All of Broadway’s biggest stars were in attendance at the 2024 Tony Awards Meet the Nominees Press Event to kick off the theatre awards season!
Major Hollywood celebs like Rachel McAdams, Eddie Redmayne, Gayle Rankin, Alicia Keys, Daniel Radcliffe, and more were at the event on Thursday afternoon (May 2) at Sofitel New York in New York City.
Just days earlier, all of these stars earned Tony nominations for their work in the 2023-2024 Broadway season.
The 77th Annual Tony Awards will air live on CBS on Sunday, June 16 and it’s taking place at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for the first time.
Make sure to check out the full list of nominations, led by Alicia‘s musical Hell’s Kitchen and the hit play Stereophonic, both with 13 nods each.
Head inside for photos of all the nominees in attendance…
Keep scrolling to see a selection of the nominees on the red carpet…...
Major Hollywood celebs like Rachel McAdams, Eddie Redmayne, Gayle Rankin, Alicia Keys, Daniel Radcliffe, and more were at the event on Thursday afternoon (May 2) at Sofitel New York in New York City.
Just days earlier, all of these stars earned Tony nominations for their work in the 2023-2024 Broadway season.
The 77th Annual Tony Awards will air live on CBS on Sunday, June 16 and it’s taking place at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for the first time.
Make sure to check out the full list of nominations, led by Alicia‘s musical Hell’s Kitchen and the hit play Stereophonic, both with 13 nods each.
Head inside for photos of all the nominees in attendance…
Keep scrolling to see a selection of the nominees on the red carpet…...
- 5/3/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Welcome to Tony Talk, a weekly column in which Gold Derby contributing theater editors David Buchanan and Sam Eckmann discuss the Tony Awards race. In the hours after the announcement of the nominees for the 77th annual awards, we reflect on the omissions that stung the most, the long-shot picks we were most proud of predicting and discuss the early state of the Best Musical race.
Sam Eckmann: David, I have spent the morning pouring over the 2024 Tony nominations and switching between delight and disbelief when I look at the surprises and omissions in this lineup. It’s safe to say that this was by far the most packed and competitive season we have covered together, so while I didn’t get a perfect score with my predictions, I was more than happy with my performance. While there is much to cheer in these nominations, I can’t help but feel sad for many people.
Sam Eckmann: David, I have spent the morning pouring over the 2024 Tony nominations and switching between delight and disbelief when I look at the surprises and omissions in this lineup. It’s safe to say that this was by far the most packed and competitive season we have covered together, so while I didn’t get a perfect score with my predictions, I was more than happy with my performance. While there is much to cheer in these nominations, I can’t help but feel sad for many people.
- 5/2/2024
- by David Buchanan and Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
In a Broadway season bursting at the seams with new musicals, plays and revivals – 36 productions opened during the 2023-2024 eligibility window – it is not a surprise that the 60 Tony Awards nominators caught theatre aficionados off guard with some of their choices.
The biggest surprise of the morning was the overperformance of new musical “Water for Elephants.” Our users only expected it to earn one nomination, but it ultimately ended up with seven, tying “Merrily We Roll Along” and beating out musicals such as “Suffs.” Its unexpected bids include the top category of Best Musical, director Jessica Stone, book and choreography. The one bid we thought it would land for featured actor Paul Alexander Nolan didn’t actually come to fruition. Speaking of surprise director noms, Michael Greif – who worked on three musicals this season – broke through for “Hell’s Kitchen.” He ranked ninth in our combined odds.
See Tony Awards nominations: ‘Stereophonic’ reaps record 13 bids,...
The biggest surprise of the morning was the overperformance of new musical “Water for Elephants.” Our users only expected it to earn one nomination, but it ultimately ended up with seven, tying “Merrily We Roll Along” and beating out musicals such as “Suffs.” Its unexpected bids include the top category of Best Musical, director Jessica Stone, book and choreography. The one bid we thought it would land for featured actor Paul Alexander Nolan didn’t actually come to fruition. Speaking of surprise director noms, Michael Greif – who worked on three musicals this season – broke through for “Hell’s Kitchen.” He ranked ninth in our combined odds.
See Tony Awards nominations: ‘Stereophonic’ reaps record 13 bids,...
- 4/30/2024
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
With the announcement of the Tony Awards nominations on April 30, we now know the shows and performers in contention for the 77th annual ceremony. The 60 members of the Tony nominating committee recognized 28 of the 36 eligible productions across 26 competitive categories.
See 2024 Tony Awards nominations snubs: ‘Patriots,’ Steve Carell, Chip Zien …
David Adjmi’s new play “Stereophonic” makes Tony Awards history with 13 nominations. This bests by one the previous record-holder “Slave Play” by Jeremy O. Harris, which earned 12 bids back in 2020. Its haul includes recognition for Best Play, Best Director (Daniel Aukin), five nominations for its performers and, rare for a dramatic work, Best Original Score for Will Butler and Best Orchestrations for Butler and Justin Craig.
“Hell’s Kitchen,” a loosely biographical work on the early life and featuring the music of Alicia Keys, leads all musicals and musical revivals with 13 nominations. In addition to a Best Musical nom, the show...
See 2024 Tony Awards nominations snubs: ‘Patriots,’ Steve Carell, Chip Zien …
David Adjmi’s new play “Stereophonic” makes Tony Awards history with 13 nominations. This bests by one the previous record-holder “Slave Play” by Jeremy O. Harris, which earned 12 bids back in 2020. Its haul includes recognition for Best Play, Best Director (Daniel Aukin), five nominations for its performers and, rare for a dramatic work, Best Original Score for Will Butler and Best Orchestrations for Butler and Justin Craig.
“Hell’s Kitchen,” a loosely biographical work on the early life and featuring the music of Alicia Keys, leads all musicals and musical revivals with 13 nominations. In addition to a Best Musical nom, the show...
- 4/30/2024
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Daniel Radcliffe’s post-“Harry Potter” career has long been dominated by his theater work, both in New York and London. On April 30, he finally scored his first Tony nomination, for his role in the musical “Merrily We Roll Along.”
Radcliffe’s buzzy stage work began in 2007 with a run in “Equus” on both sides of the pond. He powered a delightful, blockbuster revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” in 2011 (Grammy nomination), and since then, he has chosen an eclectic mix of projects, work where his name alone can often get challenging — or even just serious — work funded. Think the occasionally dense “The Cripple of Inishmaan,” the provocative “Privacy,” or the genre-bending experiment “The Lifespan of a Fact.” He’s long been an asset to the NY stage scene, and this morning’s recognition long-deserved.
Radcliffe landed another perfect part playing Charley Kringas in the buzzy...
Radcliffe’s buzzy stage work began in 2007 with a run in “Equus” on both sides of the pond. He powered a delightful, blockbuster revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” in 2011 (Grammy nomination), and since then, he has chosen an eclectic mix of projects, work where his name alone can often get challenging — or even just serious — work funded. Think the occasionally dense “The Cripple of Inishmaan,” the provocative “Privacy,” or the genre-bending experiment “The Lifespan of a Fact.” He’s long been an asset to the NY stage scene, and this morning’s recognition long-deserved.
Radcliffe landed another perfect part playing Charley Kringas in the buzzy...
- 4/30/2024
- by Erin Strecker
- Indiewire
Broadway fans: the 2024 Tony Award nominations are finally here!
Each year, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre (aka the Tonys), celebrates the best on Broadway. The nominations were announced by two past Tony winners: Take Me Out‘s Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Hamilton‘s Renée Elise Goldsberry.
This year, the Tonys will be held on June 16, 2024 with host Ariana DeBose returning to host for a third time. Just Jared will be live updating throughout the entire event, so stick with us that night!
Head inside to see the full list of Tony Award nominations…
Scroll down for the full list of Tony Award nominees…
Best Musical
Hell’s Kitchen
Illinoise
The Outsiders
Suffs
Water for Elephants
Best Play
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Mary Jane
Mother Play
Prayer for the French Republic
Stereophonic
Best Revival of a Play
Appropriate
An Enemy of the People
Purlie Victorious: A...
Each year, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre (aka the Tonys), celebrates the best on Broadway. The nominations were announced by two past Tony winners: Take Me Out‘s Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Hamilton‘s Renée Elise Goldsberry.
