Skip to content
  • Essence GU
  • Beautycon
  • NaturallyCurly
  • Afropunk
  • Essence Studios
  • Soko Mrkt
  • Ese Funds
  • Refinery29
  • 2025 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • Entrepreneurship
  • News
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
  • Subscribe
Home • Celebrity

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway

African-Americans on Broadway
By Essence · Updated October 28, 2020
01
Alicia Keys

Alicia makes her Broadway debut by producing African-American playwright Lydia R. Diamond’s ”Stick Fly,” which opens December 8th.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
02
Angela Bassett

The Oscar-nominee returns to her theater roots to star in “The Mountaintop,” by African-American playwright Katori Hall, currently playing on Broadway.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
03
Samuel L. Jackson

Jackson joins Angela Bassett and plays Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in “The Mountaintop,” by African-American playwright Katori Hall, currently playing on Broadway.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
04
Suzan-Lori Parks

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks collaborates with jazz musician Diedre Murray to adapt the classic Gershwins opera, ”Porgy and Bess,” which opens on December 17th.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
05
David Alan Grier

Grier returned to the theater in 2012 to star in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Tony Award-winning adaptation of ”Porgy and Bess.”

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
06
Whoopi Goldberg

On top of her “View” duties, Goldberg is also the producer of the Broadway adaptation of “Sister Act.”

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
07
Audra McDonald

A Tony award-winning actress, Audra McDonald, will star in Suzan-Lori Parks’ adaptation of ”Porgy and Bess,” which opens on December 17th.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
08
Tracie Thom

The “Cold Case” star goes to Broadway to star in the Alicia Keys-produced production of ”Stick Fly,” which opens December 8th.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
09
LaLa Anthony

LaLa makes her Broadway debut in “Love, Loss and What I Wore,” on Broadway through October.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
10
Mekhi Phifer

Mekhi is slated to star in the Alicia Keys production of ”Stick Fly,” opening December 8th.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
11
Dule Hill

Dule also joins Mekhi Phifer in the Alicia Keys production of ”Stick Fly,” opening December 8th.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
12
Condola Rashad

Condola (left) continues to follow in her famous mother, Phylicia Rashad’s, footsteps, starring in “Stick Fly,” along with Mekhi Phifer, Dule Hill, and Tracie Thoms.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
13
Nikki M. James

Nikki plays wide-eyed Nabulungi in the Broadway production of “Book of Mormon.” Did we mention she won a Tony for her performance?

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
14
Patina Miller

Miller reprises Whoopi Goldberg’s role as the feisty Deloris Van Cartier in the Broadway production of “Sister Act.” Her performance has earned her a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
15
Katori Hall

At just 30 years old, playwright Katori Hall makes her Broadway debut with, “The Mountaintop,” a fictional account of Rev. Martin Luther King’s final night in Memphis. Currently on Broadway, the play stars Angela Bassett and Samuel L. Jackson.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
16
Lydia R. Diamond

Writer Lydia R. Diamond brings “Stick Fly,” the story of an upper-crust African-American family on Martha’s Vineyard to Broadway. The play will be produced by Alicia Keys.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
17
Kenny Leon

As a director, Kenny Leon’s credits include “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (with Anika Noni Rose and Terrence Howard) and "Raisin in the Sun (Diddy). In 2011, he is directing “The Mountaintop” (Angela Bassett and Samuel L. Jackson), and the upcoming Alicia Keys production of “Stick Fly.”

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
18
Montego Glover

A Tony Award-nominee for Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Musical, Montego currently stars in the hit musical, <a href=“http://www.memphisthemusical.com/target=”_new">”Memphis”.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
19
Lance Roberts

A veteran of the stage, Lance currently stars in the Broadway production of “Sister Act,” produced by Whoopi Goldberg.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
20
Derrick Baskin

Baskin currently plays Gator in the Broadway favorite, “Memphis.”

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
21
Demond Green

We’ve seen him in “The Wiz,” and “The Toxic Avenger,” now this Broadway vet Demond currently stars in “Sister Act.”

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
22
Chester Gregory

An award-winning actor and musician, Gregory currently plays Eddie on the Broadway production of “Sister Act.”

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
23
Asmeret Ghebremichael

The Eritrean-born Ghebremichael stars in the Tony Award-winning production of “Book of Mormom,” currently on Broadway.

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
24
Alan H. Green

A TV and theater actor, Alan currently stars in the Whoopi Goldberg-produced Broadway production of “Sister Act.”

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
25
Charl Brown

A veteran of the stage, having starred in both “Dreamgirls,” and “Jersey Boys,” Brown now stars in the Broadway production of “Sister Act.”

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
26
Kingsley Leggs

A theater veteran, Leggs plays Curtis in the Broadway production of “Sister Act.”

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
27
Tshidi Manye

Actress Tshidi Manye plays Rafiki in the Broadway favorite, “The Lion King.”

25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
28
1001383
25 Reasons to Go to Broadway
29
1001293
25 Reasons to Go to Broadway