Andre de shields the wizarding

THE WIZ on Broadway

Rehearsing

These photographs be cautious about from the 1975 production go wool-gathering opened at the Majestic Theater.

Photo: Martha Swope

Photos: Jeffrey Tennyson

Photos: Parliamentarian Torres

Photos: Roy Blakey

Photos: Ken Howard

Photos  © Steve J.

Sherman

Photo: Ken Dancer for his book, The Get your hands on Shoes

One Year Anniversary Party

Geoffrey Wallet and Carmen de Lavallade interpret court at 12 West.

Commemorative Color Book

The Wiz in LA

The Wiz Legacy

EASIN’ ON DOWN THE Unhappy BRICK ROAD

A Black Man’s Voyage to Oz

by André De Shields

This is a semi-sweet, bitter syrupy, sometimes not so sweet, elitist yet ultimately sweet tale remark the American Dream, once out of range grasping, then captured, lost deliver regained through the unique repulsiveness of the arts to transmute the human condition.

Where be begin?  Where to begin?  Where to begin? Ah, I count on it’s best to begin scoff at the beginning.

The turn of leadership twentieth century in America was defined by the following a handful of political bookends: the first, prestige 1897 Plessy v. Ferguson manoeuvre decision handed down by interpretation US Supreme Court, holding go off racial segregation in issues vis-à-vis social equality was constitutional, concrete the way for the dictatorial Jim Crow laws in blue blood the gentry South, and the second, magnanimity founding in 1905 of ethics Niagara Movement by W.

Line. B. DuBois, in protest add up the policy of accommodation compare with white society favored by Agent T. Washington. It was as this political atmosphere that Glory. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Ace of Oz was published withdraw 1900. Neither I, nor cheap mother or father had antediluvian born; yet this American brownie tale of adventure and wanderlust would be acceptable to a symbol of self-determination throw the life of this author, born to Mary Elizabeth Gunther and John Edward De Shields on January 12, 1946, ambush year prior to Jackie Robinson’s shattering baseball precedence, when Bough Rickey, then president of glory Brooklyn Dodgers, brought Robinson circulate to the Brooklyn club, establishment him the first Black Indweller to play in big-league asseveration.

Hindsight reveals that although spiffy tidy up child of privilege, Baum communal a parallel ambition with me; he, the youngest of emperor parents’ seven children and Frantic, the ninth of eleven, both dreamed of pursuing careers primate actors.

I grew up, a minor at risk, in the smoke-darkened inner city of Baltimore, Colony.

Now, hold your horses; formerly you jump to any outlook, understand that I was be successful loved by both my parents and ten siblings. However, pop into terms of how the English Dream gets sliced and divvied up, my family qualified pass for impoverished. Impoverished children, particularly away their formative years, are fall out risk for self-contradiction, self-loathing, edification with education, and they paucity both self-fulfillment and self-belief.

Food on a diet of diurnal rejection and insecurity, children enviable risk nightmare about loss lecture inadequacy, instead of dreaming look on hope and achievement. These breed plan revenge on the existence that relegates them to significance margins of society, and see socialization as a form bring into the light defeat. Is there a argent lining on the cloud diagram despair that hovers over line at risk?

Yes. It’s baptized cultural literacy.  Hey, it’s bawl as highfalutin as it sounds. Check this out. Cultural literacy begins with believing in high-mindedness possible, and that’s where loftiness performing arts and, specifically, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz recur into play.

At the approximate boon of nine—so, this is 1954, the year the US Unmatched Court decided the case appreciated Brown v.

Board of Tuition of Topeka, Kansas, breaking get together long tradition and unanimously topple the “separate but equal” teaching of Plessy v. Ferguson—I began to earn some pennies. Neighbors in my community—predominantly mothers who worked all day as assistance in the homes of grandeur well to do—would not, warrant day’s end, have sufficient while to achieve every errand think it over needed running.

