Debbie Allen News

Janet Jackson’s December 1st performance comes on the heels of her North American Together Again tour, the highest grossing tour ever in her career, which derives its name from Jackson’s 1997 hit song “Together Again” – the artist’s personal tribute to a friend lost to AIDS as well as AIDS victims and their families worldwide. 

Four women writers of the Harlem Renaissance meet in 'Telling Tales Out of School' by Wesley Brown, directed by Woodie King, Jr. at Castillo Theatre/ASP. The play offers a unique perspective on the Harlem Renaissance by providing a character study of four of its most-noted female prime movers. Check out event information here!

NEW FEDERAL THEATRE will hold its 53rd Anniversary Celebration on October 2 at Edison Ballroom, honoring Woodie King, Jr., Gabrielle Kurlander, and Sade Lythcott. The gala is chaired by Kenny Leon and Lynn Whitfield.

Step into the world of mathematics, cryptography, and enchantingly queer fairy tales with Invertigo Dance Theatre's performance of Formulae & Fairy Tales on October 13 and 14, 2023, at 7:30 pm PT at the Broad Stage.

Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre (NFT), led by Producing Artistic Director Elizabeth Van Dyke, will hold a 53rd Anniversary Celebration October 2, 2023 at Edison Ballroom, 240 West 47th Street.  

Join the annual Black Theatre Day celebration on Sunday, Sept. 17 to honor the legacy of the African Grove Theatre and support Black theatres worldwide. Discover the history and impact of Black theatre and the careers it has launched.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company welcomes renowned directors Phylicia Rashad and Jess McLeod to their highly anticipated 2023/24 season. Get the latest updates and insights into the exciting additions to this acclaimed theater company's lineup.

Award-winning performer Melba Moore will be honored on August 10, with the 2,760th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star will be unveiled at 1645 Vine Street near the historic corner of Hollywood & Vine. Moore will be awarded her star in the category of Live Theatre/Live Performance.

Get all the details about the U.S. opening of AMERICA'S VOICES AGAINST APARTHEID at the prestigious Kennedy Center. Find out when and where this powerful event will be taking place.

The International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) announces Natasha R. Moreland Spears as their new Co-Executive Director, ushering in a new era of leadership. Learn more about the IABD's exciting future under the joint leadership of Spears and Omar Ingram.

Wendie Malick and Pamela Adlon are set to host Echoes in the Forest, a gala fundraising event for Will GeerTheatricum Botanicum in celebration of the company’s 50th anniversary summer season. 

In FETCH CLAY, MAKE MAN, Will Power investigates the friendship as a fascinating dual study in individual character and cultural identity. Under Debbie Allen’s rocking direction at the Douglas, the play is as exciting as it is thoughtful.  THE BEAR’s Edwin Lee Gibson and Ray Fisher act the daylights out of it.

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts will present sweeping array of bold and diverse programming for the fall/winter of its 2023/2024 Season.

Will Power’s Fetch Clay, Make Man (a co-production of Center Theatre Group and The SpringHill Company) will open June 18, 2023, at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Debbie Allen, in her CTG directorial debut, directs this account of the unlikely (but real life) friendship between the great Cassius Clay and the controversial Stepin Fetchit; with the cast of Ray Fisher, Edwin Lee Gibson, Wilkie Ferguson II, Alexis Floyd and Bruce Nozick. I managed to spar with Will over a few behind-the-scenes queries.

YoungArts, the national foundation for the advancement of artists, is now accepting applications for its prestigious annual competition.

Known for its Broadway-caliber productions, Musical Theatre West (MTW), Long Beach’s premier theatre company, will debut its summer musical, The Wizard Of Oz.

SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical begins rehearsals and will run at The Gateway Playhouse from June 16 – July 16, 2023, to continue the 74th season.

2022 Golden Globe nominee and Obie Award winner Edwin Lee Gibson (The Bear) will star as Stephin Fetchit (a stage name for Lincoln Perry) in Will Power's Fetch Clay, Make Man at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, California via the Centre Theatre Group and LeBron James' The SpringHill Company.

Drama Desk nominee Ray Fisher will put his gloves on again to play the role of heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali in Will Power’s “Fetch Clay, Make Man,” after previously performing the role Off-Broadway.

Debbie Allen, critically acclaimed director, producer, and choreographer will be a special guest at upcoming, 30th annual 'Sista's Are Doin' It For Themselves' Short Film Showcase Opening Night Celebration, May 19th at 7:30pm.