1/27/2022
The theater industry has seen many changes over the past two years – and not just with health and safety protocols. New and reopening productions across Broadway now feature more Black professionals in prominent roles, both on and off the stage, celebrating and embracing diversity as audiences return to live shows.
With February marking Black History Month, The Smith Center highlights below just a few uplifting examples of the expanding representation for Black professionals in theater.
The First Black Christine in “The Phantom of the Opera”
As Broadway’s longest-running production, “The Phantom of the Opera” represents not only a wildly popular show, but a historic one. That makes it all the more significant for Illinois native Emilie Kouatchou to make history herself as the first Black woman cast as the show’s heroine Christine on Broadway. She took on the role in October 2021.
The show’s producer Seth Sklar-Heyn says this casting decision resulted from discussions with the production’s legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh, in response to the country’s widespread calls for racial equality and justice.
“I’m honored that I get to carry on this legacy of this iconic role,” says Kouatchou, adding that “The Phantom of the Opera” was the first show she ever saw on Broadway. “I’ve already gotten a few messages from girls who are younger than me who are like, ‘I’m coming to see “Phantom” because of you!’ That’s really special for me, because I think theater should be for everyone.”
The First Black Glinda in “Wicked”
As a blockbuster musical with avid fans worldwide, Broadway show “Wicked” makes an impactful statement by casting Brittney Johnson as the first Black woman in the costarring role of Glinda.
After already cutting her teeth playing iconic Broadway parts such as Eponine in “Les Miserables,” Johnson will step into the role on February 14.
“The importance of this moment in history is only amplified by the message of this beautiful show: Love, friendship and kindness are stronger than any division caused by a fear of otherness,” says Johnson, who previously understudied for the role. “Representation is so important, and I'm honored to be a representative here on Broadway and in the theater community. My hope and prayer is that people all over the world can see my story, and have faith that they can achieve their dreams, too.”
Seven New Plays by Black Playwrights
Not only are more Black artists taking the spotlight on Broadway, but they are also making their voices heard there.
When Broadway reopened in 2021, its lineup included seven new plays, all by Black playwrights.
These included “Pass Over,” which marked the very first Broadway show to open after the theater district’s 17-month closure during the epidemic.
With a performance of the show filmed by Spike Lee, the production serves as a mouthpiece for the Black community in its blend of “Waiting for Godot” with the Bible’s book of Exodus, by portraying two young Black men hoping for a better world.
The seven new plays also included “Thoughts of a Colored Man,” written by Keenan Scott II and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, which serves as the first-ever Broadway production written and directed by Black men, with a Black man as the lead role.
With its final performance on December 22, 2021, the show explores the lives of seven Black men in contemporary Brooklyn, though a vibrant mix of spoken word, slam poetry, rhythm and humor.
“The reason why I wrote this play is that I wanted to be seen. I didn’t see myself (represented) on any stages, I didn’t see my community,” Scott says. “The core of this piece is empathy. So, I would say for any audience member, I want them to leave with more empathy than they came with.”
The additional new Broadway plays by Black playwrights in 2021 included:
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“Chicken & Biscuits,” written by Douglas Lyons, a heartwarming comedy about a family coming together to celebrate the life of their late father.
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“Lackawanna Blues,” written and directed by Tony winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson, a moving solo play about the woman who raised him.
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“Trouble in Mind,” written by Alice Childress, depicting an experienced Black stage actress through rehearsals of a major Broadway production.
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“Clyde's,” written by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, chronicling a truck-stop sandwich shop that offers its formerly incarcerated staff a chance to reclaim their lives.
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“Skeleton Crew,” written by Tony nominee Dominique Morisseau, the story of tight-knit workers at a small auto factory facing foreclosure.