‘Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth’ was inspiring and uplifting
Every June 19, the Broadway League has a tremendous program as part of its Black to Broadway initiative called “Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth.” Free to the public, it is held in Duffy Square on Broadway and features Black performers from current and upcoming Broadway musicals performing powerful, uplifting and moving songs. This year the celebration was hosted by Kara Young, who recently made history for winning the Tony for featured actress in a play for two consecutive years in a row, this year for “Purpose” and last year for “Purlie Victorious.” She shared hosting duties with her “Purpose” co-star and a Tony nominee Jon Michael Hill. This year’s program honored Tony Award winner Andre De Shields with the Legacy Award.
Juneteenth marks the day enslaved Blacks in the south learned that President Abraham Lincoln had freed them. The musical program is created to inspire, rejoice and reflect. Talking about what it meant to host the event Hill said, “I was honored. We’ve got a lot of eraser of Black history going in the country right now and I think events like this are becoming more important. We get to celebrate all these folks that are working every day on Broadway, doing incredible, unique work and we get to honor Andre De Shields, who I’ve looked up to all of my adult life and career so I was certainly pleased and honored to be a part of this celebration.”
Andre De Shields was glad to be receiving the Legacy Award. “I’m getting some of my flowers while I can still see and smell them … What’s important is that the Legacy Award is associated with celebrating Juneteenth, because there’s so much information in those simple words. As you know it hasn’t been a federal holiday for too long. As you also know some people think Juneteenth is just an opportunity to barbecue in Central Park, but in 2025 when there are forces that are still trying to hide our contribution to the success of America, who are banning books, confiscating our history, we need to continue to stand tall and particularly point the young people to what the truth is. Because the truth is being hidden now. So, because of my reputation, receiving this legacy award, I think will make some people wake up. I remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the dream he had, but it is turning into a nightmare? We need to remind, not just the young, but everybody that the work is not done. We’ve come a long way, but we have even a longer way to go.”
The event began with a spiritual feel as everyone stood and sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” featuring Rashad McPherson, The Juneteenth Celebration band and singers James Warren, Jazmin McCray and Sehri Wickliffe. The capacity crowd joined in and we all felt that feeling of being anointed. The performers sang with great spirit and delivered it in a stunning gospel tone. Every performance was incredibly moving to experience!
Fourteen songs were performed delightfully and soulfully by talented Black Broadway performers from musicals including “Six: The Musical”; “Chicago,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge” The Musical,” “Wicked,” “& Juliet,” “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Real Women Have Curves,” “MJ,” “Pirates! The Penzance Musical,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Boop! The Musical,” and “Ragtime.” The first song was “Come So Far” from “Hairspray” and was sung with stunning power by Jenny Mollet, Tia Altinay and Runako Campbell.
“When You Believe” from “The Prince of Egypt” was performed with inspiring and heartfelt vocals by Donnie Hammond and Rayven Bailey. Their voices were a testament to the struggles and determination that Black people have historically experienced. “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” was beautifully and touchingly performed by Natasha Yvette Williams. “What You Own” from “Rent” was delivered with a great deal of heart by Alejandro Muller Dahlaberg and Wesley Wray. “Be a lion” from “The Wiz” was performed unforgettably by Ariana Burks, Omar Madden, Mason Reeves and Quincy Hampton. “Lily’s Eyes” from “The Secret Garden” was enchantingly performed by Tre Frazier and John Edwards. Sitting in the audience, it was amazing to realize that all these talented people are on Broadway right now.
“Everybody Rejoice/Brand New Day” from “The Wiz” was performed by Cicily Daniels, Tyrone Robinson and Tatiana Lofton. “On Broadway” from “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” was engagingly performed by Blu Allen, Matthew Frederick Harris, Brett Gray, and Cameron Amandus Jones. “Perfect Way To Die” from “Hell’s Kitchen” was dramatically and stunningly performed by Kecia Lewis. It is one of the signature songs she performs from the show, and you found out why: She bought the house down! “Joyful, Joyful” from “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” was a perfect vehicle for the young thespians on Broadway who are part of Young Gifted & Broadway perform and it was quite joyful. It was great to see the future of Broadway.
Kara Young and Jon Michael Hill read from the “Emancipation Proclamation” and shared the vital message of this document with the audience.
Devon Miller and Kendra Whitlock Ingram, executive producers of Black To Broadway, “Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth,” had the distinct honor of presenting the Legacy Award to De Shields and had this to share about the theater icon. “As an activist, he endeavors to restore majesty, elegance, and literacy to the Black thespians’ toolbox. To advocate for long term survivors of HIV and AIDS and to champion the legacy of the Wellderly, which we learned is elderly individuals who continue to kick butt … His accolades include an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from his Alma Mata the University of Wisconsin Madison, where he has founded the Andre De Shields fund …”
Andre De Shields had the audience completely captivated. “I was so glad that Kara Young and Jon Michael Hill read from the Emancipation Proclamation and shared specific dates,” he shared after receiving the Legacy Award. “The 16th President of these United States wrote those impeccable words in 1862, the proclamation didn’t become law until the following year, 1863. Two years later in the territory of Texas, I want you to understand this, because every year we speak about Juneteenth and we talk about celebrating freedom, check this out, in 1865, Juneteenth wasn’t just about some white Union soldiers going to Galveston and telling the enslaved people there ‘you’re free.’ They knew they were free, even from the time that they were first kidnapped from the West Coast of Africa, they knew in their heads, they knew in their hearts, they knew in their guts that they were free, otherwise they could not have been captured, kidnapped. The difference is that now the United Colonies of America knew they were free …. We celebrate this day in the North, it’s been a federal holiday for only a few years, but those folks in the South who experienced it firsthand, knew for a long time what Juneteenth meant. It goes all the way back to the Middle Passage, even when we were kidnapped, bound and put at the bottom of the slave ships and bought to the new world, we knew we were free, it was just a matter of time before everybody else would know the same thing. So, I’m happy to be here to celebrate Juneteenth, but don’t get it twisted, we celebrate Juneteenth, just like we celebrate Black History Month and we keep in mind, every month is Black History Month, that American history is Black history! So, it’s good that annually we remind that people that think they’re in charge that we have been free for the 500 years that we’ve been in this new world, but we also realized that we had been shackled … Today there are still some of us who are not free because they have not let the chains go off their minds …. So my name is Andre DeShields, my pronouns are King, Legend, Icon, Broadway Deity and now winner and possessor of the Legacy Award from the Broadway League.”
Jasmine Amy Rogers, star of “BOOP! The Musical” gave a wonderful tribute to DeShields by performing “Don’t You Know,” a song from “Play On,” one of his Broadway shows. Nichelle Lewis, who will star in the upcoming production of “Ragtime,” entertained the audience with a cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” Cast members from “Hell’s Kitchen” floored the crowd, ending the show with the production number “Kaleidoscope.”
Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth was written and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III with musical direction by Rashad McPherson.
