CHOIR BOY
Much Ado About Nothing
(Shakespeare in the Park, Public Theater) 2019
Chuck Cooper and Erik Laray Harvey
Trouble In Mind
“…Cooper’s gorgeous portrait of Sheldon. On the page, Sheldon is peripheral, but Cooper makes him into the soul of the production, a great deep well of knowledge, compromise, and sorrow. There are other things to look at [on the stage] but my eyes turned again and again to him. He blustered and laughed, shook his head at everyone else’s nonsense. But every time he got still, it was like a storm was gathering. You could see the light darken around his head; you could feel the air fill with trouble.”
Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway premiere of Trouble in Mind opened on Broadway. Trouble in Mind is led by LaChanze as “Wiletta Mayer,” with Michael Zegen as “Al Manners,” Chuck Cooper as “Sheldon Forrester,” Danielle Campbell as “Judy Sears,” Jessica Frances Dukes as “Millie Davis,” Brandon Micheal Hall as “John Nevins,” Simon Jones as “Henry,” Alex Mickiewicz as “Eddie Fenton,” and Don Stephenson as “Bill O’Wray.”
Credit… Sara Krulwich/The New York Times
From left: Chuck Cooper, LaChanze, Danielle Campbell, and Michael Zegen in “Trouble in Mind,” which will have its long-awaited Broadway opening night this month. – Credit… Sara Krulwich/The New York Times
The cast of “Trouble in Mind.” (Marc J. Franklin)
More than 65 years after it was meant to premiere on Broadway, Alice Childress’ Trouble in Mind finally begins previews on October 29. The Roundabout Theatre Company production opens on November 18 at the American Airlines Theatre.
Tony winner LaChanze stars in the play as Wiletta, an experienced Black stage actor going through rehearsals of a major Broadway production. Joining her is Tony winner Chuck Cooper as Sheldon Forrester, Michael Zegen as Al Manners, Danielle Campbell as Judy Sears, Jessica Frances Dukes as Millie Davis, Brandon Micheal Hall as John Nevins, Simon Jones as Henry, Alex Mickiewicz as Eddie Fenton, and Don Stephenson as Bill O’Wray.
Charles Randolph-Wright directs Trouble in Mind, which features set design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Kathy A. Perkins, sound design by Dan Moses Schreier, original music by Nona Hendryx, and hair and wig design by Cookie Jordan.
Chuck Cooper and LaChanze – Photo – by MARC J FRANKLIN
Fiddler on the Roof
UMS presented the premiere performances of ‘Fiddler on the Roof‘ in Concert
“In our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn’t easy.“
