The Broadway League, the national trade association for the Broadway industry, has announced the fourth annual ‘Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth’ event. The concert, which celebrates Broadway’s Black artistry, will take place on June 19 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Times Square. Michael James Scott will host the event, which is free and open to the public.
Created in 2019, “Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth” is part of the League’s Black to Broadway initiative. Black to Broadway aims to not only acknowledge Black members of the Broadway community — both onstage and off — but to increase access to Broadway for all Black people.
At the concert, two-time Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad will receive the 2024 Juneteenth Legacy Award. Rashad won Tonys for her leading role in the 2004 revival of “A Raisin in the Sun” and for her featured turn in 2022’s “Skeleton Crew.” She is currently nominated for the 2024 Best Revival of a Play Tony Award as a co-producer on “Purlie Victorious.” A two-time Emmy Award nominee for her performance on “The Cosby Show,” Rashad currently serves as the dean of Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.
“Art has a uniquely transformative power to bring people together and we are thrilled to be returning with the ‘Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth’ concert for the fourth year to celebrate and recognize the significance of this national holiday,” said Jason Laks, interim president of the Broadway League, in a statement. “We are proud to announce this year’s Juneteenth Legacy Award recipient will be Phylicia Rashad, who epitomizes artistic excellence with her outstanding career achievements on Broadway and beyond. We are grateful to our partners and sponsors for making this star-studded concert possible and look forward to welcoming audiences to experience this incredible and inspiring event.”
“Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth” will feature performances from cast members of “& Juliet,” “A Beautiful Noise,” “Aladdin,” “Back to the Future,” “Cabaret,” “Chicago,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Illinoise,” “MJ, “Moulin Rouge!,” “Suffs,” “The Lion King,” “The Notebook,” “The Who’s Tommy,” “The Wiz,” Water for Elephants” and “Wicked,” as well as children from Young Gifted and Broadway, a community for young Broadway actors of color. Live music will be provided with help from the Music Performance Trust Fund and the Film Funds.
The concert’s creative team will include director and writer Steve H. Broadnax III, music director Rashad McPherson and stage manager Monet Thibou. Devon Miller of Foresight Theatrical will serve as general manager, while Brian Anthony Moreland and Aaliytha Stevens will executive produce.
Flagstar Bank will be the event’s presenting sponsor. Other sponsors will include the aforementioned Music Performance Trust Fund and the Film Funds, as well as the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Broadway.com, MAC Cosmetics, TodayTix, Audience Rewards, the Araca Group and Open Jar Studios. The concert is being presented in partnership with the Times Square Alliance.