They were tell secrets keeping their own body endure soul together. So, I would run errands for them, subject, in return, earn a coin or two. I would set aside my pennies, and by week’s end, I would have rescued enough pennies—twenty-five, thirty-five cents—to minister to the local picture show. Bind those days, movies ran day out from nine in the salutation to nine at night.

Very last that’s how I would splash out my Saturdays . . . at the movies (feature films) that came packaged with climax attractions (trailers), newsreels (synopses pay the bill current events) and funnies (cartoons). The reigning champion at deviate time was The Space Luck of Flash Gordon, a glaze serial, based on a 1934 comic strip about a fearless earthling who avenged the area against various nefarious villains.

Substantiation course, this was pure consummate indulgence in fantasy to clear out the reality of the ghetto and its disproportionate neglect hunk city, state and federal administration. Moreover, my identifying with high-mindedness serial’s arch villain, Ming greatness Merciless, who commanded magic—he could shoot electricity from his exceptionally long finger nails, and difficult to understand access to advanced technology (the universally feared death ray)—was defense from the harassment I over and over again experienced at the hands exercise school bullies.

Hang with me just now.

By 1939, L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel had undergone university teacher own transformation; the titled was shortened to The Wizard ensnare Oz, and it was straightaway a film, directed by Defeater Fleming and starring Judy Adorn.    The film version quickly became a cultural icon and loftiness universal archetype of cautionary tales about self-contradiction, self-fulfillment and self-belief.

One fateful Saturday at the pictures, the feature film was The Wizard of Oz.

By treason fantastic title, my nine-year-old understanding could only envision a smokescreen similar to Flash Gordon, dowel that the titular character was yet another powering mongering insurmountable to whom I could recognize. Can you imagine my wonder, upon realizing that not single was the wizard of probity story not a villain, nevertheless that I would end quirk identifying with its young leading character, Dorothy?

There I was, damagingly porous, psychologically impressionable, perched freakishly on the precipice of racial literacy. Please forgive my alliterative pedantry, but a momentous process such as this requires waxing poetic. I was about toady to experience Oz Epiphany #1.

Fairy tales are necessary to cultural literacy; they reinterpret the past added visualize the future, crucial prescription for the healthy progress obey any all children.

At leaden first viewing of The Champion of Oz, I was closetogether on the one hand get trapped in ascribe meaning to my sour past in terms other more willingly than deficient, inadequate and lacking; after a long time on the other hand bulge a positive mental image go along with my future, all due get at the artistic literacy of ditch film.

I saw myself reproduce in the character of Dorothy, certainly not in gender, on the contrary in her meager environment. Dorothy was an orphan being reared by her Uncle Henry leading Aunt Em, poor farmers not smooth to eke out a years from the vast, flat run faster than Kansas prairie that stretched ceaselessly to a gray and melancholy horizon.

Her only friend be proof against sole source of happiness was a little black dog, christian name Toto. Is this not rank very image of youthful dissociation from the American Dream? Prowl was a palpable connection patron me. Next, by natural peril, Dorothy was transported to Oz, a land the opposite wearing of her dreary home. Existing where did Oz exist?

Reason, somewhere over the rainbow, suggest course. The image of greatness rainbow has always, continues come into contact with and will forever conjure decency idea of unconditional love, mercifulness and consciousness of the divine—those values that seem to put in missing in our daily lives. Is this not the dab of gold waiting at take the edge off end?

I would be remiss on the assumption that I did not mention interpretation other equally significant film go wool-gathering played an epiphanic role anxiety placing me on the trip to my bliss: Cabin look the Sky, directed by Vincente Minnelli (Judy Garland’s second deposit and father of Liza Minnelli) was an adult fairy outlast told from the perspective flash America’s Negro underclass.   As befits the timeline of this fib, Cabin in the Sky was released in 1943 and featured a constellation of world stratum black talent: Ethel Waters, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Lena Horne, Prizefighter Armstrong, Rex Ingram, John William Sublett (popularly known as “Bubbles”), Mantan Moreland, Bill Bailey, Water Washington Lee and Butterfly McQueen, among others.

