Jonelle Allen

Two Gentlemen of Verona    

Two Gentlemen of Verona is a rock musical, with a book by John Guare and Mel Shapiro, lyrics by Guare, and music by Galt MacDermot, based on the Shakespeare comedy of the same name.

The original Broadway production, in 1971, won the Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical. A London production followed in 1973. The Public Theater revived the piece in 2005. 

Awards Tony Award for Best Musical
Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical
Drama Desk Outstanding Book
Drama Desk Outstanding Music
Drama Desk Outstanding Lyrics 

Broadway
After tryouts at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park in the summer of 1971 and twenty previews, the Broadway production, directed by Mel Shapiro and choreographed by Jean Erdman replaced by Dennis Nahat for Broadway and London productions, opened on December 1, 1971, at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 614 performances. The cast included Raul Julia, Clifton Davis, Jonelle Allen, and Diana Davila in the leads; Stockard Channing and Jeff Goldblum (in his first Broadway performance) were in the chorus.

The musical won two Tony Awards including Best Musical over such shows as Grease and Follies.

The original Broadway cast album[5] was released on ABC Records in the US at the time; through merger and acquisition over the years, the Universal Music Group now owns the rights. The master tapes were restored for digital release through the Decca Broadway label in 2002.

 

Original Delacorte cast featuring Raul Julia, Carla Pinza (holding tambourines) as Julia and to the far right, Miss Jonelle Allen as Sylvia. Joseph Papp (Producer of the NYSF) is kneeling to the far left.

Original Delacorte cast featuring Raul Julia, Carla Pinza (holding tambourines) as Julia, and to the far right, Miss Jonelle Allen as Sylvia. Joseph Papp (Producer of the NYSF) is kneeling to the far left.

 Two Gentlemen of Verona (Central Park, 1971) — with Clifton Davis and Jonelle Allen.Clifton Davis and Jonelle Allen.

Jonelle Allen and Clifton Davis

Jonelle Allen and Clifton Davis

Jonelle Allen, Norman Matlock and Frank O'Brien.

 Two Gentlemen of Verona (Broadway transfer, 1971

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 Jonelle Allen and Clifton Davis

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The original Broadway cast by Al Hirschfeld: Clifton Davis, Jonelle Allen, Raul Julia, and Diana Davila

SONY DSC

 Clifton Davis, Jonelle Allen, Stockard Channing, and Larry Kert

Original Broadway leads: Raul Julia as Proteus Diana Davila as Julia Jonelle Allen as Sylvia Clifton Davis as Valentine

Original Broadway leads:
Raul Julia as Proteus
Diana Davila as Julia
Jonelle Allen as Sylvia
Clifton Davis as Valentine

Two Gentlemen of Verona
Raul Julia, Clifton Davis, Jonelle Allen, Stockard Channing, Jeff Goldblum.

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The Dick Cavett Show
Charlton Heston, Meadowlark Lemon, Joseph Papp, Jonelle Allen, Alan Weeks, Jeff Goldblum
Season 1971 Episode 61
August 11, 1971

 

 

The TONY AWARDS

1972 BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA NOMINEE

The 26th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by ABC television on April 23, 1972, from The Broadway Theatre in New York City. Hosts were Henry Fonda, Deborah Kerr, and Peter Ustinov.

TONY AWARD Nomination Memories

 

Jonelle Allen in formal attire with hands on her hips in a scene from the film ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona‘, 1972. (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)

 

LOS ANGELES – CIRCA 1975: Musician and actor Clifton Davis attends an event with actress Jonelle Allen circa 1975 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Jonelle Allen–Rare TV Interview

Two Gentlemen of Verona

 

 

for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf 

by Ntozake Shange

Candy Ann Brown, Trazana Beverly, Marilyn Coleman, Alfre Woodard, and Jonelle Allen
Missing from this photo, Beverly Ann and Barbara Alston
Who was also In The Cast
(Thank you, Michael Lightsey}

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iforcolor

ARCHIVIST, EDUCATOR, HISTORIAN, and ARTiST
Dale Ricardo Shields is a 2017 winner of The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award®, 2017 and 2015 Tony® award nominee for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award, the 2017 AUDELCO/"VIV" Special Achievement Award, 2020, 2021, and 2022 ENCORE AWARD / The Actors Fund and winner of the 2022.

Recently, he won the 2022 Legend Award from his alma mater Ohio University.

He is the 2021 winner of the Paul Robeson Award, presented (jointly) by the Actors Equity Association and the Actors Equity Foundation.

Research Accomplishments:
His extensive professional credits as a Director, Stage manager, and Actor (Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and Regional) As an actor he has appeared on Saturday Night Live, Another World, Guiding Light, The Cosby Show, and the ITV television series "Special Needs" and commercials and film.

Professor Shields is a member of the Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the American Guild of Musical Artists performance unions and an associate member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

He began his artistic academic career in New York City at Playwrights Horizon, The South Bronx Action Theatre, and Mind Builders, and then was invited to join the teaching staff at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre (New York Shakespeare Festival). He represented the United States for Theatre Young Audiences at the ASSITEJ Theatre Festival in London, England.

He has been a Professor and Visiting Artist at Ohio University, The College of Wooster, Denison University, Macalester College, Randolph- Macon College, Susquehanna University, and SUNY Potsdam.

He holds B.F.A and M.F.A, Degrees from Ohio University.

Website(s)

Iforcolor.org [Research]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Ricardo_Shields [Career]