Roundabout Theatre: Bringing Broadway Back with Trouble in Mind and Caroline, or Change
As audiences come back around to visiting Broadway, Roundabout Theatre Company has announced their two latest shows, Trouble in Mind, starring Tony and Emmy Award winner LaChanze, and Caroline, or Change, with three-time Olivier Award Winner Sharon D Clarke.
Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, who is known for his diverse directing career in theater, television and film, including the hit Motown the Musical, Trouble in Mind, written by Alice Childress, is running through January 9th, 2022 at American Airlines Theatre. In addition to superstar LaChanze, the rest of this spellbinding cast includes Michael Zegen, Danielle Campbell, Jessica Frances Dukes, Brandon Micheal Hall, Simon Jones, Alex Mickiewicz, Don Stephenson and Chuck Cooper.
Roundabout recently conducted an online reading of Childress’ play, Wine in the Wilderness, as part of the company’s multi-year The Refocus Project. Presented in association with Black Theatre United, this initiative spotlights twentieth-century Black plays and their playwrights while educating a new generation of theatregoers.
This powerful and thought-provoking play, which originally opened to much fanfare Off-Broadway in 1955, is centered around a Black stage actress going through rehearsals of a major Broadway production. Trouble in Mind takes a captivating and close-up look at racism, ego and identity amidst the world of New York theatre during mid-1950s. Childress’ moving Trouble in Mind will finally be brought back to life on Broadway after a 1957 Broadway production of the play, which was at the forefront of both the Civil Rights and feminist movements, never came to be.
In addition to starring as Willetta, LaChanze, who appeared in the 2018 production of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, is also a founding member of Black Theatre United. With a mesmerizing mezza soprano voice and equally profound stage presence, LaChanze is known for her portrayal of strong female figures. Since making her dramatic Broadway debut 28 seasons ago in the original production of Once on This Island, she has won a Tony Award for bringing her role as Celie to life in The Color Purple’s original staging. This A-list actress went on to win an Emmy Award for her captivating performance in the PBS special Handel’s Messiah Rocks. Most recently, this standout star has had a recurring role as Anne in NBC’s The Blacklist, Amazon Prime’s The Underground Railroad, CBS All Access’ hit show The Good Fight and many others.
Roundabout’s Creative Director and CEO, Tom Haimes, is helping Broadway come roaring back to life by reintroducing many of the theatre’s most beloved actors, including Michael Zegen. Zegen, who plays Al Manners, originally made his Roundabout debut in the 2012 Underground production of Bad Jews.
Broadway is especially burning up with the on-stage fire from Caroline, or Change. Superstar Sharon D Clarke returns to her Olivier Award-winning role as Caroline Thibodeaux at the famed Studio 54. Caroline, or Change features a book & lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner, music by Tony Award winner Jeanine Tesori, direction by Michael Longhurst, choreography by Ann Yee, musical supervision by Nigel Lilley and musical direction by Joseph Joubert.
In Caroline, or Change, Caroline Thibodeaux is a Black woman working as a maid for a Jewish family in 1963 Louisiana, just as the civil rights movement is taking hold of and transforming America. Sharon D Clarke is an unstoppable and fierce force in this passionately performed production which showcases the same intensity that is at the forefront of today’s most pressing issues when it comes to change.
Longhurst directed the play which previously premiered at the Chichester Festival Theatre in June 2017 and is now back with an all-star cast. In addition to receiving the Olivier Award for her last performance of Caroline Thibodeaux, Sharon D Clarke has also been awarded the prestigious recognition for her roles in Death of a Salesman and The Amen Corner. Constantly leaving audiences in awe, Sharon has won additional awards for Ghost the Musical (Manchester Theatre Award), The Life (Offies) and We Will Rock You (WhatsOnStage Award). Known for her television credits in shows including Doctor Who and Holby City, this megastar has won the Black British Theatre Award for Lifetime Recognition in 2019 as well as an MBE for services to drama in 2017.
Gabriel Amoroso is officially making his Broadway debut as Noah Gellman. Gabe, who was previously cast as a young Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child but wasn’t able to take the stage due to the citywide shutdown, is ecstatic to take the stage in such a heartfelt and poignant production. Other cast members include Alexander Bello, John Cariani, Joy Hermalyn, Arica Jckson, Tamika Lawrence, Caissie Levy, Nya, Richard Alexander Phillips, Stuart Zagnit and other talents.
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