Latest news with #PhyliciaRashad
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Phylicia Rashad lands role in HBO's ‘The Gilded Age'
The post Phylicia Rashad lands role in HBO's 'The Gilded Age' appeared first on ClutchPoints. Legendary actress Phylicia Rashad joins season 3 of HBO's 'The Gilded Age.' Black elitism is the new focus of season 3 of the American historical drama series. Rashad joins Tony Award-nominated actress Audra McDonald and others in the upcoming season. 'We just got more and more interested in the history of the Black bourgeois community at the end of the 19th century,' the show's creator, Julian Fellowes, told Entertainment Weekly. 'People are not really taught it. They're taught one vision of that society, and the Black bourgeois community has been left out of it, largely. The more we learned, the more we wanted to put it into the show.' Actors Denée Benton as Peggy Scott and Audra McDonald as Dorothy Scott were already part of 'The Gilded Age.' Now, Broadway sensation Jordan Donica will play Benton's new love interest, Dr. William Kirkland, along with his parents, Phylicia Rashad and Brian Stokes Mitchell. 'I feel like people love our show because of the beautiful, camp drama. And I do think they come to learn something,' Benton said, per The Wrap. 'Exploring the nuances of the Black communities in that time, Black wealth, and the white supremacy that still found its way into those dynamics is really interesting meat to get into.' Fans are happy to see Rashad return to acting after she stepped down as the dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at her alma mater, Howard University, last year. In 1970, Rashad earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Howard. She then began her acting career, and her most well-known part was that of Clair Huxtable on the renowned comedy The Cosby Show. In May 2021, she began working at Howard as the dean of the College of Fine Arts. Rashad led important developments at the Howard University Fine Arts Department while serving as its dean. The Chadwick A. Boseman Memorial Scholarship, which provides new theater students with a four-year scholarship paying the entire cost of university tuition, was established thanks in large part to her negotiating a $5.4 million grant from Netflix. She was also in charge of hiring several of the department's esteemed faculty members. Viewers can watch 'The Gilded Age' every Sunday at 9 P.M. ET on HBO. Related: 'Orange Is the New Black' star Danielle Brooks becomes member of Delta Sigma Theta Related: Ken Griffey Jr. calls for more recognition of HBCU athletes
New York Times
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘The Gilded Age' Enriches Its Portrait of Black High Society
The air felt different as I sat across from Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald and Denée Benton. I was lifted simply by being with these women, three generations of Broadway royalty. (Of course, as the former Clair Huxtable, Rashad qualifies as TV royalty as well.) Now they are together on 'The Gilded Age,' the HBO drama about late 19th-century New York City and the old-money elites, arrivistes and workers who live and clash there. I was initially worried about the show when it debuted in 2022. As a long-term fan of the creator Julian Fellowes's more homogenous hit 'Downton Abbey,' I feared this American counterpart would similarly overlook the racial dynamics of its era. But I was pleasantly surprised by the nuance of the character Peggy Scott (Benton), an aspiring journalist and secretary for Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and a member of Brooklyn's Black upper-middle class. An early version of Peggy had the character posing as a domestic servant to gain access to Agnes. But Benton and the show's historical consultant, Erica Armstrong Dunbar, pushed for a more multifaceted exploration of the lives of Black New Yorkers, who often interacted with Manhattan's white elite even as they lived separately. (Dunbar and I were colleagues at Rutgers University.) This season, 'The Gilded Age' has its most diverse and in-depth portrayal of Black high society yet, often pitting Peggy's mother, Dorothy (McDonald), against the aristocratic Elizabeth Kirkland (Rashad), who arrives on the show on Sunday. Like other wealthy mothers on this show, Elizabeth spends most of her time trying to control the marital fate of her children and discriminating against other families, like the Scotts, that she believes to be socially inferior. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2025 Tony Awards: ‘Maybe Happy Ending' dominates with 6 wins, Nicole Scherzinger shocks with Best Actress win over Audra McDonald
