Nathaniel Stampley, will lead the national tour of the musical "Porgy and Bess," that kicks off a 14-state tour this weekend in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Richards Associates) by Mark KennedyAP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Nathaniel Stampley ached to make the role of Porgy his own in the celebrated 2012 Broadway revival of "Porgy and Bess." Instead, he kept dying. Stampley was an understudy for Norm Lewis in the title role and bided his time by playing the small role of Robbins in the revamped version of the Gershwin classic. Robbins is killed with a cotton hook in a fight after a dice game on page 15 of the script.
Nathaniel Stampley, will lead the national tour of the musical "Porgy and Bess," that kicks off a 14-state tour this weekend in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Richards Associates) The national tour schedule for "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" 11/10-12/8: San Francisco, The Golden Gate Theatre 12/10-12/22: Dallas, The Winspear Opera House 12/25-12/29: Washington, D.C., The National Theatre
This photo provided by EBONY shows the December 2013/January 2014 cover of EBONY magazine featuring Chiwetel Ejiofor on How Black Men Took Over Hollywood. (AP Photo/EBONY, Peter Hapak) NEW YORK (AP) — Ebony magazine's celebration of its "Power 100" list will have a Motown vibe — Berry Gordy is being honored with a lifetime achievement award, the Jacksons will perform in his honor, and the cast of "Motown The Musical" is due to appear, as well.
CMU Alumni Patina Miller and Billy Porter pose with their awards in the press room at the 67th Annual Tony Awards, in New York, June 9,(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) by Mark KennedyAP Drama Writer NEW YORK (AP) — There was plenty of applause heard during the Tony Awards — and perhaps no place louder than from as far away as Pittsburgh. Six alumni from Carnegie Mellon University took home Tonys in five categories, a glittery haul that was both a school record and a huge source of pride for a theater department that turns 100 next year. Billy Porter, Patina Miller and Judith Light each took home acting Tonys, while Ann Roth got one for best costume design, and partners Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer won for best lighting design of a play. "We've had a bumper crop," said Peter Cooke, head of the university's school of drama. "I'm just delighted that they received rewards from their peers. It was just a terrific night."
