Photo: Kay Hickman
The Broadway League’s Black to Broadway initiative announces the performers for this year’s Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth concert taking place in Times Square on Wednesday, June 19th from 11:00am – 12:30pm (rain or shine). The concert includes the presentation of the Juneteenth Legacy Award to Tony Award®-winner Phylicia Rashad with Michael James Scott to host. Flagstar Bank will be this year’s presenting sponsor.
The fourth annual Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth concert features more than 35 performers from the following 17 Broadway shows: Aladdin; & Juliet; Back to the Future: The Musical; Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club; Chicago; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; The Heart of Rock and Roll; Hell’s Kitchen; Illinoise; The Lion King; MJ; Moulin Rouge! The Musical; The Notebook; Suffs; Water for Elephants; The Who’s Tommy; The Wiz; and the return of the kids of Young Gifted and Broadway. All performances will be accompanied by live music thanks to The Music Performance Trust Fund and the Film Funds. American Sign Language interpretation will be provided.
The exciting line-up of Broadway stars set to perform includes: Blu Allen, Donovan Louis Bazemore, Jace Bentley, Ronnie S. Bowman Jr., Maya Boyd, Tsilala Brock, Max Chambers, Taylor Colleton, Jay Copeland, Lorna Courtney, Charity Angél Dawson, Mariama Diop, Desmond Sean Ellington, Will Ervin Jr., Jerome Hermann-Hardeman, Dorian Harewood, Jackson Hayes, Najah Hetsberger, Afra Hines, Manny Houston, Jaylen Lyndon Hunter, Bre Jackson, Polanco Jones Jr., John-Michael Lyles, Mehret Marsh, Deja McNair, Alex Newell, Veronica Otim, Cristina Rae, Jelani Remy, William Rhem Jr., Albert Rhodes Jr., Walter Russell III, Antoine L. Smith, Nia Thompson, Lamont Walker II, Rachel Webb, NaTasha Yvette Williams, and Hailee Kaleem Wright.
Joining The Broadway League in partnership for Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth are Black Theatre United (BTU), Black Theatre Coalition (BTC), The New York Times, and the Times Square Alliance.
Black Theatre United has curated a selection of Black-owned restaurants to take part in the celebration by selling food and treats to attendees. Kokomo, LaMode BK, and Brooklyn Sweet Spot will be on-site with a selection of delicious options to add to the festivity.
Flagstar Bank is the 2024 presenting sponsor of Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth. Other sponsors include: The Music Performance Trust Fund and Film Funds; the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment; Audience Rewards; Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS; Broadway.com; M·A·C Cosmetics; TodayTix; Playbill; The Araca Group; and Open Jar Studios.
The creative and production teams of Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth include Director and Writer Steve H. Broadnax III, Music Director Rashad McPherson, Executive Producers Brian Anthony Moreland and Aaliytha Stevens, Stage Manager Monet Thibou, and General Manager Devon Miller of Foresight Theatrical.
The goal of Black to Broadway is to inspire deeper engagement with awareness of, and access to Broadway for all Black people. Created by The Broadway League in 2019, this initiative is an industry-wide celebration of the Black community on Broadway – on stage, in the audience, behind the scenes, and as leaders in the Broadway community. To learn more about Black to Broadway, visit Diversity.Broadway.
ABOUT NEW YORK COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC.
New York Community Bancorp, Inc. is the parent company of Flagstar Bank, N.A., one of the largest regional banks in the country. The Company is headquartered in Hicksville, New York. On March 31, 2024, Flagstar Bank, N.A., had $112.9 billion of assets, $83.3 billion of loans, deposits of $74.9 billion, and total stockholders' equity of $8.4 billion.
Flagstar Bank, N.A. operates 419 branches, including strong footholds in the Northeast and Midwest and exposure to high growth markets in the Southeast and West Coast. Flagstar Mortgage operates nationally through a wholesale network of approximately 3,000 third-party mortgage originators. In addition, the Bank has approximately 100 private banking teams located in over ten cities in the metropolitan New York City region and on the West Coast, which serve the needs of high-net worth individuals and their businesses.
New York Community Bancorp, Inc. has market-leading positions in several national businesses, including multi-family lending, mortgage origination and servicing, and warehouse lending. Flagstar Mortgage is the seventh largest bank originator of residential mortgages for the 12-months ending March 31, 2024, and the industry's fifth largest sub-servicer of residential mortgage loans nationwide, servicing 1.4 million accounts with $367 billion in unpaid principal balances.
BLACK THEATRE UNITED (BTU) was founded in 2020 in response to the Black Lives Matter Movement by theater professionals committed to advancing equity within the theater community. Our mission is to support emerging Black artists, create opportunities for art makers, and provide pathways for historically marginalized industry professionals. Since its inception, BTU has launched mentorship programs, hosted the Business of Show series, and led the New Deal for Broadway initiative, securing over 100 signatories for a more inclusive industry. Current initiatives include expanding the Beyond the Stage educational program to public schools across the five boroughs and organizing a Design Expo to facilitate job placements for minorities in various theater roles. We advocate for Black people, Black theatre, and Black lives nationwide, and have highlighted Black-owned businesses like Kokomo, LaMode BK, and Brooklyn Sweet Spot for a special Juneteenth celebration this year. Through excellence and activism, we strive to educate, empower, and inspire, ensuring the legacy of Black theatre in American culture. Founding members include Lisa Dawn Cave, Darius de Haas, Carin Ford, Capathia Jenkins, LaChanze, Kenny Leon, Norm Lewis, Audra McDonald, Michael McElroy, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Wendell Pierce, Billy Porter, Anna Deavere Smith, Allyson Tucker, Tamara Tunie, Lillias White, NaTasha Yvette Williams, Schele Williams, and Vanessa Williams.
The Broadway League, founded in 1930, is the national trade association for the Broadway industry representing more than 700 members from nearly 200 national and international markets including theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers as well as suppliers of goods and services to the commercial theatre industry. Key League programs and resources such as Kids’ Night on Broadway®, The Jimmy Awards®/National High School Musical Theatre Awards®, Broadway Bridges®, Black to Broadway, ¡Viva! Broadway®, Broadway Membership Fellows, Broadway Speakers Bureau®, and the Internet Broadway Database® (ibdb.com) represent the League’s ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive culture within the industry that is geared toward accessibility and advancements of audience development, industry practices, and workforce opportunities. The Broadway League co-administers the dotBroadway top-level domain, providing online visitors assurance that the web address they are accessing is from a verified League member. Since 1967, The Broadway League has been co-presenting the annual Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards®. BroadwayLeague.com
EVENT DETAILS
Title: Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth
Date: Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Time: 11:00am – 12:30pm; rain or shine
Location: Duffy Square in Times Square (46th and 47th Streets between Broadway and Seventh Avenue)
Cost: Free
Website: www.diversity.broadway