LIVESTREAM | Andre De Shields Celebrates The 40th Anniversary of Haarlem Nocturne
STREAMS LIVE FEBRUARY 24, 2023 AT 7:00PM ET
This event is being streamed online. To purchase tickets for the in-person event, click here.
Join us for 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.
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.
When asked about his “Bad Boy” image while doing press for Haarlem Nocturne in 1984, De Shields said, “People are under the impression that artists aren’t supposed to think or be plugged into the bloodline of the country, the world- socially, politically, or otherwise. I take exception to that. We are not dummies and as for me, my work has to reflect more than just the obvious singing and dancing. I must take chances. Without risk there is no reason to do it. And when those risks result in opening doors, I like to leave them open so others can walk through.”
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.
André De Shields is being accompanied by Original Musical Director and Cast Member Marc Shaiman.
Featuring special guests Kimberly Marable (Hadestown, Chicago), Crystal Monee Hall (Hell’s Kitchen), and Freida Williams (Haarlem Nocturne).
Associate music direction by Drew Wutke.
Photo credit for André De Shields: Lia Chang
Photo credit for Marc Shaiman: Robert Trachtenberg
Live from 54 Below is a new series featuring streams of LIVE performances direct from Broadway’s Living Room! Designed to make more shows accessible to fans from across the globe and to recreate the live experience, all shows will be presented exclusively at the time of performance with an in-house audience and will not be available on demand afterwards.
Past Performances
- Sat, Feb 24