This year, the Tonys will be held on June 16, 2024 with host Ariana DeBose returning to host for a third time. Just Jared will be live updating throughout the entire event, so stick with us that night!
Head inside to see the full list of Tony Award nominations…
Scroll down for the full list of Tony Award nominees…
Best Musical
Hell’s Kitchen
Illinoise
The Outsiders
Suffs
Water for Elephants
Best Play
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Mary Jane
Mother Play
Prayer for the French Republic
Stereophonic
Best Revival of a Play
Appropriate
An Enemy of the People
Purlie Victorious: A...
- 4/30/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
The 2024 Tony Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday, May 2 by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renée Elise Goldsberry. The reveal of the roster of contenders was carried on the Tonys YouTube channel. While the nominations for the 77th annual Tony Awards were determined by a few dozen theater professionals, winners will be decided by upwards of 800 members of the Broadway community.
Three dozen shows were eligible for consideration by the nominating committee. On the play side, there are 10 original works and five revivals in the running. Over on the musical side, 15 new tuners were in contention as were six musical revivals. The cutoff date for eligibility was April 27.
The Tony Awards are set for June 16 at Lincoln Center and will be hosted for the third year in a row by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose.
The 2024 Tony Awards nominations list below includes all 26 competitive categories.
Musicals
Best Musical
Hell’s Kitchen
Illinoise...
Three dozen shows were eligible for consideration by the nominating committee. On the play side, there are 10 original works and five revivals in the running. Over on the musical side, 15 new tuners were in contention as were six musical revivals. The cutoff date for eligibility was April 27.
The Tony Awards are set for June 16 at Lincoln Center and will be hosted for the third year in a row by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose.
The 2024 Tony Awards nominations list below includes all 26 competitive categories.
Musicals
Best Musical
Hell’s Kitchen
Illinoise...
- 4/30/2024
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
The 2023-2024 Broadway season has been positively packed with an abundance of talent as dozens of new productions danced across New York City stages. The nominating committee for the Tony Awards usually does a great job in selecting the best of the best, thanks to a fair system that requires committee members to see all eligible productions. But given the sheer volume of shows this season, David Buchanan and I thought it best to remind these voters of contenders most in need of recognition.
David and I sat down to stump for 10 Tony Awards hopefuls who find themselves on uncertain ground heading into nominations (plus a few shoutouts to some stellar designers). Watch the full video slugfest above to hear our passionate pleas to the voters on the nominating committee. Hey Tony voter nominators, please don’t forget these incredible artists!
See 2024 Tony Awards eligibility rulings (round 3): ‘Uncle Vanya...
David and I sat down to stump for 10 Tony Awards hopefuls who find themselves on uncertain ground heading into nominations (plus a few shoutouts to some stellar designers). Watch the full video slugfest above to hear our passionate pleas to the voters on the nominating committee. Hey Tony voter nominators, please don’t forget these incredible artists!
See 2024 Tony Awards eligibility rulings (round 3): ‘Uncle Vanya...
- 4/28/2024
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
The nominees for the 2024 Drama League Awards were announced April 22, 2024, by Vanessa Williams and past Drama League winner Bebe Neuwirth. Winners will be announced during the 90th Annual Drama League Awards ceremony at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Friday, May 17.
These kudos honor both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions and are famous for their catch-all acting category, the Distinguished Performance Award. An actor can only win it once in their career. After they have won, they can never be nominated again. This year, a whopping 54 performers are nominated.
See 2024 Tony Awards eligibility rulings (round 2): ‘Appropriate’ is officially a revival, ‘The Notebook’ actors split up
The expansive production categories mean that many Tony Awards hopefuls heard their name called this morning. Ten Broadway musicals were nominated in the Outstanding Production of a Musical race. Notable omissions include “Back to the Future: The Musical,” “The Great Gatsby” and critical darling “Days of Wine and Roses...
These kudos honor both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions and are famous for their catch-all acting category, the Distinguished Performance Award. An actor can only win it once in their career. After they have won, they can never be nominated again. This year, a whopping 54 performers are nominated.
See 2024 Tony Awards eligibility rulings (round 2): ‘Appropriate’ is officially a revival, ‘The Notebook’ actors split up
The expansive production categories mean that many Tony Awards hopefuls heard their name called this morning. Ten Broadway musicals were nominated in the Outstanding Production of a Musical race. Notable omissions include “Back to the Future: The Musical,” “The Great Gatsby” and critical darling “Days of Wine and Roses...
- 4/22/2024
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
“The thing that pulled me the most is the authenticity with which the writer Susie Hinton explores what it feels like to be a teenager,” reflects Danya Taymor on what resonates with her about the 1967 novel “The Outsiders.” The popular book was adapted for the screen by Francis Ford Coppola in 1983 and has now come to the stage as a musical. The director finds the original work so powerful because the novelist was able to capture the experience of adolescence “without pulling any punches, without trying to sugarcoat it in a way that dove into my heart and talked to the 14-year-old inside me.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
“The Outsiders” features a large and young cast of performers, many of whom are making their Broadway debuts. “To do ‘The Outsiders’ asks so much of their spirit, their bodies, their minds, and it’s been a privilege to be their leader,...
“The Outsiders” features a large and young cast of performers, many of whom are making their Broadway debuts. “To do ‘The Outsiders’ asks so much of their spirit, their bodies, their minds, and it’s been a privilege to be their leader,...
- 4/21/2024
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
The young adult novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton has captivated readers for decades, and the 1983 film adaptation, filled with rising stars, further cemented its place in popular culture. Now, a new musical adaptation at the Jacobs Theater on Broadway seeks to tap into the timeless story’s magic.
The musical, directed by Danya Taymor, possesses undeniable heart and soul, but it occasionally falls short of a truly theatrical experience. Although the plot of The Outsiders is rich in dramatic events—a clash between rival gangs, a star-crossed romance, and a climactic confrontation—the stage adaption can easily be compared to other classic stage productions, particularly Grease and West Side Story.
The script, written by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine, focuses on three orphaned brothers: Ponyboy, portrayed by Brody Grant as the narrator; the brawny and romantic Sodapop, played by Jason Schmidt; and the eldest brother, Darrel, portrayed by Brent Comer as the father figure.
The musical, directed by Danya Taymor, possesses undeniable heart and soul, but it occasionally falls short of a truly theatrical experience. Although the plot of The Outsiders is rich in dramatic events—a clash between rival gangs, a star-crossed romance, and a climactic confrontation—the stage adaption can easily be compared to other classic stage productions, particularly Grease and West Side Story.
The script, written by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine, focuses on three orphaned brothers: Ponyboy, portrayed by Brody Grant as the narrator; the brawny and romantic Sodapop, played by Jason Schmidt; and the eldest brother, Darrel, portrayed by Brent Comer as the father figure.
- 4/20/2024
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
Angelina Jolie‘s daughter, Vivienne, 15, has assumed the role of a meticulous assistant on the Broadway production of The Outsiders. The mother-daughter team attended the show’s premiere at New York City’s Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on April 11.
“She’ll correct me,” Jolie, 48, who is a producer of the show, said. “She’ll say, ‘Didn’t you read the memo? We have to do this. We have to go through this. She’s been a really tough assistant. She takes it very, very seriously.”
Broadway’s The Outsiders is a stage adaptation of S. E. Hinton’s beloved coming-of-age novel from 1967. Previously, the story received a film adaptation over four decades ago, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by Kathleen Rowell. The 1983 film featured notable actors such as C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio and Tom Cruise.
An exceptional cast plays the lead...
“She’ll correct me,” Jolie, 48, who is a producer of the show, said. “She’ll say, ‘Didn’t you read the memo? We have to do this. We have to go through this. She’s been a really tough assistant. She takes it very, very seriously.”
Broadway’s The Outsiders is a stage adaptation of S. E. Hinton’s beloved coming-of-age novel from 1967. Previously, the story received a film adaptation over four decades ago, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by Kathleen Rowell. The 1983 film featured notable actors such as C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio and Tom Cruise.
An exceptional cast plays the lead...
- 4/13/2024
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
Welcome to Tony Talk, a weekly column in which Gold Derby contributing theater editors David Buchanan and Sam Eckmann discuss the Tony Awards race. Following the opening of new musical “The Outsiders” on Broadway on April 11, we rack our brains about what other shows are likely to earn nominations in the top category of Best Musical, including frontrunners “Suffs,” “Illinoise” and others.