Edge-of-seat drama. Stunning twists. Musical performances that brought down the house. The 2025 Tony Awards followed a script that any Broadway aficionado would appreciate. While the crowd-pleasing Maybe Happy Ending dominated the night with six wins — including Best Musical, Best Musical Actor (Darren Criss), Best Musical Director, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Scenic Design for a Musical — there were some shocking moments. More from GoldDerby 'Every beat is meticulously crafted': An oral history of the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning play 'Purpose' Paul Tazewell makes awards history again, becomes only 2nd costume designer to win Oscar and Tony in same year 'We need to be gayer than ever before': 'RuPaul's Drag Race' queens and producers get political at FYC pool party In one of the night's most highly anticipated matchups, Nicole Scherzinger took home the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Sunset Boulevard, edging out Broadway's most celebrated star, Audra McDonald. McDonald, earning her record-extending 11th nomination for her portrayal of Mama Rose in Gypsy, had been favored to win following her recent Drama Desk Award victory and surveys of Tony voters that showed her holding a narrow lead (likely due to the recent Patti LuPone controversy). In the other major surprise of the night, Purpose triumphed over Oh, Mary! to win Best Play, even though its director, Phylicia Rashad, was notably absent from the list of nominees. The Best Director of a Play award went to Sam Pinkleton for Oh, Mary!, which also picked up a win for its star, Cole Escola, who won Best Actor in a Play for their hilarious portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln reimagined as a wannabe cabaret performer. Best Actress in a Play went to Sarah Snook for her Broadway debut in The Picture of Dorian Gray. She played 26 different characters in the production directed by Kip Williams. The Picture of Dorian Gray also prevailed for Best Costume Design earlier in the day. SEE 'Every beat is meticulously crafted': 6 'Purpose' Tony nominees offer an oral history of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Both Featured Actor winners were first-time nominees: Francis Jue, who won for his performance in the play Yellow Face, and Jak Malone, who took home the musical prize for Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical. The Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play went to Kara Young for Purpose. This marks her fourth consecutive year as a nominee; she previously won in the same category last year for Purlie Victorious. Best Featured Actress in a Musical went to Natalie Venetia Belcon for Buena Vista Social Club, making her a first-time nominee and winner. Performances featuring many of this year's nominees also dazzled. Tony winner and three-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo, who hosted the event from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, set the stage with a jaw-dropping performance of "Sometimes All You Need Is a Song" to open the festivies. The nominated productions sounded off, with Buena Vista Social Club, Dead Outlaw, Death Becomes Her, Floyd Collins, Gypsy, Maybe Happy Ending, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, Pirates! The Penzance Musical, Sunset Boulevard, Just in Time, and Real Women Have Curves all providing standout musical moments. And 10 years after it dominated the Tonys, Hamilton brought back its original cast and stole the show with a quick-fire "mixtape" of its greatest hits. The 78th Tonys aired live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ with Showtime. Early winners were announced during the Tony Awards: Act One, hosted by Darren Criss and Renée Elise Goldsberry on Pluto TV. Here's the full list of 2025 Tony Awards winners. BEST MUSICAL Buena Vista Social Club Dead Outlaw Death Becomes Her [WINNER] — Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL Floyd Collins Gypsy Pirates! The Penzance Musical [WINNER] — Sunset Boulevard BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her Audra McDonald, Gypsy Jasmine Amy Rogers, Boop! The Musical [WINNER] — Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL [WINNER] — Darren Criss, Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw Tom Francis, Sunset Boulevard Jonathan Groff, Just in Time James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL [WINNER] — Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club Julia Knitel, Dead Outlaw Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time Justina Machado, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical Joy Woods, Gypsy BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Brooks Ashmanskas, Smash Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw Danny Burstein, Gypsy [WINNER] — Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical Taylor Trensch, Floyd Collins BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club [WINNER] — Michael Arden, Maybe Happy Ending David Cromer, Dead Outlaw Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Boulevard BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Dead Outlaw, Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna Death Becomes Her, Music & Lyrics: Julia