Backstage Pass with Lia Chang: HAARLEM NOCTURNE Preview - André De Shields sings L-O-V-E at 54 Below

54 Below is presenting a once-in-a-lifetime evening with Tony Award® winner André De Shields as he celebrates the 40th Anniversary of a very special Broadway musical known as Haarlem Nocturne, in honor of Black History Month from February 20-24, 2024. 54 Below is located at 254 W. 54th St. in New York.
He will be joined by Original Musical Director and Cast Member Marc Shaiman (Hairspray, Some Like it Hot, South Park), who appeared in Neil Patrick Harris's "Uncoupled" with Mr. De Shields; Freida Williams, a member of the original 1984 production of Haarlem Nocturne, who can be seen in the Annie Lennox video, WOULD I LIE TO YOU? and last appeared with Mr. De Shields in his 54 Below debut of Black By Popular Demand: A Musical Meditation On How Not To Be Eaten By The Sphinx; Kimberly Marable, an original cast member of Hadestown, who performed the role of Persephone in the Hadestown National Tour and recently starred as Velma in Chicago on Broadway; and Crystal Monee Hall, who recently starred as Crystal in the Broadway Bound Hell’s Kitchen at The Public Theater. She is the composer of 3 Summers of Lincoln, which will debut at La Jolla in 2025. Drew Wutke is the Associate Music Director, Samuel-Moses Jones is the Stage Manager, and Christina Cocchiara is the Costume Designer.
In 1984, André De Shields’ Haarlem Nocturne opened on Broadway at the Latin Quarter. About the show, The New York Amsterdam News reported, “It’s a sensational musical… the cast is knocking them out of their socks with their sizzling performances. And it’s very contemporary, although it does pay homage to the best of Black music’s past, present, and with its original songs, future.” Now, 78-year-old showstopper De Shields is back with a celebration of his eponymous Broadway musical from four decades ago. Expect roof-raising recreations of the beloved music from the show, never-before-heard stories, and even a reunion or two, as well as the wit, elegance and charm that the master entertainer has become known for. After decades filled with taking risks and opening doors, De Shields reflects on a peak career moment with this very special anniversary concert.
In an illustrious career that has spanned more than half a century, André De Shields has distinguished himself as an actor, director, and educator. His notable theatrical appearances include roles in the original Broadway productions of The Full Monty (Tony Award® nomination), Play On! (Tony Award® nomination), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award) and the title role in The Wiz. De Shields was the triple-crown winner of the 2019 award season, garnering Tony, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama Desk Awards for his universally praised role as the messenger to the gods, Hermes, in Hadestown. In 2020, he received the 2020 Grammy Award for Musical Theater Album for Hadestown, an Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, the 2020 AUDELCO for Lifetime Achievement and the 2020 Red Bull Theater Matador Award for Excellence in Classical Theater. 2019 honors include The Actors’ Equity Foundation Richard Seff Award, which honors veteran stage actors’ best supporting performances of the year, the Project1Voice Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2019 SAGE Joyce Warshow Lifetime Achievement Award, and The York Theatre Company’s 2019 Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre, among others. He was also inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. Among his other accolades are the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award and the 2007 Village Voice Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance.
Doors open at 5:30pm, showtime is at 7pm. Use code: ANDRE5 for $5 off Main Dining Room and Bar Rail Cover Charge. Cover Charge stars at $75 plus a $25 food/beverage minimum. www.54below.org For more on André De Shields, visit www.andredeshields.com.