Tony, EMMY Award, Pulitzer Prize winners amongst top
nominees
LOS
ANGELES, April 16, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --
Beverly Hills, California
(April 15, 2024) – The NAACP Beverly
Hills/Hollywood Branch's Theatre
Viewing Committee has spoken, and the nominations are in for the
30th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards. The nominees encompass several
classics and new favorites which truly represents a legacy of
talent with a cross-section of elite screen and stage actors. They
will be honored for their thespian excellence during our annual
awards dinner show, slated to be held on Monday, June 3, 2024, 6:00
p.m. at the glamourous Tagylan Complex in Los Angeles, California.
"Black artists have been pivotal to the
evolution of the arts since the very beginning, and for over three
decades, the NAACP Theatre Awards has been a testament to this rich
and vibrant legacy of talent", says Councilwoman Heather Hutt.
This year, we proudly partner with the 10th District of Los
Angeles Councilwoman Heather Hutt to
heighten the awareness of Black Theatre here in the Los Angeles area. Hutt stands at the cutting
edge and is a forefront leader in the local arts community, working
to ensure that Los Angeles' art
scene reflects the rich diversity of its communities.
"Black artists have been pivotal to the evolution of the arts
since the very beginning, and for over three decades, the NAACP
Theatre Awards has been a testament to this rich and vibrant legacy
of talent. I am honored to partner with the NAACP Beverly
Hills/Hollywood branch for this
year's awards ceremony, which I'm confident will be a celebration
of the enduring power and contributions of Black people, not just
in our communities, but throughout history.", says Councilwoman
Hutt.
A musical production depicting the rise and pitfalls of a
legendary Motown group "Ain't to Proud: The Life and Times of the
Temptations," includes Tony award winners Sergio Trujillo for Best Choreographer and
Paul Tazewell for Best Costumes,
ties with a thought-provoking adaptation of the beloved opera,
CARMEN, by Geogres Bizet with new lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, titled "CARMEN JONES". The classic story of the
bewitching Carmen is reset in a parachute factory during 1940's
World War II and ties with ten nominations.
August Wilson's play, "Radio
Golf" which focuses on three real estate entrepreneurs bringing new
economic developments to a small town, brings in nine nominations
this season while "INVINCIBLE" features the music of Pat Benatar & Neil
Giraldo and reimagines the timeless story of Shakespeare's
Romeo and Juliet for the 21st century through an intricate weaving
of the four-time GRAMMY® Award-winners and 2022 Rock & Roll
Hall of Fame inductees' legendary catalog and inspired new songs.
With eight nods, this wildly inventive new musical explores how
love and equality battle for survival in times of great
transformation.
Previous winner for set designer, Rachel
Myers and Grey's Anatomy Brandon Scott, help to bring in
seven nominations with "Power of Sail." The musical features a
distinguished Harvard professor who
finds himself in hot water after inviting an incendiary white
nationalist to speak at his annual symposium. Now the ladies
clearly own, "Nina Simone: Four
Women" as they are nominated for Best Lead Female and Supporting
Actress plus three more nods in various categories including Best
Producer & Best Musical Director. This deeply personal play
with music imagines how the iconic chanteuse forged her true
calling–and gave voice to countless other Black women fighting to
overcome stereotypes and racism.
"Blues for an Alabama Sky", set in Harlem 1930 where the blues
are getting bluer, and the gin is running dry. A free-spirited
Cotton Club singer has just been fired with nowhere left to go but
down brings in four nominations with EMMY & Tony Award winner,
legendary actress/director Phylicia
Rashad for Best Director and political activist Pearl Cleage for Best Playwright. Seasoned
actor, EMMY & Audie award winner and known thespian
Joe Morton, delivers in "King Lear"
which lands him a salute as Best Male lead plus Brie Eley for Best
Lead Female. "King Lear" is a radical reinvention of Shakespeare's
greatest play that explores questions of truth, love and power, and
offers a glimpse of redemption. Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage grabs two nods for "Clyde's," which centers around formerly
incarcerated staff of Clyde's
truck stop diner who looks to start their lives over in the kitchen
under the pressure of the fiery rule of their owner.
Dramas like "Man's Favor Devil's Plan" leads the 99-seat group
with an enormous 14 nominations which is a mark in almost all
awards categories. Based in Los Angeles,
California, 1938, Mr. Avery's Hotel, a microcosm of a nation
that has been steep in a vicious hypocritical quagmire so pervasive
that it's become a reflection of the consciousness of a
country.
The coming-of-age production "How We Got On" ties with "Rapunzel
Alone" for nine nominations. Both productions highlight the various
struggles and challenges of being young and dreaming of a bright
future. Written by award-winning playwright Lorraine Hansberry, "Detained" earns seven nods
for their compilation of true stories that explores the rippling
impact of mass deportations on families.
A timeless classic, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" explores the
racial sensibilities of a progressive white couple who are put to
the test when their daughter brings her black fiancé home to meet
them in this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film
draws in seven nominations this season.
"Hooded, or Being Black For Dummies" is an irreverent, darkly
funny coming-of-age story that explores racial identity, privilege
and pop culture with insight, passion and biting humor lands four
nominations including Best Lead Male.
Executive/Creative Producer of the NAACP Theatre Awards Show Tia
Boyd states, "The black audience is a growing theatre market that
must not be ignored. The NAACP Salute to Black Theatre awards and
highlights plays that bring a new energy to the art."
Tickets can be purchased via Brown Paper Tickets:
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/6291915
For more information and sponsorship opportunities for the 30th
NAACP Theatre Awards, please visit www.naacptheatreawards.com.
Media inquiries can be directed to Lisa
Humphrey – Premier Concepts via email:
media@premierconceptspr.com or click here for credential
form.
About the NAACP Theatre Awards
The NAACP Theatre Awards is presented by the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Branch in
partnership with the City of Los
Angeles and Los Angeles City Councilwoman Heather Hutt/District 10. The event is
co-chaired by Beverly
Hills/Hollywood NAACP Branch President Ron Hasson, and the Executive Producer,
Tia Boyd. The mission of the Theatre
Awards is to entertain, educate, inspire the community and create
diversity in the arts and entertainment industry. The prestigious
star-studded gala aims to honor the highest achieving persons in
the field of dramatic arts. Click here to join our mailing list:
https://tinyurl.com/BHHNAACP
About the NAACP Theatre Viewing Committee
The NAACP Theatre Viewing Committee considers all candidates who
submit their productions from January through December 2022, for possible nomination. All
productions must run for at least six (6) full performances in
Southern California (San Diego to Bakersfield included). Previews, invited dress
rehearsals, and other similar showings do not count towards
eligibility. Eligibility for this year's edition was limited to
theatre productions opening in January
2022 through December 2022.
Productions who meet all eligibility requirements before the
deadline are considered eligible for a NAACP Theatre Award.
Nominees will be notified by the NAACP Theatre Viewing Committee
Chairpersons Martha Pruden-Hamiter and Lynn
Patterson.
Media Contact
LISA HUMPHREY, PREMIER CONCEPTS,
1 6267757968, media@premierconceptspr.com,
www.naacptheatreawards.com
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SOURCE NAACP Theatre Awards