Sam Eckmann: Hi David! I can’t believe we are sitting roughly two weeks out from Tony nominations and we still have no idea what the Best Musical race is going to look like. That’s partly due to the insane crunch of new musicals opening at the end of the month: I’ll be squeaking in shows like “The Great Gatsby” and “Illinoise” right before the Tony Awards deadline, just like the nominators. But also partly because there is still no obvious frontrunner (be it a giant...
Sam Eckmann: Hi David! I can’t believe we are sitting roughly two weeks out from Tony nominations and we still have no idea what the Best Musical race is going to look like. That’s partly due to the insane crunch of new musicals opening at the end of the month: I’ll be squeaking in shows like “The Great Gatsby” and “Illinoise” right before the Tony Awards deadline, just like the nominators. But also partly because there is still no obvious frontrunner (be it a giant...
- 4/12/2024
- by David Buchanan and Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
“Juvenile Delinquents Turn Heroes,” proclaims a newspaper headline in S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel The Outsiders, which was famously adapted for the screen in 1983 by Francis Ford Coppola. And the juvenile delinquents on stage at the Bernard J. Jacobs Theatre are doing the same, rescuing a Broadway season overstuffed with undercooked musicals in an unexpectedly persuasive new adaptation of Hinton’s scrappy, moving story.
This show follows close on the heels of two other book-to-movie-to-musical adaptations, The Notebook and Water for Elephants. But The Outsiders far outstrips them both in the sophisticated storytelling of Adam Rapp and Justine Levine’s book, the adventurous staging of director Danya Taymor, and the dramatically specific and potent score from Levine and folk duo Jamestown Revival. Put another way, The Outsiders is, at last, a darn good musical.
Fourteen-year-old Tulsa native Ponyboy Curtis (Brody Grant) is a member of the Greasers, a gang of long-haired...
This show follows close on the heels of two other book-to-movie-to-musical adaptations, The Notebook and Water for Elephants. But The Outsiders far outstrips them both in the sophisticated storytelling of Adam Rapp and Justine Levine’s book, the adventurous staging of director Danya Taymor, and the dramatically specific and potent score from Levine and folk duo Jamestown Revival. Put another way, The Outsiders is, at last, a darn good musical.
Fourteen-year-old Tulsa native Ponyboy Curtis (Brody Grant) is a member of the Greasers, a gang of long-haired...
- 4/12/2024
- by Dan Rubins
- Slant Magazine
Exclusive: Yellowstone star Kelly Reilly and Oscar nominee David Strathairn are in final negotiations to join Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) and Boyd Holbrook (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) in Last Meals.
Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy) and Joshua Boone (A Jazzman’s Blues) are also joining the drama which begins filming in Atlanta on November 28 with a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement.
Tony-winner Kenny Leon (Fences) is newly aboard to direct.
Jackson will play Walter, a disgraced former White House chef who finds himself 30 years later cooking last meals for death row inmates, forming an unlikely bond with Reed, a prisoner on a hunger strike whose innocence Walter begins to believe in. With the help of Hannah (Reilly), the trio take on a politically motivated prison head (Strathairn), while bringing dignity and hope to their fellow inmates (Rossi among others). Boone will play young Walter.
Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy) and Joshua Boone (A Jazzman’s Blues) are also joining the drama which begins filming in Atlanta on November 28 with a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement.
Tony-winner Kenny Leon (Fences) is newly aboard to direct.
Jackson will play Walter, a disgraced former White House chef who finds himself 30 years later cooking last meals for death row inmates, forming an unlikely bond with Reed, a prisoner on a hunger strike whose innocence Walter begins to believe in. With the help of Hannah (Reilly), the trio take on a politically motivated prison head (Strathairn), while bringing dignity and hope to their fellow inmates (Rossi among others). Boone will play young Walter.
- 11/2/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood star Will Smith won the NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a motion picture for his performance in ‘Emancipation’ on Saturday night, marking his first award win since his infamous incident at the 2022 Oscars in which he slapped Chris Rock onstage.
Smith was not present at the ceremony to accept his award in person, reports Variety.
Set in 19th century Louisiana, Smith portrays a runaway slave who embarks on a treacherous journey to Baton Rouge while thwarting violent plantation owners. ‘Emancipation’ was inspired by an 1863 photograph known as ‘Whipped Peter’, which depicts a once-enslaved individual with severe lacerations on his back.
The image’s circulation placed the brutality of slavery in front of the eyes of the American public.
After initially delaying ‘Emancipation’ following Smith’s incident at the Oscars, Apple TV+ pivoted to positioning the historical drama as an awards season contender, releasing the film in October.
Smith was not present at the ceremony to accept his award in person, reports Variety.
Set in 19th century Louisiana, Smith portrays a runaway slave who embarks on a treacherous journey to Baton Rouge while thwarting violent plantation owners. ‘Emancipation’ was inspired by an 1863 photograph known as ‘Whipped Peter’, which depicts a once-enslaved individual with severe lacerations on his back.
The image’s circulation placed the brutality of slavery in front of the eyes of the American public.
After initially delaying ‘Emancipation’ following Smith’s incident at the Oscars, Apple TV+ pivoted to positioning the historical drama as an awards season contender, releasing the film in October.
- 2/26/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Angela Bassett took home a pair of major honors at the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards on Saturday night during a ceremony from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium that was telecast live on BET, earning three total: for Entertainer of the Year, film supporting actress for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and (prior to the live show) lead actress in a TV drama for Fox’s “9-1-1.” She shared top billing with Will Smith, who won his first major award since his infamous slap incident involving Chris Rock at last year’s Oscars: lead film actor for “Emancipation.”
Egot champ Viola Davis – snubbed this year at the Academy Awards – snared lead actress in a film for “The Woman King,” while “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was feted as Outstanding Motion Picture and Tenoch Huerta Mejia earned the film supporting actor prize for his role in “Black Panther.” Jalyn Hall won the Breakthrough...
Egot champ Viola Davis – snubbed this year at the Academy Awards – snared lead actress in a film for “The Woman King,” while “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was feted as Outstanding Motion Picture and Tenoch Huerta Mejia earned the film supporting actor prize for his role in “Black Panther.” Jalyn Hall won the Breakthrough...
- 2/26/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
The 54th NAACP Image Awards did the thing! After its regular week-long, non-televised celebrations, the annual awards ceremony concluded with its main ceremony on Saturday night.
Hosted by Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress and producer Queen Latifah, Saturday’s ceremony included Janelle Monae, Taye Diggs, Kerry Washington, Jonathan Majors, Zendaya and more presenting awards to their peers, while also highlighting the accomplishments of political leaders and activists.
Jennifer Hudson, Quinta Brunson, Keke Palmer and more scored wins during the pre-awards festivities, while Saturday’s ceremony saw Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, Will Smith and more honoured for their artistic contributions.
Read More: 2023 NAACP Image Awards Nominations: See the Full List
This year’s Activist of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Derrick Lee Foward, president of the Dayton Unit of the NAACP and a vice president of the Ohio NAACP, and the Youth Activist of the Year Award honoured to Bradley Ross Jackson,...
Hosted by Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress and producer Queen Latifah, Saturday’s ceremony included Janelle Monae, Taye Diggs, Kerry Washington, Jonathan Majors, Zendaya and more presenting awards to their peers, while also highlighting the accomplishments of political leaders and activists.
Jennifer Hudson, Quinta Brunson, Keke Palmer and more scored wins during the pre-awards festivities, while Saturday’s ceremony saw Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, Will Smith and more honoured for their artistic contributions.
Read More: 2023 NAACP Image Awards Nominations: See the Full List
This year’s Activist of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Derrick Lee Foward, president of the Dayton Unit of the NAACP and a vice president of the Ohio NAACP, and the Youth Activist of the Year Award honoured to Bradley Ross Jackson,...
- 2/26/2023
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
The 2023 NAACP Image Awards winners list is full of big names, including Beyoncé, Angela Bassett, and the cast of "Abbott Elementary." The annual award show announced this year's pool of nominees on Jan. 12, recognizing talent, creativity, and trailblazers across film, television, music, streaming, podcasts, literature, and social justice. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" led the pack with a whopping 12 nominations, snagging wins for the dynamic cast, soundtrack, and Rihanna's original end-credits song, "Lift Me Up," as well as wins for filmmaker Ryan Coogler, costume designer Ruth Carter, and hairstylist Camille Friend.
