4 time Grammy Award recipient, Chapman Roberts, has been in show business for over 50 years and is still going strong. He boasts an extensive and impressive artistic background.
CHAPMAN ROBERTS
By Dale Ricardo Shields
In Celebration of the Creator
of
Black Stars on Broadway
Maestro ~ Producer ~ Composer
Chapman Roberts, Norm Lewis, and David Horace Greer.
(Producers)
Black Stars of The Great White Way – A Chapman Roberts Concept started out as a seed, a dream, an idea and manifested as a historical event at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City. The dream came to Broadway’s first Black “Phantom of The Opera,” “Porgy and Bess,” “Scandal” TV star and TONY nominee Norm Lewis who revealed his vision about doing a concert with all of the Black Men on Broadway at Carnegie Hall to Chapman Roberts on that fateful October day in Times Square.
“This was history in the making, and the stage was set for the National Black Theatre Festival, Carnegie Hall Anniversary production of The Black Stars of The Great White Way” – Ramona Maben – The Harlem Times
“With a compelling blend of music, dance, theatre, and poetry, and ambiance were created that was deeply spiritual. The connection between members of the audience and those on stage had a warm, family reunion-like tone that permeated throughout a usually austere Carnegie hall for nearly three hours. The history-making celebration, produced by Chapman Roberts, Norm Lewis, and David Horace Greer was brilliantly conceived and executed” – Peter Bailey – 2015 National Black Theatre Festival Living Legend Award Honoree
Norm Lewis, Johnny Mathis, Chapman Roberts
Roberts’ served as a special event musical director and supervisor for President Jimmy Carter; Ronald Reagan’s Kennedy Center Honors; Mrs. Lyndon Johnson; The Inaugural gala of Gov. Ann Richards of Texas; India’s Jazz Yatra Festival; Lincoln Center; Manhattan Plaza; the Kool Jazz Festival and St. Peter’s Jazz Church in New York City. He has also worked with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Henry Mancini, Al Green, Patti LaBelle, Bette Midler’s Harlettes, Eubie Blake, Bill Cosby, Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis, Willy Nelson, Foreigner, the Manhattans, Leslie Uggams, Ruth Brown, Freda Payne, Eartha Kitt, Della Reese, Lena Horne, Savion Glover, Paul Simon, The Public Theatre, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Richard Allen Center for Culture and Art, the Morgan State Choir, the Harlem Gospel Singers, “American Idol” and President Barack Obama.
Black Stars of the Great White Way
Chapman Roberts debuted in the original Broadway cast of Hair. His subsequent stage appearances included feature roles, on and off-Broadway, in Salvation, Hello Dolly (Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway), Jesus Christ Superstar (Ben Vereen), and as El Gallo in The Fantasticks. He has recorded with legendary artists like Gregory Hines, Horace Silver, Weather Report, and B.B. King (Grammy). Mr. Roberts critically acclaimed vocal arrangements can be heard on eight original Broadway and West End cast albums of shows that garnered 25 Tony nominations.
Salvation (Musical) – Joe Morton and Chapman Roberts.
Yolande Bavan (Ranee), Peter Link (Farley), C.C. Courtney (Monday), Joe Morton (Mark), Boni Enten (Boo), Annie Rachel (Dierdre), Marta Heflin (Betty Lou), and Chapman Roberts