Mattison and Noel Carey [WINNER] —, Music: Will Aronson; Lyrics: Will Aronson and Hue Park Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, Music & Lyrics: David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, Music & Lyrics: Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL Marco Ramirez, Buena Vista Social Club Itamar Moses, Dead Outlaw Marco Pennette, Death Becomes Her [WINNER] — Will Aronson and Hue Park, Maybe Happy Ending David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical BEST CHOREOGRAPHY Joshua Bergasse, Smash Camille A. Brown, Gypsy Christopher Gattelli, Death Becomes Her Jerry Mitchell, Boop! The Musical [WINNER] — Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, Buena Vista Social Club BEST ORCHESTRATIONS Andrew Resnick and Michael Thurber, Just in Time Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending Bruce Coughlin, Floyd Collins [WINNER] — Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sunset Boulevard BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club Gregg Barnes, Boop! The Musical Clint Ramos, Maybe Happy Ending [WINNER] — Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her Catherine Zuber, Just in Time BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL [WINNER] — Jack Knowles, Sunset Boulevard Tyler Micoleau, Buena Vista Social Club Scott Zielinski and Ruey Horng Sun, Floyd Collins Ben Stanton, Maybe Happy Ending Justin Townsend, Death Becomes Her BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL Rachel Hauck, Swept Away [WINNER] — Dane Laffrey and George Reeve, Maybe Happy Ending Arnulfo Maldonado, Buena Vista Social Club Derek McLane, Death Becomes Her Derek McLane, Just in Time BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL [WINNER] — Jonathan Deans, Buena Vista Social Club Adam Fisher, Sunset Boulevard Peter Hylenski, Just in Time Peter Hylenski, Maybe Happy Ending Dan Moses Schreier, Floyd Collins SEE 'Every beat is meticulously crafted': 6 'Purpose' Tony nominees offer an oral history of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama BEST PLAY English The Hills of California John Proctor Is the Villain Oh, Mary! [WINNER] BEST PLAY REVIVAL [WINNER] — Eureka Day Romeo + Juliet Thornton Wilder's Our Town Yellow Face BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California Mia Farrow, The Roommate LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose Sadie Sink, John Proctor Is the Villain [WINNER] — Sarah Snook, BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck [WINNER] — Cole Escola, Jon Michael Hill, Purpose Daniel Dae Kim, Yellow Face Harry Lennix, Purpose Louise McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY Tala Ashe, English Jessica Hecht, Eureka Day Marjan Neshat, English Fina Strazza, John Proctor Is the Villain [WINNER] — Kara Young, BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY Glenn Davis, Purpose Gabriel Ebert, John Proctor Is the Villain [WINNER] — Francis Jue, Yellow Face Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary! BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY Knud Adams, English Sam Mendes, The Hills of California [WINNER] — Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary! Danya Taymor, John Proctor Is the Villain Kip Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY Brenda Abbandandolo, Good Night, and Good Luck [WINNER] — Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray Rob Howell, The Hills of California Holly Pierson, Oh, Mary! Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Stranger Things: The First Shadow BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY Natasha Chivers, The Hills of California [WINNER] — Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow Heather Gilbert and David Bengali, Good Night, and Good Luck Natasha Katz and Hannah Wasileski, John Proctor is the Villain Nick Schlieper, The Picture of Dorian Gray BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY Marsha Ginsberg, English Rob Howell, The Hills of California Marg Horwell and David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray [WINNER] — Miriam Buether and 59 Studio, Stranger Things: The First Shadow Scott Pask, Good Night, and Good Luck BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY [WINNER] — Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow Palmer Hefferan, John Proctor Is the Villain Daniel Kluger, Good Night, and Good Luck Nick Powell, The Hills of California Clemence Williams, The Picture of Dorian Gray SPECIAL TONY AWARDS The musicians who make up the band of Buena Vista Social Club The illusions and technical effects of Stranger Things: The First Shadow SPECIAL TONY AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE THEATER: Harvey Fierstein TONY HONORS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THEATER: Great Performances, PBS Michael Price New 42 The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts THE ISABELLE STEVENSON TONY AWARD (FOR PHILANTHROPY): Celia Keenan-Bolger Best of GoldDerby 'Maybe Happy Ending' star Darren Criss on his Tony nomination for playing a robot: 'Getting to do this is the true win' Who Needs a Tony to Reach EGOT? Sadie Sink on her character's 'emotional rage' in 'John Proctor Is the Villain' and her reaction to 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Purpose' Wins Big and Makes History at the 2025 Tony Awards