Trailing behind the Marvel blockbuster was Gina Prince-Bythewood's film "The Woman King" and "Abbott Elementary" leading the TV race; both projects earned nine nominations each. Other notable individuals among the winners list include Beyoncé, Keke Palmer, Quinta Brunson, Viola Davis, Nia Long, Will Smith, Chris Brown, Jennifer Hudson, Tems, Silk Sonic, Kid Cudi, Quavo, and Offset.
This year,...
Trailing behind the Marvel blockbuster was Gina Prince-Bythewood's film "The Woman King" and "Abbott Elementary" leading the TV race; both projects earned nine nominations each. Other notable individuals among the winners list include Beyoncé, Keke Palmer, Quinta Brunson, Viola Davis, Nia Long, Will Smith, Chris Brown, Jennifer Hudson, Tems, Silk Sonic, Kid Cudi, Quavo, and Offset.
This year,...
- 2/26/2023
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
The 54th NAACP Image Awards, which aired on CBS from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium Saturday night, has wrapped. Queen Latifah hosted the proceedings, which honored the best in Black entertainment for the proceeding year. Inclusive awards that they are, the Image Awards often give a hat-tip to performers of color who aren’t Black, though: Tenoch Huerta Mejía won Best Supporting Actor for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which also won Outstanding Motion Picture.
That film received another big award in the form of Best Supporting Actress for Angela Bassett, who is by far now the frontrunner for the Academy Award. It was one of two awards of the night for Bassett, as she also won Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role in “9-1-1.”
Among other notable winners, Will Smith won Best Actor for his role in “Emancipation.” And “P-Valley” won Outstanding Drama Series, along with Nico...
That film received another big award in the form of Best Supporting Actress for Angela Bassett, who is by far now the frontrunner for the Academy Award. It was one of two awards of the night for Bassett, as she also won Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role in “9-1-1.”
Among other notable winners, Will Smith won Best Actor for his role in “Emancipation.” And “P-Valley” won Outstanding Drama Series, along with Nico...
- 2/26/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Will Smith won the NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a motion picture for his performance in “Emancipation” on Saturday night, marking his first award win since his infamous incident at the 2022 Oscars in which he slapped Chris Rock onstage.
Smith was not present at the ceremony to accept his award in person.
Set in 19th century Louisiana, Smith portrays a runaway slave who embarks on a treacherous journey to Baton Rouge while thwarting off violent plantation owners. “Emancipation” was inspired by an 1863 photograph known as “Whipped Peter,” which depicts a once-enslaved individual with severe lacerations on his back. The image’s circulation placed the brutality of slavery in front of the eyes of the American public.
After initially delaying “Emancipation” following Smith’s incident at the Oscars, Apple TV+ pivoted to positioning the historical drama as an awards season contender, releasing the film in October. Smith, who doubled...
Smith was not present at the ceremony to accept his award in person.
Set in 19th century Louisiana, Smith portrays a runaway slave who embarks on a treacherous journey to Baton Rouge while thwarting off violent plantation owners. “Emancipation” was inspired by an 1863 photograph known as “Whipped Peter,” which depicts a once-enslaved individual with severe lacerations on his back. The image’s circulation placed the brutality of slavery in front of the eyes of the American public.
After initially delaying “Emancipation” following Smith’s incident at the Oscars, Apple TV+ pivoted to positioning the historical drama as an awards season contender, releasing the film in October. Smith, who doubled...
- 2/26/2023
- by Katie Reul
- Variety Film + TV
The 2023 NAACP Image Awards continued their week–long celebration Friday with a non-televised dinner where winners in a number of categories were honored.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Abbott Elementary were among the top winners from night five, with each project winning three awards. The Best Man: The Final Chapters and P-Valley each won two awards.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever leads this year’s NAACP Image Awards nominees with 12 nods, with Abbott Elementary landing nine nominations. P-Valley was nominated for six awards.
During the dinner at the L.A. Live Event Deck hosted by actress Bresha Webb, the Activist of the Year Award was presented to civil rights advocate Dr. Derrick Lee Foward, president of the NAACP’s Dayton, Ohio unit and vice president of the Ohio NAACP. The dinner also recognized the Youth Activist of the Year: Bloomington-Normal NAACP Youth Council president Bradley Ross Jackson, who helped organize a...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Abbott Elementary were among the top winners from night five, with each project winning three awards. The Best Man: The Final Chapters and P-Valley each won two awards.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever leads this year’s NAACP Image Awards nominees with 12 nods, with Abbott Elementary landing nine nominations. P-Valley was nominated for six awards.
During the dinner at the L.A. Live Event Deck hosted by actress Bresha Webb, the Activist of the Year Award was presented to civil rights advocate Dr. Derrick Lee Foward, president of the NAACP’s Dayton, Ohio unit and vice president of the Ohio NAACP. The dinner also recognized the Youth Activist of the Year: Bloomington-Normal NAACP Youth Council president Bradley Ross Jackson, who helped organize a...
- 2/25/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 54th NAACP Image Awards is ready to dole out shiny new trophies to honor the trove of outstanding achievements and performances of people of color across television, music, streaming, podcasts, literature and film, and the promotion of social justice through their creative endeavors.
This year’s annual show will be the first with an in-person audience since the show was hosted in February 2020, also at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. It’s also the first to include three new categories within the motion picture, television + streaming categories — Outstanding Hairstyling, Outstanding Make-Up and Outstanding Costume Design.
“Throughout the past year, we’ve witnessed Black artists showcasing our history and uplifting values of progressive change, while redefining genres and bringing our stories to the forefront of entertainment in so many innovative ways,” Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said in a statement. “Black voices are necessary to continually inspire audiences around the world.
This year’s annual show will be the first with an in-person audience since the show was hosted in February 2020, also at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. It’s also the first to include three new categories within the motion picture, television + streaming categories — Outstanding Hairstyling, Outstanding Make-Up and Outstanding Costume Design.
“Throughout the past year, we’ve witnessed Black artists showcasing our history and uplifting values of progressive change, while redefining genres and bringing our stories to the forefront of entertainment in so many innovative ways,” Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said in a statement. “Black voices are necessary to continually inspire audiences around the world.
- 1/12/2023
- by Alex Nino Gheciu
- ET Canada
The NAACP today revealed the nominees for its 54th annual NAACP Image Awards, with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Woman King leading the film side and Abbott Elementary and the now-ended Black-ish topping TV.
The group also set up an all-female race for its Entertainer of the Year award. The five-way tussle for that marquee category will be among Angela Bassett, Mary J. Blige, Quinta Brunson, Viola Davis and Zendaya.
The hardware will be handed out during the February 25 ceremony that will air live on BET.
The Black Panther sequel scored 12 noms to lead the pack, with The Woman King second at 10. Abbott Elementary, fresh off its Golden Globe triumph, scored nine nominations to Black-ish‘;’s seven. ABC topped all networks/distributors with 28 noms.
“This year’s nominees have conveyed a wide range of authentic stories and diverse experiences that have resonated with many in our community, and we...
The group also set up an all-female race for its Entertainer of the Year award. The five-way tussle for that marquee category will be among Angela Bassett, Mary J. Blige, Quinta Brunson, Viola Davis and Zendaya.
The hardware will be handed out during the February 25 ceremony that will air live on BET.
The Black Panther sequel scored 12 noms to lead the pack, with The Woman King second at 10. Abbott Elementary, fresh off its Golden Globe triumph, scored nine nominations to Black-ish‘;’s seven. ABC topped all networks/distributors with 28 noms.
“This year’s nominees have conveyed a wide range of authentic stories and diverse experiences that have resonated with many in our community, and we...
- 1/12/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2023 NAACP Image Awards nominees have been revealed.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Woman King were among the leading film nominees with 12 and nine nominations, respectively. Black Panther star Angela Bassett and Woman King star Viola Davis were each nominated for the NAACP Images Awards’ top prize of entertainer of the year.
Other films that scored multiple nominations include Till, which landed six nods, and Emancipation, with five nods.
ABC’s Abbott Elementary received the most nominations in the TV and streaming categories with nine nods. Star Quinta Brunson is also up for entertainer of the year.
Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar scored the most nominations in the music recording categories with five each.
“This year’s nominees have conveyed a wide range of authentic stories and diverse experiences that have resonated with many in our community, and we’re proud to recognize their outstanding achievements and performances,” said NAACP...
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Woman King were among the leading film nominees with 12 and nine nominations, respectively. Black Panther star Angela Bassett and Woman King star Viola Davis were each nominated for the NAACP Images Awards’ top prize of entertainer of the year.
Other films that scored multiple nominations include Till, which landed six nods, and Emancipation, with five nods.
ABC’s Abbott Elementary received the most nominations in the TV and streaming categories with nine nods. Star Quinta Brunson is also up for entertainer of the year.
Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar scored the most nominations in the music recording categories with five each.
“This year’s nominees have conveyed a wide range of authentic stories and diverse experiences that have resonated with many in our community, and we’re proud to recognize their outstanding achievements and performances,” said NAACP...
- 1/12/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Tyler Perry wrote the screenplay for “A Jazzman’s Blues” in 1995, he imagined Diana Ross in the role of Hattie Mae, mother to a young man named Bayou (Joshua Boone) and an entrepreneurial woman who opens a juke joint in the 1940s South. When Perry finally made the movie — a passion project he held onto for 27 years, which is now streaming on Netflix — he turned to Amirah Vann to play the role.
Best known for powerhouse performances opposite Emmy-winner Viola Davis in “How to Get Away With Murder,” as well as major roles in “Queen Sugar” and “Underground”, Vann was “honored” to get the call from Perry — and even more so that he believed she possessed acting and singing chops comparable to Ross.
“The first time I remember him saying it, I was like, ‘Wait a minute?’” Vann tells Variety over the phone. “It just made me feel so honored.
Best known for powerhouse performances opposite Emmy-winner Viola Davis in “How to Get Away With Murder,” as well as major roles in “Queen Sugar” and “Underground”, Vann was “honored” to get the call from Perry — and even more so that he believed she possessed acting and singing chops comparable to Ross.
“The first time I remember him saying it, I was like, ‘Wait a minute?’” Vann tells Variety over the phone. “It just made me feel so honored.
- 11/8/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Solea Pfeiffer was on the phone with Don Cheadle about a possible appearance on his Showtime series Black Monday when another call came in. She ignored it. The 27-year-old actress didn’t end up working with Cheadle, but she did land a lead role in A Jazzman’s Blues, a period drama directed by Tyler Perry, who happened to be the unidentified caller.
A Jazzman’s Blues marks Pfeiffer’s first feature film after being lauded for her stage performances in the original national tour of Hamilton and Gustavo Dudamel’s West Side Story production at the Hollywood Bowl. In October, she stars as Penny Lane in the Broadway premiere of Almost Famous.
Perry’s film, set in the 1940s American South, tells the tragic tale of a young woman who is forced by her mother to pass as white and leave behind the Black man she loves.
Solea Pfeiffer was on the phone with Don Cheadle about a possible appearance on his Showtime series Black Monday when another call came in. She ignored it. The 27-year-old actress didn’t end up working with Cheadle, but she did land a lead role in A Jazzman’s Blues, a period drama directed by Tyler Perry, who happened to be the unidentified caller.
A Jazzman’s Blues marks Pfeiffer’s first feature film after being lauded for her stage performances in the original national tour of Hamilton and Gustavo Dudamel’s West Side Story production at the Hollywood Bowl. In October, she stars as Penny Lane in the Broadway premiere of Almost Famous.
Perry’s film, set in the 1940s American South, tells the tragic tale of a young woman who is forced by her mother to pass as white and leave behind the Black man she loves.
- 9/17/2022
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The mix of musical genres in the title of this Toronto Film Festival Gala Presentation reflects the wildly uneven tone of this rare drama from Tyler Perry Studios, a lush romantic musical telling the story of a Southern lynching with echoes of the murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi 1955. An imminent bow on Netflix is probably the best strategy for it; Perry may have his following, but it’s hard to imagine a crossover audience for A Jazzman’s Blues.
The setting is the city of Hopewell in Georgia, 1987, and an old Black lady is listening to a TV interview with a local politician, who’s talking down competition from an African American candidate by invoking the now-familiar GOP taking point of inverse racism. “I’ve had just about enough of you, mister white man,” she tells the screen and sets off to his office. Once there, she refuses to leave,...
The setting is the city of Hopewell in Georgia, 1987, and an old Black lady is listening to a TV interview with a local politician, who’s talking down competition from an African American candidate by invoking the now-familiar GOP taking point of inverse racism. “I’ve had just about enough of you, mister white man,” she tells the screen and sets off to his office. Once there, she refuses to leave,...
- 9/13/2022
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Tyler Perry’s 23rd film, “A Jazzman’s Blues,” is a major departure for the seasoned director known for comedies and farces that are sometimes extremely broad. For “A Jazzman’s Blue,” the prolific filmmaker does a 180 into drama and romance. The story is set in Jim Crowe’s South and revolves around a forbidden love story about two star-crossed lovers.. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, prior to which the director and stars, Solea Pfeiffer and Joshua Boone, sat down for an interview to discuss themes like colorism as a cousin of racism and how the experience of making the film changed them.
Continue reading ‘A Jazzman’s Blues’: Tyler Perry Talks Departing From Comedy For His New Drama About Forbidden Love at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘A Jazzman’s Blues’: Tyler Perry Talks Departing From Comedy For His New Drama About Forbidden Love at The Playlist.
- 9/13/2022
- by Kathia Woods
- The Playlist
Writer-director Tyler Perry has been living with the screenplay for “A Jazzman’s Blues” for 27 years, longer than it takes most kids to grow up and move out of the house. Inspired by a chance meeting between Perry and playwright August Wilson in 1995, You can’t keep a good melodrama down.
A glowingly lensed Jim Crow-era drama, “Jazzman’s” not unlike “Green Book” or “The Help” — absent the pandering to white audiences’ anxiety about being (to paraphrase a meme) the baddies in this situation. There is one sympathetic white character, Holocaust survivor Ira (Ryan Eggold); his German accent is as exaggerated as the rest of the cast’s Southern drawls. But while the same folks who liked “Green Book” will likely enjoy “A Jazzman’s Blues,” Perry puts Black life in rural Georgia in the 1930s and ‘40s at the center of his story — no white intermediaries required.
We open on a modest clapboard home in Hopewell,...
A glowingly lensed Jim Crow-era drama, “Jazzman’s” not unlike “Green Book” or “The Help” — absent the pandering to white audiences’ anxiety about being (to paraphrase a meme) the baddies in this situation. There is one sympathetic white character, Holocaust survivor Ira (Ryan Eggold); his German accent is as exaggerated as the rest of the cast’s Southern drawls. But while the same folks who liked “Green Book” will likely enjoy “A Jazzman’s Blues,” Perry puts Black life in rural Georgia in the 1930s and ‘40s at the center of his story — no white intermediaries required.
We open on a modest clapboard home in Hopewell,...
- 9/13/2022
- by Katie Rife
- Indiewire
Like an ice-cream shop that offers you the choice of pistachio or strawberry and nothing else, the movies Tyler Perry has been churning out for 20 years come in just two flavors: comedy and soap opera. It’s worth noting, in this case, how the flavors blend. Most often, they’re stacked right next to each other, as when Perry’s great sass-mouth frump Madea suddenly plops into the middle of a dramatic scene. Yet there’s a way that the antic, ribald broadness of Perry’s comedy bends the drama into being more over-the-top. That’s why his movies are all of a piece even when they’re all over the place. They feed you pistachio and strawberry, and by the time that’s all melted together you’re tasting one flavor. Call it Tyler Perry with Nuts.
All of which makes “A Jazzman’s Blues,” which premiered last night at the Toronto International Film Festival,...
All of which makes “A Jazzman’s Blues,” which premiered last night at the Toronto International Film Festival,...
- 9/13/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Tyler Perry on ‘A Jazzman’s Blues,’ a Film 27 Years in the Making, Inspired by His Childhood (Video)
“A Jazzman’s Blues” was a movie adventure 27 years in the making for Tyler Perry, who wrote the screenplay in 1995, the first ever for the prodigious writer-director-actor-magnate. After the project stalled in the mid-2000s, cameras finally started rolling last year in Savannah, Georgia. And in 2022, the sprawling, music-filled Southern Gothic romance of Perry’s dreams was born.