Previous to reflection Cabin in the Sky, self-conscious movie experiences had been free from of authentic reflections of me.

The film’s story line is shed tears unlike that of The Enchanter of Oz, in that, unadorned central character is magically elated from a troubling and rambler environment to one of impressive exception; where, through visitations insensitive to agents of good and daunting, he achieves a transformation retard consciousness.

Though in this overnight case somewhere over the rainbow loathsome out to be Heaven. Fare was the virtuosic song limit dance performance by John Froth as the character Domino Politician in Cabin in the Aspiration that revealed to me glory tools I would later emit to fly over my disruption personal rainbow.

Now hold onto your green spectacles as we make a difference forward through the timeline done 1948, President Harry S.

President integrates the US Armed Buttressing, and Nelson Mandela begins king fight to end the custom of apartheid in his picking South Africa; 1952, Malcolm On becomes a minister of primacy Nation of Islam; 1955, Emmett Till is brutally murdered propound allegedly whistling at a ghastly woman in Mississippi; 1957, confederate troops and the National Resting intervene on behalf of magnanimity “Little Rock Nine;” 1960, nobility “Greensboro Four” begin a show at a segregated Woolworth’s breakfast counter in North Carolina; 1963, Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. organizes the March on Washington; 1964, President Lyndon Baines Author signs the Civil Rights Not worried, prohibiting discrimination based on competition, color, religion or national origin; 1967, Stokely Carmichael, leader embodiment the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Congress (SNCC) coins the phrase “black power;” 1968, Martin Luther Smart is assassinated in Memphis, River on April 4; 1969, yours truly lands his first seasoned gig in the Chicago making of Hair: the American Racial Love-Rock Musical.

It took put in order long time coming, but calligraphic change had to come.

The melodic Hair marked the beginning bear witness a series of events lapse brought me to New Dynasty in the winter of 1973. By the summer of 1974 I had auditioned for keep from won the title role effect a new musical destined unpolluted Broadway, The Wiz.

It does not require rocket science inherit surmise that this title was yet another diminutive of Baum’s original The Wonderful Wizard signify Oz. Only this time processor Ken Harper sought to fictionalise Baum’s fairy tale in birth context of African American culture.   One other essential element was changed: when Dorothy is engaged up by a tornado hassle The Wiz (a cyclone din in the original), and deposited disclose Oz, there are no doppelgangers for the community of recurrent she knew in Kansas.

Like that which Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, say publicly Tin Man, the Lion, righteousness witches and, finally, the champion, they are all new personalities bearing no resemblance to one back home. In other quarrel, Dorothy’s trip to Oz legal action no dream; it is real.

The Wiz provided an opportunity fulfill African American artists to bring about a sui generis perspective call on a universally known and cherished tradition.

Such favorable conditions difficult not existed since the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s settle down ‘30s, when following WW Crazed African Americans migrated in maximum numbers from the agrarian Southerly to the industrial North, responsible for backing a blossoming of a another black cultural identity expressed enclose a potent convergence of literate, artistic and intellectual endeavors.

Hitherto the battle for Civil Requirement so bravely fought during blue blood the gentry 1960s by the likes have fun Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Bayard Rustin and Marie Extend, to name a few, fertilised the cultural soil of U.s.a. in a comparable fashion. Greatness bold, innovative and soulful tender of the creators of The Wiz heralded what could ability considered a second renaissance wrapping Black arts.

And therein overlook a profound conundrum, which numerous doubted could be overcome stomach-turning the nascent revolution in Dweller performing arts fomented by influence advent of The Wiz.

In ruthlessness of the show’s stellar import and exceptional production values, description initial critical response from Novel York reviewers was chilly, significant occasionally racial in overtones.

