Broadway Sings is thrilled to announce the fourth annual Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth concert, a significant part of the Broadway League’s Black to Broadway campaign. This free outdoor event, taking place in Times Square on June 19 from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm, is a powerful testament to the talent in the Black community and a vibrant celebration of Black solidarity. The entire Broadway ensemble, represented by only Black performers, will not only sing Broadway tunes but also share the stage with Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ Genie Michael James Scott, rain or shine. ASL interpreters will be live for all main-stage presentations.
Rashad, a two-time Tony Award winner, will be honored with the 2024 Juneteenth Legacy Award from the Juneteenth Legacy Project. Her contributions to theater, humanitarianism, teaching, acting, and directing have been recognized with numerous awards. Notably, she has been nominated for Tony Awards for her performances in Gem of the Ocean (2005) and has won two for A Raisin in the Sun (2004) and Skeleton Crew (2022). Her production, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch, was awarded the Tony for Best Revival of a Play in 2024.
In a statement, Broadway League interim president Jason Laks said the concert was “of great importance as we work collaboratively to rectify centuries-old racial inequities and irrelevance that still exist in our community.” Our art has a unique way of bringing our community together, so we’re excited to celebrate Juneteenth in concert. He also thanked the event partners and sponsors that made the event a reality.
The concert will feature performances from the upcoming chorus of A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical as well as Aladdin & Juliet, Back to the Future: The Musical, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Chicago, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hell’s Kitchen, Illinois, The Lion King, MJ, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Notebook, Suffers, Water for Elephants, The Who’s Tommy, Wicked, The Wiz, and the Kids of Young Gifted and Broadway.
The Black to Broadway campaign, established in 2019, plays a crucial role in fostering the participation of Black audiences and professionals in Broadway. It is a champion for the leadership roles, on-stage accomplishments, and backstage contributions made by the Black community, thereby promoting diversity and inclusivity in the arts.
Directed by Phylicia Rashad, Ms. Rashad has directed productions such as Steppenwolf’s Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Stephen Adly Guirgis’ Our Lady of 121st Street, The Roommate, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, for which received the 2014 NAACP Theatre Award for Best Director. Her producing credits include the PBS movie The Old Settler and the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Purlie Victorious. Rashad serves as Dean of Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.
The ever-charming and versatile Michael James Scott will host this year’s event. He performed in Something Rotten (as Shakespeare), The Book of Mormon (as Elder Cunningham), Mamma Mia!, Tarzan, All Shook Up, The Pirate Queen, Elf, Hair, and Aladdin. His Off-Broadway and international credits include the global tour of Fosse, Here’s to the Public, andJerry Springer: The Opera.
The event is sponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund and Film Funds, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Broadway.com, M·A·C Cosmetics, TodayTix, Audience Rewards, The Araca Group, Open Jar Studios, and The Times Square Alliance. Visit Diversity. Read Black to Broadway on Broadway.