Perry gathered much of his cast, including Amirah Vann, Solea Pfeiffer, Ryan Eggold, Austin Scott, Milauna Jackson, Lana Young and lead Joshua Boone to sit down with Executive Editor, Awards, Steve Pond at TheWrap and Shutterstock’s Interview and Portrait Studio at the Toronto Film Festival.
“A Jazzman’s Blues” tells the story of Bayou (Boone) and Leanne (Pfeiffer), who get caught up in the tempest of jazz, secrets, family abuse, and institutional racism. “I was 26 or 27 with great ambition and a lot of time,” Perry said. “Growing up in rural Louisiana, I know these people very well,...
Perry gathered much of his cast, including Amirah Vann, Solea Pfeiffer, Ryan Eggold, Austin Scott, Milauna Jackson, Lana Young and lead Joshua Boone to sit down with Executive Editor, Awards, Steve Pond at TheWrap and Shutterstock’s Interview and Portrait Studio at the Toronto Film Festival.
“A Jazzman’s Blues” tells the story of Bayou (Boone) and Leanne (Pfeiffer), who get caught up in the tempest of jazz, secrets, family abuse, and institutional racism. “I was 26 or 27 with great ambition and a lot of time,” Perry said. “Growing up in rural Louisiana, I know these people very well,...
- 9/12/2022
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
Bold, beautiful, and bittersweet, Tyler Perry's "A Jazzman's Blues" is a larger-than-life love story set during the Jim Crow era. It's an epic tale about love and loss with a strong musical component (hence the title); the core conflict is the star-crossed lovers, but the story is so grand, so encompassing, that it touches on various topics: Black culture, drug addiction, racism, identity, trauma ... the list goes on.
Tyler Perry wrote "A Jazzman's Blues" 27 years ago, and the project is obviously a very personal one. That passion shines throughout, scene by scene. The film is brimming with sentimentality, and there's an earnestness here that feels deeply sincere, if not always effective. This is an unusual project for the director, who is best known for comedies like "Madea's Family Reunion"; he has tackled more serious fare — such as "Precious," which he produced — but he's never really had what could be...
Tyler Perry wrote "A Jazzman's Blues" 27 years ago, and the project is obviously a very personal one. That passion shines throughout, scene by scene. The film is brimming with sentimentality, and there's an earnestness here that feels deeply sincere, if not always effective. This is an unusual project for the director, who is best known for comedies like "Madea's Family Reunion"; he has tackled more serious fare — such as "Precious," which he produced — but he's never really had what could be...
- 9/12/2022
- by Sarah Milner
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
With A Jazzman’s Blues, Tyler Perry proves himself to be, more than anything, a reliable auteur of serviceable melodramas. The film, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and will stream on Netflix on September 23, is an exercise in tropes and caricatures, a game of “spot the cliché.” Nearly all the usual suspects of Black and Biblical stereotypes make an appearance here: the tragic mulatto, the mammy, the magical negro, Cain and his brother Abel. They are assembled, like pieces of a familiar puzzle, under Perry’s assured direction and utilitarian screenplay. The result is Hollywood catnip.
The comparisons to existing projects will be inevitable because A Jazzman’s Blues is an amalgamation of what already exists. There are hints of Green Book in its depictions of the South, The Notebook in the romance, Passing, any films about Black musicians trying to make it North,...
With A Jazzman’s Blues, Tyler Perry proves himself to be, more than anything, a reliable auteur of serviceable melodramas. The film, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and will stream on Netflix on September 23, is an exercise in tropes and caricatures, a game of “spot the cliché.” Nearly all the usual suspects of Black and Biblical stereotypes make an appearance here: the tragic mulatto, the mammy, the magical negro, Cain and his brother Abel. They are assembled, like pieces of a familiar puzzle, under Perry’s assured direction and utilitarian screenplay. The result is Hollywood catnip.
The comparisons to existing projects will be inevitable because A Jazzman’s Blues is an amalgamation of what already exists. There are hints of Green Book in its depictions of the South, The Notebook in the romance, Passing, any films about Black musicians trying to make it North,...
- 9/12/2022
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Ahead of premiering his latest feature, A Jazzman’s Blues, at the Toronto International Film Festival, Tyler Perry sat down for a wide-ranging conversation about the long road to making the period drama and his hope for diversity in the entertainment industry.
“I am extremely excited for what has happened. The diversity, the choices, the opportunities,” said Perry in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter editorial director Nekesa Mumbi Moody. “But I worry because there is such a push for diversity and push for hiring people of color that I have found, in situations, that there are people [who] can be pushed into seats they are not ready for.”
Perry emphasized the need for training and mentorship in order to create sustainable diversity in Hollywood. “I don’t want to have us as Black people in seats that we weren’t ready for and then have...
Ahead of premiering his latest feature, A Jazzman’s Blues, at the Toronto International Film Festival, Tyler Perry sat down for a wide-ranging conversation about the long road to making the period drama and his hope for diversity in the entertainment industry.
“I am extremely excited for what has happened. The diversity, the choices, the opportunities,” said Perry in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter editorial director Nekesa Mumbi Moody. “But I worry because there is such a push for diversity and push for hiring people of color that I have found, in situations, that there are people [who] can be pushed into seats they are not ready for.”
Perry emphasized the need for training and mentorship in order to create sustainable diversity in Hollywood. “I don’t want to have us as Black people in seats that we weren’t ready for and then have...
- 9/11/2022
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tyler Perry expressed his excitement over the recent push for diversity in the film and TV business at a Toronto industry keynote on Sunday but added the drive would only succeed if it were accompanied by education, training and time to gain experience.
The director, who has blazed a trail throughout his career in enlarging the space for black stories and talent on the small and big screen, is at Toronto for the world premiere of his new film A Jazzman’s Blues ahead of it release on Netflix on September 23.
A labor of love for Perry that has been 27 years in the making, the drama stars emerging talents Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer as star-crossed lovers in 1940s Louisiana, whose relationship is thwarted by race laws of the time.
It is among a raft of features at TIFF this year driven by black talent and stories including fiction features The Woman King...
The director, who has blazed a trail throughout his career in enlarging the space for black stories and talent on the small and big screen, is at Toronto for the world premiere of his new film A Jazzman’s Blues ahead of it release on Netflix on September 23.
A labor of love for Perry that has been 27 years in the making, the drama stars emerging talents Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer as star-crossed lovers in 1940s Louisiana, whose relationship is thwarted by race laws of the time.
It is among a raft of features at TIFF this year driven by black talent and stories including fiction features The Woman King...
- 9/11/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Tyler Perry’s rise to billionaire status has come with a few unexpected repercussions.
The mogul behind the “Madea” franchise revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that poor reviews impacted casting on his upcoming period piece, “A Jazzman’s Blues,” which he wrote, directed, and produced. Set in the 1940s South, “A Jazzman’s Blues” was penned by Perry 27 years ago, with Lionsgate originally attached to produce the film in 2007.
The film centers on Bayou (Joshua Boone), a young Black jazz singer in Louisiana who rekindles his decades-long romance with his white-passing former girlfriend (Solea Pfeiffer). “A Jazzman’s Blues” premieres at 2022 TIFF before streaming on Netflix September 23.
Yet casting the historical drama proved to be a challenge for Perry, who originally toyed with starring in the lead role before he “aged out.”
“We were talking, they were really excited, and it just fell apart,” Perry said of speaking with up-and-coming actors for the film.
The mogul behind the “Madea” franchise revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that poor reviews impacted casting on his upcoming period piece, “A Jazzman’s Blues,” which he wrote, directed, and produced. Set in the 1940s South, “A Jazzman’s Blues” was penned by Perry 27 years ago, with Lionsgate originally attached to produce the film in 2007.
The film centers on Bayou (Joshua Boone), a young Black jazz singer in Louisiana who rekindles his decades-long romance with his white-passing former girlfriend (Solea Pfeiffer). “A Jazzman’s Blues” premieres at 2022 TIFF before streaming on Netflix September 23.
Yet casting the historical drama proved to be a challenge for Perry, who originally toyed with starring in the lead role before he “aged out.”
