Beverly Hills, CA — Bold, spectacular, unforgettable and soul stirring are just a few words used to describe the nominees’ of this year’s 25th Annual NAACP Theatre awards. Winners of the 2015 NAACP Theatre Awards will be announced and celebrated during a star-studded Red Carpet Press Conference on Sunday March 6, 2016, 5pm at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Theatre/Ebony Repertory Theatre located at 4718 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016.
Celebrity announcers include: Jason George (Grey’s Anatomy), Richard Lawson (Saints and Sinners), Obba Babatunde’ (The Bold and the Beautiful), Renee Lawless (The Haves and Haves Nots), Margaret Avery (Being Mary Jane), Ella Joyce (Being Mary Jane), Harold Bell (Raising Whitley), Richard Gant (THE GAME).
This year’s Equity Theatre nominations include an array of phenomenal productions including “Porgy and Bess” with an outstanding nine nominations – Best Choreography, Best Lead Female and Male, Best Supporting Female and Male, Best Director, Best Musical Director and lastly Best Costumes. Securing seven nominations including recent OBIE award winner Trip Cullman in the category of “Best Director of a Musical – Equity” along with nominations for Best Lead Male and Best Supporting Male.
“Above the Fold” ties with seven nominations of its’ own produced by The Pasadena Playhouse with “Best Lead Female nomination for multi-Award winner Taraji P. Henson. Locking in five nominations are both “Maurice Hines is Tappin Thru Life” attaining a Best Choreographer nom for Maurice Hines and “The Tallest Tree in the Forest” with Moises Kaufman up for Best Director.
In the category of Local Theatre nominations “Knock Me A Kiss” based on the story of Yolande Du Bois, the pampered and only daughter of scholar and activist W.E.B. Du Bois takes the lead with six nominations including Ashlee Olivia and Rosie Lee Hooks as Best Lead Female-Local.
“Bag Lady”, “The Magic Flute” and “Sassy Mamas” all received five nominations including a Best One-Person Show and Best Playwright to Tammi Mac, Best Director of a Musical for Mark Dornford-May and Best Producer collectively to Vanessa Paul & Alex Morris. Rounding out the local category all with four nominations each include “The Brother’s Size” and “Low Hanging Fruit” for Best Ensemble Cast plus “Bus Stops” with a first time nomination for Jaimyon Parker in the Best Producer and Best Supporting Male category.
Associate Producer CeCelia Antoinette of the NAACP Theatre Daytime Awards says, “I’m pleased to be a part of an organization that recognizes and honors BLACK EXCELLENCE in Theatre.”
The goal of the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP’s Board of Directors is to take the star-studded NAACP Theatre Awards Gala to the next level by merging the awards show and festival into one entity. The 2015 live show was changed to an online format to give the creative/production team time to develop the platform to merge festivities inclusive of live theatre, as well as awards honoring excellence in theatre, into a four day event to be held Fall 2016.
For more information and media credentials, contact Lisa Humphrey, Premier Concepts PR email: media@premierconceptspr.com.
About the NAACP Theatre Awards
The mission of the Theatre Awards is to entertain, educate, inspire the community and create diversity in the arts and entertainment industry. Ron Hasson is Branch President and Tia Boyd is the Executive Producer for the NAACP Theatre Awards Show. The NAACP Theatre Awards is presented by the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Branch and co-chaired by Byron K. Reed, Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo-West Region Community Relations. This prestigious star-studded gala is produced for the purpose of honoring thespians among the best in the field of entertainment. The branch also celebrates a four-day theatre festival, which provides a platform for thespians to express their craft and share their contributions with an audience of their peers, the community and other individuals who celebrate live theatre in Los Angeles. For more details, visit www.naacptheatreawards.com
About The Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
The Nate Holden Performing Arts Center is a facility of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs operated by the Ebony Repertory Theater. For Ebony Repertory Theatre, contact Wren T. Brown, Founder/ Producing Artistic Director or Gayle Hooks, Managing Director.
PRESS CONTACT:
Lisa Humphrey-Premier Concepts
media@premierconceptspr.com
310-293-4154