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Purpose has made history at the 2025 Tony Awards. Written by 2024 Tony Award winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Purpose has taken some of the evening's top prizes. Jacobs-Jenkins, who won the Tony Award for best revival of a play for Appropriate just last year, has become the first Black playwright to win the Tony for Best Play since August Wilson took home the award in 1987 for Fences. In total, the play has celebrated two wins so far, with Kara Young taking home the prize for Best Featured Actress in a Play. Young made history of her own, becoming the first Black person to be nominated four times consecutively and the first Black performer to win two back-to-back Tonys. Purpose is not just your average family drama. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play follows one evening with the Jaspers, a prominent Chicago household known for their influential history within Black American politics. But like all families, not everything is as it seems. When the youngest son returns home to Illinois with an uninvited friend, the family is forced to face deep truths and challenge their ideologies. Directed by the legendary Phylicia Rashad, Purpose stars also LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Harry Lennix, Jon Michael Hill, Alana Arenas and Glenn Davis The Tony Awards honor the best Broadway musicals and plays—as well as the greatest actors, crews, and behind-the-scenes Broadway creatives—of the past year. And this season is a particularly starry one, with a number of movie, TV, and music stars holding main roles in the featured musicals and plays. Other big stars nominated tonight include George Clooney for his record-breaking play Good Night, and Good Luck, Nicole Scherzinger for Sunset Blvd., Sadie Sink for John Proctor is the Villain, Mia Farrow for The Roommate, Darren Criss for Maybe Happy Ending, Jonathan Groff for Just In Time, and Audra McDonald for Gypsy. You Might Also Like 4 Investment-Worthy Skincare Finds From Sephora The 17 Best Retinol Creams Worth Adding to Your Skin Care Routine
CTV News
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Purpose' makes Tony Awards history for Kara Young and wins best play
Sarah Snook poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play for "The Picture of Dorian Gray" during the 78th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) NEW YORK — The best new play trophy at Sunday's Tony Awards went to 'Purpose,' Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' drawing-room drama about an accomplished Black family exposing hypocrisy and pressures during a snowed-in gathering. It caps a remarkable year for Jacobs-Jenkins, who in addition to winning back-to-back Tonys -- his 'Appropriate' won best play revival in 2024 -- earned the Pulitzer Prize for 'Purpose.' (That win came the day of the Met Gala, where he served on the host committee.) Jacobs-Jenkins becomes the first Black playwright to win for best new play since August Wilson took home the trophy in 1987 for 'Fences.' He urged Tony viewers to support regional theaters. Kara Young -- the first Black female actor to be nominated for a Tony Award in four consecutive years -- became the first Black person to win two Tonys consecutively with the featured actress in a play trophy for her work in 'Purpose.' Young thanked her parents, Jacobs-Jenkins, her cast and director Phylicia Rashad. 'Theater is a sacred space that we have to honor and treasure, and it makes us united,' she said. 'Succession' star Sarah Snook took home the trophy for leading actress in a play for her tireless work in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' where she plays all 26 roles. 'I don't feel alone any night that I do this show,' Snook said, dismissing the idea of her play as a one-woman show. 'There are so many people onstage making it work and behind the stage making it work.' Francis Jue won best actor in a featured role in a play for his work in a revival of 'Yellow Face.' He said he was gifted the tuxedo he was wearing from another Asian actor who wanted him to wear it to the Tonys. 'I'm only here because of the encouragement and inspiration of generations of wonderful deserving Asian artists who came before me,' he said. 'To those who don't feel seen,' he added. 