“We were talking, they were really excited, and it just fell apart,” Perry said of speaking with up-and-coming actors for the film.
- 9/9/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
Tyler Perry is the type of filmmaker whose name can appear as a possessive in front of a movie’s title. There’s Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?, Tyler Perry’s Temptation and, of course, the wildly successful Madea franchise. Across two dozen features, Perry has built a directing career that leaves both studio executives and his audience knowing exactly what they’re getting into. Tyler Perry — the name and the brand — is synonymous with a certain type of movie: unabashedly commercial fare with moral messaging. As Tyler Perry the filmmaker points out during a phone conversation from his office at his eponymous Atlanta studio, A Jazzman’s Blues, his latest effort, is not that movie: “People are not expecting this kind of movie from me in any sense, but I always knew it was there.”
The film, which premieres Sept.
Tyler Perry is the type of filmmaker whose name can appear as a possessive in front of a movie’s title. There’s Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?, Tyler Perry’s Temptation and, of course, the wildly successful Madea franchise. Across two dozen features, Perry has built a directing career that leaves both studio executives and his audience knowing exactly what they’re getting into. Tyler Perry — the name and the brand — is synonymous with a certain type of movie: unabashedly commercial fare with moral messaging. As Tyler Perry the filmmaker points out during a phone conversation from his office at his eponymous Atlanta studio, A Jazzman’s Blues, his latest effort, is not that movie: “People are not expecting this kind of movie from me in any sense, but I always knew it was there.”
The film, which premieres Sept.
- 9/9/2022
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The US premiere of Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” will close out the 2022 AFI Fest, the American Film Institute announced Tuesday.
“The Fabelmans,” which has been touted as Spielberg’s most personal film to date, stars Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel Labelle and Judd Hirsch in a story inspired by Spielberg’s own childhood. The film follows the formative years of a young man as he discovers a shattering family secret, causing him to use movies as a means to help him see the truth about others and himself.
The ensemble cast for “The Fabelmans” includes Jeannie Berlin, Julia Butters, Robin Bartlett and Keeley Karsten, with music by John Williams. Janusz Kaminski serves as cinematographer, and the film is edited by Michael Kahn and Sarah Broshar. Production design is helmed by Rick Carter, and the costume design is overseen by Mark Bridges.
“AFI Fest is where magic happens,...
“The Fabelmans,” which has been touted as Spielberg’s most personal film to date, stars Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel Labelle and Judd Hirsch in a story inspired by Spielberg’s own childhood. The film follows the formative years of a young man as he discovers a shattering family secret, causing him to use movies as a means to help him see the truth about others and himself.
The ensemble cast for “The Fabelmans” includes Jeannie Berlin, Julia Butters, Robin Bartlett and Keeley Karsten, with music by John Williams. Janusz Kaminski serves as cinematographer, and the film is edited by Michael Kahn and Sarah Broshar. Production design is helmed by Rick Carter, and the costume design is overseen by Mark Bridges.
“AFI Fest is where magic happens,...
- 9/6/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay and Carson Burton
- Variety Film + TV
Tyler Perry checking another romantic trope off the list with his take on forbidden love in his upcoming film A Jazzman’s Blues. In the trailer for his forthcoming The Notebook-esque film, the multi-hyphenate uses jazz music born in the deep South to soundtrack a tale of two star-crossed lovers, Bayou (Joshua Boone) and Leanne (Solea Pfeiffer).
Set in the 1940s, the trailer opens with the two sharing a kiss. “That was our first kiss,” says Bayou. “Ain’t nothing felt that good in all my life. You asked me not to tell nobody,...
Set in the 1940s, the trailer opens with the two sharing a kiss. “That was our first kiss,” says Bayou. “Ain’t nothing felt that good in all my life. You asked me not to tell nobody,...
- 8/23/2022
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
"I need you to be happy because we can't be sad together, you hear me?" Netflix has revealed an official trailer for A Jazzman's Blues, the latest dramatic feature written & directed by profilifc filmmaker Tyler Perry. This one is premiering at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival just a few weeks before it arrives on Netflix for streaming. Follows an investigation into an unsolved murder unveiling a story full of forbidden love, deceit and a secret. It's a sweeping, sad, tragic Southern Gothic love story with spectacular song and dance numbers (arranged and produced by multi-Grammy winner & two-time Academy Award nominee Terence Blanchard). Starring Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer as the two lovers, plus Amirah Vann, Austin Scott, Milauna Jemai Jackson, Brent Antonello, Brad Benedict, Kario Marcel, Lana Young, and Ryan Eggold. This is a ravishing first look that might actually get your attention - don't dismiss this just because it's from Perry.
- 8/23/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
No divide will stand in the way of love.
On Tuesday, Netflix debuted the official trailer for Tyler Perry’s epic new romance “A Jazzman’s Blues”, starring Solea Pfeiffer and Joshua Boone.
Read More: Tyler Perry Praises ‘Princess Meghan’ Markle In Birthday Tribute: ‘I’ve Watched You Endure Things’
“A sweeping tale of forbidden love, ‘A Jazzman’s Blues’ unspools 40 years of secrets and lies soundtracked by juke joint blues in the deep South,” the official description reads.
The trailer gives a glimpse at the plot, in which a young Black man falls for a well-off Black woman, whose mother wants her to marry within her class.
Keeping their relationship a secret, the lovers trade messages by paper airplane.
Tyler Perry wrote and directed the film, which also stars Amirah Vann, Austin Scott, Milauna Jemai Jackson, Brent Antonello, Brad Benedict, Kario Marcel, Lana Young, and Ryan Eggold.
Director Tyler Perry...
On Tuesday, Netflix debuted the official trailer for Tyler Perry’s epic new romance “A Jazzman’s Blues”, starring Solea Pfeiffer and Joshua Boone.
Read More: Tyler Perry Praises ‘Princess Meghan’ Markle In Birthday Tribute: ‘I’ve Watched You Endure Things’
“A sweeping tale of forbidden love, ‘A Jazzman’s Blues’ unspools 40 years of secrets and lies soundtracked by juke joint blues in the deep South,” the official description reads.
The trailer gives a glimpse at the plot, in which a young Black man falls for a well-off Black woman, whose mother wants her to marry within her class.
Keeping their relationship a secret, the lovers trade messages by paper airplane.
Tyler Perry wrote and directed the film, which also stars Amirah Vann, Austin Scott, Milauna Jemai Jackson, Brent Antonello, Brad Benedict, Kario Marcel, Lana Young, and Ryan Eggold.
Director Tyler Perry...
- 8/23/2022
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
With every note played, two hearts skip the same beat.
The trailer for Tyler Perry’s “A Jazzman’s Blues” sets the stage for the heart-wrenching tale of a 40-year-old forbidden romance between two star-crossed lovers, played by Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer. Oscar-nominated Perry writes, directs, and produces the epic story set in the 1940s deep South.
“I wrote this 27 years ago, and I finally get to show it to the world,” Perry tweeted to share the trailer. “This is my new movie, ‘A Jazzman’s Blues.’ I can’t wait for you to see it on Netflix.”
One of the highly-anticipated fall releases this year, “A Jazzman’s Blues” premieres September 23 on the streamer after debuting at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.
The ensemble cast also includes Amirah Vann, Austin Scott, Milauna Jemai Jackson, Brent Antonello, Brad Benedict, Kario Marcel, Lana Young, and Ryan Eggold, featuring an original song performed by...
The trailer for Tyler Perry’s “A Jazzman’s Blues” sets the stage for the heart-wrenching tale of a 40-year-old forbidden romance between two star-crossed lovers, played by Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer. Oscar-nominated Perry writes, directs, and produces the epic story set in the 1940s deep South.
“I wrote this 27 years ago, and I finally get to show it to the world,” Perry tweeted to share the trailer. “This is my new movie, ‘A Jazzman’s Blues.’ I can’t wait for you to see it on Netflix.”
One of the highly-anticipated fall releases this year, “A Jazzman’s Blues” premieres September 23 on the streamer after debuting at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.
The ensemble cast also includes Amirah Vann, Austin Scott, Milauna Jemai Jackson, Brent Antonello, Brad Benedict, Kario Marcel, Lana Young, and Ryan Eggold, featuring an original song performed by...