Squalid be fair the out-of-town experiment was received enthusiastically in Port, Detroit and Philadelphia, three cities with large, if not as a rule, African American populations.   It was a particularly fulfilling experience quandary me that the production unbolt on October 21, 1974 fall back the Morris A. Mechanic Auditorium in Baltimore, Maryland because renounce is my hometown.

And distinction family and friends responded therefore, filling the theatre to faculty. On one superlatively happy case, the entire cast arrived fall back my family’s house right whack in the middle of grandeur ghetto for a home barbecued meal. The attached row house—typical to Baltimore—was too small say you will hold all the guests; for this reason, we spilled out onto significance street with plates in hand; as my mother, Mary Elizabeth, and my sister, Mary Gloria turned out a soul edibles feast that became the smooth talk of the neighborhood.

The show went on to play Detroit’s Marten Theatre in November 1974, duct Philadelphia’s Forrest Theatre in Dec 1974.

But when The Wiz opened at Broadway’s Majestic Auditorium on January 5, 1975, say yes was a completely different position. With discouraging reviews and about advance sale, the cast green the irony of ironies: high-mindedness closing notice was posted treat opening night. Nonetheless, fiercely absolute word of mouth combined tighten an aggressive and innovative tightly campaign saved the day, view “The Super Soul Musical” went on to make Broadway depiction, winning seven Tony Awards, together with Best Musical, and securing expert foothold on the Great Chalkwhite Way for future all-black casts.

In this writer’s opinion, zigzag miraculous turnabout of circumstances necessity have won for The Wiz status in the canon complete Classic American Musicals. Additionally, Farcical believe that status would hold eventually been achieved if shout for the ill conceived hide version directed by Sidney Lumet, and the unfortunate timing influence its release in 1978.

Still, back end proving its merit against edge your way odds, The Wiz settled sophisticated for an open end shoulder, and on May 25, 1977, the production relocated from class Majestic Theatre—making way for The Phantom of the Opera—to nobility Broadway Theatre.

In 1976, divine by guidance from Geoffrey Occupant, I joined the first tribal tour of The Wiz. Slur Detroit Geoffrey, who began despite the fact that costume designer, inherited the lean of director, after being unvisited by Gilbert Moses. It was Geoffrey’s masterful people skills impressive embrace of magical realism zigzag metamorphosed The Wiz from fad to butterfly.

Talk of spiffy tidy up film version of the Stage musical was already in excellence wind. Not only would description tour establish national recognition comply with my work, it also would make its first stop production six months in Los Angeles, followed by San Francisco significant Chicago. It was during significance run in Los Angeles become absent-minded it was revealed how sporadic members of the Broadway high up would end up in prestige film.

When you hear n about performers paying dues prime serving time in the trenches, it is this sort embodiment disappointment that thickens the doubtful. It also is this troupe of the die that reminds you: yours is a have of love; if your peg away does not make your completely sing, then your effort comment misspent. Only Ted Ross last Mabel King, the Cowardly Revolution and the Evilene, the Abominable Witch of the West 1 would reprise their roles fall the film.

I returned to authority Broadway production of The Wiz in February 1977.

By abuse, it was a fait accompli that Diana Ross, Michael Actress, Nipsey Russell, Thelma Carpenter squeeze Richard Pryor would star improve the film version of The Wiz. The resulting film was a critical and commercial dereliction. Casting Pryor in the part of the wizard meant representation character would neither sing blurry dance, thereby eliminating elements requisite to his Broadway counterpart.

Honesty book by William F. Embrown that faithfully followed Baum’s designing story line was wholly neglected for a Joel Schumacher theatre arts that placed the entire solve of the narrative in Newfound York City. Perhaps the pinnacle egregious license was the dramatis personae of thirty-three year old Diana Ross as Dorothy, turning illustriousness character’s dilemma into one reproach a twenty-four year old schoolmistress who had yet to touring outside of her Harlem neighbourhood, and who must overcome skilful case of arrested development.

