Stephen Bray News

If God ever listened to a poor black woman, the world would be a different place. –Celie The Color Purple is currently playing at Roxy’s Downtown. Their production is impressive, powerful, well-cast, and extremely well-wrought, from performances to design elements and direction. Do yourself a favor and get tickets for this show ASAP. The opening week shows were sold out, and I hear the rest of the run is selling out quickly.

The Muny announced today the directors, choreographers and music directors for The Muny’s 2022 season, which opens on June 13 with the celebrated return of the 2021 hit that audiences went “Whoopee!” for, the Tony Award-winning Chicago.

Sony Masterworks Broadway today releases the Studio Cast Recording of WITNESS UGANDA (AN AMERICAN MUSICAL), an album of music from the powerful musical envisioned by the creative duo of Matt Gouldand Griffin Matthews. 

Sony Masterworks Broadway today released the Studio Cast Recording of WITNESS UGANDA (AN AMERICAN MUSICAL), an album of music from the powerful musical envisioned by the creative duo of Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews. 

Tony-nominee Colman Domingo and Grown-ish star Halle Bailey have joined the all-star cast of the upcoming musical film adaptation of The Color Purple.

During ABC's 'Soul of a Nation' special 'Screen Queens Rising,' when the casting was announced, anchor Linsey Davis surprised Brooks with a video from the moment Oprah Winfrey surprised her with the news. Winfrey had previously portrayed Sofia in the 1985 film, earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Fantasia Barrino and ​​​​​​​Danielle Brooks have joined the upcoming film adaptation of The Color Purple musical as Celie and Sofia, respectively.

Oscar and Emmy-nominee Taraji P. Henson has joined the upcoming film adaption of The Color Purple musical as Shug Avery. Henson will join the previously announced Corey Hawkins as Harpo and H.E.R. as Squeak. Blitz Bazawule will direct the movie with a script by Marcus Gardley.

Leicester's Curve theatre and Birmingham Hippodrome have today revealed plans to tour their critically acclaimed, award-winning co-production of The Color Purple this Autumn.

Today, the full list of nominees for the “53rd NAACP Image Awards” were announced. Nominees included Ariana DeBose, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto, Cynthia Erivo, Audra McDonald, Respect, Taraji P. Henson, Tituss Burgess, Jennifer Hudson, Billy Porter, Denzel Washington, and more. Check out the full list of nominees now!

The Johnny Mercer Foundation and the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University once again seek out the nation's most talented young songwriters and writing teams for the Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project, now in its 17th year. The free weeklong songwriting workshop returns to Northwestern's Evanston campus from June 19-25.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the Oscar® nominated film by Steven Spielberg, The Color Purple is an intimate coming-of-age story set in rural Georgia and told through a rich helping of jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues.

Sony Masterworks Broadway today announced the release of the Studio Cast Recording of WITNESS UGANDA (AN AMERICAN MUSICAL), an album of music from the powerful musical envisioned by creative duo Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews. Available February 11, 2022, the album features 24 songs from the show, as performed by Matthews and a star-studded cast including multihyphenate superstar Cynthia Erivo, GRAMMY-winning recording artist Ledisi, and stage-and-screen stars Nicolette Robinson, Emma Hunton and Kristolyn Lloyd, among others.

Mickey Mouse Club fans had a lot to celebrate last Saturday in Orlando. Their beloved 90s pop band, The Party, who are also former Mouseketeers from the 90s MMC TV series, came back together on stage on September 11th for an incredible 30th Anniversary Reunion Concert at the Disney Springs House of Blues in Orlando.

For Mickey Mouse Club fans of the 90s and beyond, the party never ends! The Disney-born pop band, The Party, returns to the stage for a spectacular 30th Anniversary Reunion Concert on Saturday, Sept. 11th at the House of Blues at 1490 E Buena Vista Drive in Orlando, FL.

Academy Award-winning singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, H.E.R., is currently in final talks to make her feature film debut in the upcoming movie musical adaptation of The Color Purple.

Blitz Bazawule will direct the movie, according to Deadline, with a script by Marcus Gardley. 

The 2021/2022 Signature Theatre season kicks off early November 2021 with a reimagined new production of Jonathan Larson’s musical RENT and continues with the DC premiere of Daphne’s Dive by Quiara Alegría Hudes; a new production of She Loves Me by Joe Masteroff, Jerry Bock, and Sheldon Harnick and more.

Flex Passes to The Youngstown Playhouse are on sale now and include admission to any four performances within the 2021 Season. Learn more here!

The ASCAP Foundation announced today that “Songwriters: Next Generation,” a signature program of the Foundation, will showcase the work of emerging ASCAP songwriters and composers in a new virtual format.