'I see you.' Jak Malone won best actor in a featured role in a musical for the British import 'Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical,' playing a woman every performance. He hoped his win could be a powerful advocacy for trans rights. The host with the most First-time host Cynthia Erivo kicked off the show from her dressing room in Radio City Music Hall, urged by the stage manager to get to the stage. He asked if she had an opening number and she replied she hadn't figured it out yet. As she made her way through the backstage warren, she ran into various people offering advice until she reached Oprah Winfrey, who advised, 'The only thing you need to do is just be yourself.' Erivo then appeared at the stage in a red, spangly gown with white accents, hip cocked, as she launched into the slow-burning original song 'Sometimes All You Need Is a Song,' written by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Initially alone with just a pianist, Erivo's soaring voice was soon joined by dozens of members of the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir, all dressed in white, making her look like a powerful strawberry in a bowl of whipped cream. She went into the audience and got front-row guests to sing along, including Adam Lambert. In her opening comments, she singled out first-time nominees Louis McCartney, Sadie Sink, Cole Escola and 'an up-and-comer that I think you're going to really be hearing quite a bit about -- George Clooney.' She noted that the 2024-2025 season took in $1.9 billion, making it the highest-grossing season ever and signaling that Broadway has finally emerged from the COVID-19 blues. 'Broadway is officially back,' Erivo said. 'Provided we don't run out of cast members from `Succession,'' a nod to appearances this season by former co-stars Snook and Kieran Culkin and last season by Jeremy Strong. Pre-show results 'Buena Vista Social Club' and 'Maybe Happy Ending' built up early heads of steam at the pre-show, well before the main event had even started. The best book and best score awards went to 'Maybe Happy Ending,' with lyrics written by Hue Park and music composed by Will Aronson. The show was one of the favorites to win the best new musical crown, also picking up best scenic design of a musical. Justin Peck and Patricia Delgado won for choreographing 'Buena Vista Social Club' and Peck noted a song from the renowned album was played at their wedding. The musical takes its inspiration from Wim Wenders' 1999 Oscar-nominated documentary on the making of the Cuban album. Marco Paguia, winning best orchestrations for 'Buena Vista Social Club,' thanked Broadway for welcoming Cuban music. Best costumes in a play went to Marg Hornwell for 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' while 'Death Becomes Her' won the musical counterpart, a win for Paul Tazewell in a year where he also became the first Black man to win an Oscar for designing costumes, for 'Wicked.' 'I have dressed so many of you out there,' he said from the podium. This season on Broadway Broadway buzz is usually reserved for musicals but this year the plays -- powered by A-list talent like Snook and Clooney -- have driven the conversation. There were two Pulitzer winners -- 2024 awardee 'English' and 'Purpose' from 2025 -- but perhaps one of the season's biggest surprises was 'Oh, Mary!,' Escola's irreverent, raunchy, gleefully deranged revisionist history centered on Mary Todd Lincoln. It was empty-handed as the Tonys reached the midpoint. On the musical side, three options seem to be in the mix for the top prize: 'Maybe Happy Ending,' the rom-com about a pair of androids; 'Dead Outlaw,' about an alcoholic drifter whose embalmed body becomes a prized possession for half a century; and 'Death Becomes Her,' the musical satire about longtime frenemies who drink a magic potion for eternal youth and beauty. 'Maybe Happy Ending,' 'Death Becomes Her' and fellow musical nominee, 'Buena Vista Social Club,' led nominations going into the night with 10 apiece. History on the line Audra McDonald, the most recognized performer in the theater awards' history, could possibly extend her Tony lead. Already the record holder for most acting wins with six Tonys, McDonald could add to that thanks to her leading turn in an acclaimed revival of 'Gypsy.' She has to get past Nicole Scherzinger, who has been wowing audiences in 'Sunset Blvd.' Other possible firsts include Daniel Dae Kim, who could become the first Asian winner in the category of best leading actor in a play for his work in a revival of 'Yellow Face.' Broadway this season saw a burst in alt-rock and the emergence of stories of young people for young people, including 'John Proctor is the Villain' and a 'Romeo + Juliet' pitched to Generation Z and millennials. Sunday's telecast, as usual, has a musical number for each of the shows vying for the best new musical crown, as well as some that didn't make the cut, like 'Just in Time,' a musical about Bobby Darin, and 'Real Women Have Curves.' This year, there's also room for 'Hamilton,' celebrating its 10th year on Broadway. But the musicals 'BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical' and 'SMASH' didn't get slots. Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