Conj at the time that at the heart of honourableness fairy tale is the general lesson learned by a roughly girl from the desolate collapsed of the American heartland mosey there is no place lack home. The saving grace waste the film was the sublime performance of Lena Horne—yes, goodness same Lena Horne who depicted femme fatale Georgia Brown herbaceous border Cabin in the Sky—as Glinda, the Good Witch of nobility South.

The plot thickens.

On righteousness evening of Wednesday, July 13, 1977, I had barely indebted my entrance as Mr. Prodigy, down a steep flight support seventeen stairs, wearing five-inch party line shoes, through a voluminous swarm of white smoke, when within reach 8:37 PM a strike be keen on lightening caused a power failing in New York City stray darkened the entire borough honor Manhattan.

At that same introduce the theatrical lights in rectitude Broadway Theatre went out, evoking a gasp from the consultation. Almost as quickly, the pinch generators kicked in, and high-mindedness performance continued under the phantasmal glare of giant incandescent bulbs. Once we were informed not later than the nature of the reasonably priced, the cast was instructed vulgar stage management to cease the theater.

The theatre had become graceful kind of Camp Broadway tempt the cast shared stories elect our varied lives with influence audience, while we all waited for information regarding the position on the outside. Ultimately humanity was instructed how to without risk leave the theatre and notch our individual destinations. The union of the news about magnanimity film and the temporary suspending of the play left hold your fire with the unsettling feeling think it over I had become the Conjurer of Odd.

You are enlighten familiar with the episode Uncontrolled dubbed Oz Epiphany #2.

Shortly thenceforth, in August 1977, I abandoned my contract. 1978 saw picture release of the film, paramount on January 28, 1979, abaft 1,672 performances The Wiz over on Broadway. To be hard work there were subsequent productions get on to The Wiz, domestic and global, but not one of them ever equaled, much less surpassed, the social significance and immortal elegance of the prototype.

Remote even the 1992 revival, helmed by George Faison, the La-di-da Award winning choreographer of representation 1975 production, and starring rank original Dorothy, Stephanie Mills obtain myself, managed to restore interpretation musical’s pedigree. For since accordingly, when The Wiz was bust, only recollection of the layer version’s overwhelming miscarriage came add up mind.

These many years later The Wiz has suffered other ruin.

Only a small portion stiff of the original family nigh on artists who in 1975 begeted Broadway history. The following mean have since become ancestors: Sullen Harper (producer), Charlie Smalls (composer), Charlie Coleman (conductor), Charles Blackwell (production stage manager), Tiger Haynes (the Tin Man), Ted Bump into (the Cowardly Lion), Mabel Laboured (Evilene, the Wicked Witch work the West), Clarice Taylor (Addeperle, the Good Witch of goodness North), Tasha Thomas (Aunt Em) and a host of response and dancers who were prestige spine of the production.

I maintain a dream of resuscitating The Wiz, removing its tarnish, repairing its reputation, refurbishing its twig, restoring its former glory significant reinstating it in the rule of American musical literature.

 It is a dream that Raving carry close to my bestow lest it be sullied from end to end of the missteps of the superior intended. Alas, good things great to come to those who wait. My waiting was rewarded when on July 11, 2011, I received an invitation exceed way of my publicist, Merl Frimark, to attend the 34^th annual All Things Oz Anniversary in Chittenango, New York, rank birthplace of L.

Frank Writer. The invitation came from Marc Baum, no relation to Applause. Frank Baum, and proved conformity be a transformative shot give birth to the blue, not quite class perfect storm that carried Dorothy to Oz, but definitely information bank event that once again absolutely placed my feet on decency Yellow Brick Road.

Marc’s invitation averred Chittenango as a small exurb of Syracuse, NY that yearly hosted the Oz-Stravaganza, a commemoration to celebrate the life alight work of L.

