Broadway is back!
Black actors, dancers, designers, writers, and producers are using their talents to bring exciting stories to newly reopened Manhattan theaters on the historic road this season.
Stars like Uzo Aduba and Ron Cephas Jones are returning to the stage toting the talents they’ve shown on the small screen. New and seasoned voices are finally making their Broadway debuts by telling unfamiliar stories that go beyond stereotypes. And notoriously famous playwrights are flexing their renowned pens in new settings that speak to the tales we cling on to when we’re striving for better.
Step away from streaming for the evening and get all dressed up to take in strong themes, stellar performances, and the crackling energy that can only be felt from being mere feet away from the show you’ve been looking forward seeing to for weeks.
This season the legacies of musical giants are being explored with big budget dance numbers that transport the audience back to the days of tightly pinned bouffants and prim pillbox hats. The inner thoughts and feelings of Black men are being explored using innovative methods, infrastructure crises are being carefully explored, and new dramas are centering the experiences of those previously left in the shadows by creators.
Insiders have routinely called out Broadway for its exclusion of diverse voices behind the scenes but some progress is being made despite longstanding systemic barriers, thanks to the persistent actions of alliances, coalitions, and advocacy groups determined to document the shortcomings of the commercial theatre industry.
Entertainment veterans like Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Kandi Buruss, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Samira Wiley, and John Legend have also turned their attention to supporting professionals fighting to create quality productions that showcase talent.
See what new and Black shows are coming to Broadway stages this season below.
