norris, Lynn Nottage, Robert Schenkkan, Stephen Sondheim, Alfred Uhry, Paula Vogel, Doug Wright, and Brian Yorkey.
- 11/10/2011
- by Peter James Zielinski
- BroadwayWorld.com
Interview conducted by Tom Stockman October 19th, 2011
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 brings together, for 90 fascinating minutes, a treasure trove of 16mm material shot by Swedish journalists who came to the Us drawn by stories of urban unrest and revolution. Gaining access to many of the leaders of the Black Power Movement – Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Angela Davis and Eldridge Cleaver among them, the filmmakers captured them in intimate moments and remarkably unguarded interviews. Thirty years later, this collection of unedited film was found languishing in the basement of a Swedish Television station. Director Goran Olsson discovered this footage and assembled a documentary chronicling the evolution of one of our nation’s most indelible turning points, the Black Power movement. Featuring music by Questlove and Om’Mas Keith, and commentary from prominent African- American artists and activists who were influenced by the struggle — including Erykah Badu, Harry Belafonte, Talib Kweli,...
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 brings together, for 90 fascinating minutes, a treasure trove of 16mm material shot by Swedish journalists who came to the Us drawn by stories of urban unrest and revolution. Gaining access to many of the leaders of the Black Power Movement – Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Angela Davis and Eldridge Cleaver among them, the filmmakers captured them in intimate moments and remarkably unguarded interviews. Thirty years later, this collection of unedited film was found languishing in the basement of a Swedish Television station. Director Goran Olsson discovered this footage and assembled a documentary chronicling the evolution of one of our nation’s most indelible turning points, the Black Power movement. Featuring music by Questlove and Om’Mas Keith, and commentary from prominent African- American artists and activists who were influenced by the struggle — including Erykah Badu, Harry Belafonte, Talib Kweli,...
- 10/25/2011
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I was re-watching the 1991 Spike Lee/Alex Haley interview I posted earlier today, and remembered how true Spike’s words were at the time, when he stated essentially that Eddie Murphy was really in a class by himself during those years; meaning, he was the only black actor who could get large-budgeted studio films greenlit; I guess we could say he was the Will Smith of his time.
And then I remembered Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle, which supports the idea, as his character tries to convince Hollywood that he isn’t Eddie Murphy, and doesn’t have to be.
So, that got me doing a little digging online, since I had some time to kill, and I learned the following facts that I wasn’t previously aware of, and I’m guessing some of you weren’t either.
First… did you know that studio executives considered the pairing of...
And then I remembered Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle, which supports the idea, as his character tries to convince Hollywood that he isn’t Eddie Murphy, and doesn’t have to be.
So, that got me doing a little digging online, since I had some time to kill, and I learned the following facts that I wasn’t previously aware of, and I’m guessing some of you weren’t either.
First… did you know that studio executives considered the pairing of...
- 4/8/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Performance dates, directors, initial casting and design team are set for the Cherry Lane Theatre's 12th annual Mentor Project - which includes the world-premiere of three plays by emerging writers: Ruth McKee's Stray, directed by Giovanna Sardelli (Bengal Tiger At The Baghdad Zoo) and mentored by David Henry Hwang, performing March 16th through March 27th; Nate Rufus Edelman's The Belle Of Belfast, directed by Eric Tucker (Closer) and mentored by Charles Fuller, performing April 27th through May 8th; and Winter Miller's Paternity, mentored and directed by celebrated playwright Craig Lucas, performing May 18th through May 29th, all at the Cherry Lane Theatre Studio Theatre (38 Commerce Street).
- 2/26/2010
- BroadwayWorld.com
On Monday Evening, February 23 at 7:00 Pm, six New York theater institutions will participate in a special panel discussion featuring five current and upcoming Off-Broadway shows. Harlem Stage (150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street) will host producing companies Classical Theatre of Harlem, Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theater and Signature Theatre Company in an evening titled I've Known Rivers: A Conversation with Christina Anderson, Charles Fuller, Lynn Nottage & Liesl Tommy. The event marks a unique collaborative effort between six New York theater institutions: a panel discussion in which five gifted African-American theater artists - all of whom have projects happening almost simultaneously at five of New York's most respected non-profit theaters - will discuss their lives, work, and current projects. Moderated by actress Sabrina LeBeauf (Three Sisters, Classical Theatre of Harlem in partnership with Harlem Stage, February/March), the evening's four panelists will be Christina Anderson (author, Inked Baby,...
- 1/27/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
On Monday Evening, February 23 at 7:00 Pm, six New York theater institutions will participate in a special panel discussion featuring five current and upcoming Off-Broadway shows. Harlem Stage (150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street) will host producing companies Classical Theatre of Harlem, Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, The Public Theater and Signature Theatre Company in an evening titled I've Known Rivers: A Conversation with Christina Anderson, Charles Fuller, Lynn Nottage & Liesl Tommy.
- 1/27/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
"With all due respect to his excellence," says Douglas Turner Ward, "audiences think that black theatre is August Wilson. That irks me when people feel there is only one black view, one black style, one black spokesman. There is a breadth of black writing." Indeed, from the time Ward co-founded the Negro Ensemble Company in 1967, his mission has been to demonstrate how wide and varied that vision is. In its first 15 years, NEC produced such diverse playwrights as Lonnie Elder, Charles Fuller, and Leslie Lee; the company and its productions have won two Tony Awards and several Obies. To honor the company's contribution to American theatre, Off-Broadway's Signature Theatre Company is devoting its 2008-09 season to several of NEC's best-known works, including Lee's The First Breeze of Summer, Fuller's Zooman and the Sign, and Samm-Art Williams' Home. There will also be a staged reading of Ward's Day of Absence...
- 8/18/2008
- by Simi Horwitz
- backstage.com
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