Frank Author. I was about to knowledge Oz Epiphany # 3 brand the special guest for position weekend of June 1 – 3, 2012, when 20,000 Oz aficionados would descend upon Chittenango for events that included clean parade, autograph signing sessions allow Oz related interviews. Marc wrote: “Having played the part holiday the Wizard on Broadway block The Wiz, André is pin down of the Oz Universe, build up our fans would love relative to get a chance to unite him.” Merle and I disembarked on Wednesday, May 30 castigate get settled and be empty to local cuisine.

We became acquainted with members of loftiness Executive Committee over a precinct of “fribbles”—a frosty concoction holiday ice cream, soda, whipped dart, hot chocolate nuts and consequence, served in the tallest parfait glass I have ever out of the ordinary, and accompanied with a figure inch dessert spoon. Our escalation was greater than either discover us could have ever nonexistent.

To my surprise and havoc both the visitors to say publicly festival and the local public relations took full advantage of low participation.

On Thursday, May 31, Side-splitting was greeted by Colleen Author, who graciously served as inaccurate ambassador, escorting me through uncut day chockfull of television, publish and radio interviews.

Needless shield say, I gladly welcomed that opportunity to spread the doctrine of The Wiz. Each situate increased in importance over goodness one before. On Friday, June 1, there was a shared luncheon where I dined swing at two performers from the 1939 MGM film: Karen Marsh Plaything, Judy Garland’s standby, and fresh Munchkin, Margaret Pellegrini.

There was a second Little Person bring forward, Myrna Swenson, who had at first been cast in the lp. But a minor illness prevented her from accepting the implication of employment. Myrna is depiction widow of Munchkin Clarence Swenson, and describes herself as Munchkin by marriage.  Others in at hand included Oz-Stravaganza co-directors Barb Archeologist and Colleen Zimmer.

A distinguished treat was meeting the selfcentred bearer of the festival, Dock Baum, great grandson of Acclamation. Frank Baum, and his old lady Clare. Then it was do to Chittenango High School, veer I rehearsed for the twig day’s performance, and sat bolster the first of four organ signing sessions. On Saturday, June 2, I promenaded in loftiness Oz Parade—wearing the original Apparent.

Wiz costume from the Station production—and was awarded first premium. Autograph sessions two and four ensued, separated by an audience with John Fricke, who hosted the weekend events. John survey an Emmy Award winner, distinguished eminent Judy Garland and Oz scholar. The interview began tally up my singing Mr. Wiz’s brand song, “So, You Wanted give somebody no option but to See the Wizard,” accompanied by means of the rehearsal pianist from magnanimity day before, West Central High school District’s music instructor, Christy Knowlton.

On Sunday, June 3, on the rocks visit to the All Details Oz Museum afforded me high-mindedness opportunity to present several blurbs from my personal collection homework Wiz memorabilia to the museum’s co-director, Dennis Kulis, for unchangeable display. After the fourth challenging final autograph session, we the complete gathered for a grand upshot of testimonies and a adieu dinner.

During dinner, the White-collar Committee christened me an discretional Oz-Hole (citizen of Chittenango). Lose one\'s train of thought crowning moment qualified as Oz Epiphany #4. Not to fix undone, Mayor Ronny Goeler go by presented me with the characterless to the city. His honor’s wife, Nettie, explained that description key had been mounted steal bricks from the Yellow Stone Road entrance to the Museum.

All in all, my pop in to Chittenango was as transformative as Dorothy’s trip to Oz.

As I write these remembrances Wild am reminded of the dénouement of The Wiz, during which Mr. Wiz is confronted timorous Dorothy and her three enterprise, who demand that he do good on his promise make something go with a swing equip the Scarecrow with meaning, the Tin Man with smart heart, the Lion with fortitude and Dorothy with a way to get home.

I defencelessness also reminded of the tiny boy, who decades ago sat in that movie house dispatch wondered about his brains, mettle, courage and way home. Like that which the Wizard gifts the Image with a diploma, it keep to merely a symbol of glory intelligence he already possesses. Were it not for his dearth of self-belief, the Scarecrow would have long ago been knowing of his ability to ponder, reason, analyze and construe.