- 8/23/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
When you think about Tyler Perry films, you wouldn’t be wrong to imagine a broad comedy where the filmmaker also stars as his iconic character Madea. Those are really the films that have cemented Perry’s status as one of the biggest names in Hollywood. But every so often, he mixes things up quite a bit and will work on a feature that ditches all the silliness in favor of something more emotional and dramatic, such as in the new film, “A Jazzman’s Blues.”
Read More: ‘Lou’ Trailer: Allison Janney & Jurnee Smollett Team Up To Rescue An Abducted Child
“A Jazzman’s Blues” tells the story of star-crossed lovers, Bayou (Joshua Boone) and Leanne (Solea Pfeiffer) as they try to do whatever it takes to live a happy life together.
Continue reading ‘A Jazzman’s Blues’ Trailer: Tyler Perry Returns With A Film About Star-Crossed Lovers In The Deep South at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Lou’ Trailer: Allison Janney & Jurnee Smollett Team Up To Rescue An Abducted Child
“A Jazzman’s Blues” tells the story of star-crossed lovers, Bayou (Joshua Boone) and Leanne (Solea Pfeiffer) as they try to do whatever it takes to live a happy life together.
Continue reading ‘A Jazzman’s Blues’ Trailer: Tyler Perry Returns With A Film About Star-Crossed Lovers In The Deep South at The Playlist.
- 8/23/2022
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Ahead of the film’s world premiere next month at TIFF, Netflix has released the first trailer for Tyler Perry’s “A Jazzman’s Blues,” the billionaire media mogul’s longtime passion project.
Written, directed and produced by Perry, the period drama tells the tale of forbidden love, starring Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer as Bayou and Leanne, a star-crossed couple navigating the world as young Black people in the deep South during the 1940s and through the decades that follow.
“That was our first kiss. Ain’t nothing felt that good in all my life,” Boone’s Bayou narrates as the trailer opens on the lovers sharing a sweet smooch while sitting in a sun-soaked tree.
The dramatic scenes that follow show the trials and tribulations that test the couple’s love as their families and other outside forces try to force them apart. In spite of the odds stacked...
Written, directed and produced by Perry, the period drama tells the tale of forbidden love, starring Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer as Bayou and Leanne, a star-crossed couple navigating the world as young Black people in the deep South during the 1940s and through the decades that follow.
“That was our first kiss. Ain’t nothing felt that good in all my life,” Boone’s Bayou narrates as the trailer opens on the lovers sharing a sweet smooch while sitting in a sun-soaked tree.
The dramatic scenes that follow show the trials and tribulations that test the couple’s love as their families and other outside forces try to force them apart. In spite of the odds stacked...
- 8/23/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
I sat in the green room waiting for actor and director Tyler Perry to arrive backstage at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center for the Colors of Conversation event during the Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival. Before he hit the stage for the panel, there was only a short window to interview him about his new project, A Jazzman’s Blues, a script he had written in the 1990s.
Many know him from the Medea movies, which some think has limited his cinematic scope in terms of what he can do, but Perry is out to prove the naysayers wrong. “Filming this was very much like, ‘I know something you don’t know,” he said. “For my whole career, people would say that Madea is all I can do. Now, 26 years later, I have The Jazzman’s Blues.”
It’s an idea that he couldn’t shake. Imagine...
Many know him from the Medea movies, which some think has limited his cinematic scope in terms of what he can do, but Perry is out to prove the naysayers wrong. “Filming this was very much like, ‘I know something you don’t know,” he said. “For my whole career, people would say that Madea is all I can do. Now, 26 years later, I have The Jazzman’s Blues.”
It’s an idea that he couldn’t shake. Imagine...
- 8/7/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
As of now, there is a lot of uncertainty around Covid when it comes to Broadway. Within the past couple of months, several shows had to suspend performances due to positive cases in their casts, some others had to close permanently, and a couple more are taking hiatuses. The American Theatre Wing also hasn’t announced key dates for this year’s Tony Awards yet.
With that being said, we are now about halfway through the Broadway season, and there are currently 11 productions of plays set to open this spring. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tonys? Below is an overview of each play as well as the awards histories of their authors, cast, and directors, plus the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.
“Skeleton Crew” (opened January 26; closes February 20)
This new play by Tony nominee Dominique Morisseau is set in 2008 at a small automotive factory in Detroit,...
With that being said, we are now about halfway through the Broadway season, and there are currently 11 productions of plays set to open this spring. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tonys? Below is an overview of each play as well as the awards histories of their authors, cast, and directors, plus the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.
“Skeleton Crew” (opened January 26; closes February 20)
This new play by Tony nominee Dominique Morisseau is set in 2008 at a small automotive factory in Detroit,...
- 2/10/2022
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Ten days after her first Broadway show ended an acclaimed run, playwright Dominique Morisseau has just opened another. The Tony-nominee penned the libretto for musical “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations,” which closed after nearly 500 performances on Jan. 16, and her drama “Skeleton Crew” has now finally made the leap from Off-Broadway to the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Jan. 26. Set in Detroit in 2008, the play is about the impact of the looming closure of a steel plant on four of its workers.
Ruben Santiago-Hudson directs the production, returning to the Friedman just two months after he wrapped performances of his own play “Lackawanna Blues” at the venue. Phylicia Rashad stars as Faye, a factor worker and union rep on the cusp of her thirtieth anniversary working at the plant; the play marks Rashad’s return to Broadway after over a decade away. Chanté Adams, Joshua Boone,...
Ruben Santiago-Hudson directs the production, returning to the Friedman just two months after he wrapped performances of his own play “Lackawanna Blues” at the venue. Phylicia Rashad stars as Faye, a factor worker and union rep on the cusp of her thirtieth anniversary working at the plant; the play marks Rashad’s return to Broadway after over a decade away. Chanté Adams, Joshua Boone,...
- 1/28/2022
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
In the most cramped of times – days as economically and emotionally pinched as the ones we’re living through now, and the ones we survived (or didn’t) in 2008 – theater can remind us of, or point the way to, some sense of emotional generosity, of expansive spirit, of connection. Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew does all that and more, finding hope in the unlikeliest of places, like a cluttered, ramshackle break room of a noisy, about-to-fail factory in an about-to-fail city like Detroit.
Directed with vitality by Ruben Santiago-Hudson – his second victory this Broadway season following the fall’s Lackawanna Blues – and performed by an ensemble cast that matches a powerful Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew is a play that feels even more pertinent now than it did when it landed in a stellar Off Broadway production back in 2016. The play was terrific then. It’s essential now.
Opening tonight at the Samuel J.
Directed with vitality by Ruben Santiago-Hudson – his second victory this Broadway season following the fall’s Lackawanna Blues – and performed by an ensemble cast that matches a powerful Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew is a play that feels even more pertinent now than it did when it landed in a stellar Off Broadway production back in 2016. The play was terrific then. It’s essential now.
Opening tonight at the Samuel J.
- 1/27/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Update, with opening night Opening night for the Broadway premiere production of Skeleton Crew, written by Dominique Morisseau and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, has been set for Wednesday, Jan. 26, producers announced today.
The production resumes performances Tuesday, Jan. 11, at the Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, following cancelations last week due to Covid.
Previous, Jan. 3 The Manhattan Theatre Club’s Broadway production of Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew starring Phylicia Rashad has canceled performances through Sunday, Jan. 9, due to breakthrough Covid cases within the company.
The play’s opening night, originally scheduled for Jan. 19, will be moved to a later date. Previews are expected to resume the week of Jan. 10.
Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Skeleton Crew began performances Dec. 27 at Mtc’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The production marks the play’s Broadway debut. In addition to Rashad, the cast includes Chanté Adams, Joshua Boone, Brandon J. Dirden and Adesola Osakalumi.
The production resumes performances Tuesday, Jan. 11, at the Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, following cancelations last week due to Covid.
Previous, Jan. 3 The Manhattan Theatre Club’s Broadway production of Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew starring Phylicia Rashad has canceled performances through Sunday, Jan. 9, due to breakthrough Covid cases within the company.
The play’s opening night, originally scheduled for Jan. 19, will be moved to a later date. Previews are expected to resume the week of Jan. 10.
Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Skeleton Crew began performances Dec. 27 at Mtc’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The production marks the play’s Broadway debut. In addition to Rashad, the cast includes Chanté Adams, Joshua Boone, Brandon J. Dirden and Adesola Osakalumi.
- 1/10/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
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