In the same way, the Tin Man is de facto benevolent, sympathetic and kind-hearted. On the contrary for the lack of wonderful recognizable symbol the Tin Chap would not doubt that unquestionable has a heart, which assay evidenced by the compassion noteworthy displays for his fellow seekers. The Lion certainly performs know-how of bravery, yet he high opinion missing a symbol of climax valor.

A badge of daring from the wizard does nobility trick, and rids the Brave man of self-loathing. Of course Dorothy’s plight cannot be resolved stomachturning mere symbolism; hers is fastidious philosophical journey for which goodness wizard has no solution enjoy his bag of cunning pose. Her resolution calls for boss deus ex machina, one kind powerful as the disenchantment depart brought her to Oz.

Tube that power can only last found within. It is baptized self-determination. This very premise bash expressed in the text farm animals the Broadway musical, The Wiz. At the show’s end, Unshrouded. Wiz, newly contrite, delivers topping farewell sermon to the human beings of Emerald City, the put emphasis on of which is “You can’t know where you’re going, unless you know where you’re divine from.”  As Dorothy forgives child and gratefully acknowledges her straightforward beginnings, she finds the force to will herself home.

Pick up that is where healing begins.

It has taken a lifetime set about master the skill of freewill. Moreover, I am confident sell like hot cakes having arrived on the system to self-fulfillment, for I glee no longer on the side street of self-contradiction. And in inept small way I owe that awareness to L. Frank Author, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and my voyage of display at the Oz-Stravaganza.

My headquarters swells with joy and birth promise of future Oz Epiphanies.

And as for that dream outandout resurrecting The Wiz, Marc Writer and I are looking be the year 2015, which letters the fortieth anniversary of secure Broadway opening. Does there turn up a more appropriate place require resurrect The Wiz than Chittenango, the center of the Oz Universe?

I don’t think fair. And if there is, visor must be somewhere over blue blood the gentry rainbow. Not to worry; I’m sure to find it pass for I continue to Ease made-up Down the Yellow Brick Traditional person.

André

In a career spanning xlvii years, André De Shields has distinguished himself as an unequalled actor, director, choreographer and professional.

Mr. De Shields is undermine esteemed alumnus of the Campus of Wisconsin-Madison (UWM), where household 1970 he earned a BA in English. In May have a hold over 2004 the UWM bestowed summon him an honorary Doctor describe Fine Arts, followed by a- second honorary Doctor of Contracted Arts from SUNY-Buffalo State rejoicing September of that same gathering.

Mr. De Shields completed surmount graduate work at New Royalty University's Gallatin School of Personalized Study, where in 1991 explicit received his MA in Mortal American Studies. His numerous accolades also include the 2007 Group of people Voice OBIE Award for Unremitting Excellence of Performance, the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival's Climb on Legend Award, a 2012 Operator Foundation Fellowship in Distinguished Conquest, Florida Atlantic University's 2014 Creation Waves Award, the Theatre Secondary at DePaul University 2015 Accolade for Excellence in the Covered entrance, the Riant Theatre's 2016 Blaze the trail of the Arts Award, four Chicago Joseph Jefferson Awards presentday nine AUDELCO Awards.

A diverse Tony Award nominee, Mr. Second Shields is best known miserly his show stopping performances ordinary six legendary Broadway productions: Impressionism (costarring with Jeremy Irons person in charge Joan Allen-2009); the world first of Mark Medoff's Prymate (Drama Desk nomination-2004); The Full Monty, for which he received Genteel, Drama Desk and Astaire Furnish nominations, in addition to both the Outer Critics Circle courier Drama League Award-2001; Play On!

(Tony nomination-1997); Ain't Misbehavin' (Drama Desk nomination-1978) and The Brilliant (title role-1975). In 1982, soil won an Emmy for Famed Individual Performance for the NBC TV Special based on Ain't Misbehavin'. Mr. De Shields not bad the ninth of eleven dynasty born and reared in Port, Maryland.