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AFRO spotlight on Black excellence: Morgan State University alum Dayna Quincy makes Broadway debut
Most actors who choose a life on the stage only dream of performing on Broadway. That is not the case with Dayna Marie Quincy, the Morgan State University alum who recently made her life-long dream a reality.
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A native of Detroit, Mich., Quincy got her start as an actress at the East Baltimore historically Black university after earning a role in the institution’s reproduction of “Ragtime,” a musical that explores the concept of the American Dream and race in the 1920s. The 2006 play was Quincy’s first time on a stage, but this star has been on the steady rise to Broadway ever since.
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Quincy’s Broadway debut came on April 26, after what she told the AFRO was a surprisingly fast audition process for the show titled “New York, New York.” Since opening night, she has continuously wowed the audience as both a member of the ensemble and a featured character, Josie.
The ensemble of Kander and Ebb's New York, New York will receive the 2023 ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus from Actors' Equity Association. The annual award, first presented in 2007 to the ensemble of Legally Blonde, was the first award within the theatre industry to honor the choruses and ensembles of original Broadway companies.
The ensemble members of New York, New York will receive the award in a private ceremony at the St. James Theatre July 19. The award is selected based upon a criteria that examines the chorus requirements made by each production's director, choreographer, and musical director; the caliber of technical skill used to execute those requirements; and the unique contributions made by the entire chorus to the overall production. The nominators for the ACCA Award are all chorus performers themselves, and members of the ACCA (Equity's Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs.)
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New York, New York Ensemble Receives Actors' Equity Association's Outstanding Broadway Chorus Award
Dancers From A Beautiful Noise, Bob Fosse's Dancin', More Win 2023 Chita Rivera Awards
Winners of the 2023 Chita Rivera Awards were named at a May 22 ceremony at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, with wins going to dance work in Broadway's A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical; Bob Fosse's Dancin'; New York, New York; and more.
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Winners for the Broadway categories included Steven Hoggett, for his choreography to A Beautiful Noise; along with Robyn Hurder and Jess LeProtto, two of three Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway show winners, also for their work in A Beautiful Noise. They share the newly gender neutral category with Mattie Love of Bob Fosse's Dancin'. Winning Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show were the companies of Dancin' and New York, New York.
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Broadway's New York, New York releases its cast album on two CDs September 15 via Wine & Peaches. The album, released digitally June 23, is produced by Michael Croiter, Sam Davis, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, and co-produced by Sonia Friedman, Tom Kirdahy, and Craig Balsam.
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Along with the score as performed on stage, the release includes never-before-heard bonus tracks of John Kander and Fred Ebb's original demos for their songs "Along Comes Love," "Wine and Peaches," and "New York, New York," along with Kander and Lin-Manuel Miranda's demo for "Can You Hear Me?" All the demos feature the songwriters themselves singing. Also included is an instrumental sing-along version of the musical's title track.
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New York, New York Broadway Cast Album Gets Physical Release September 15
Cast of Broadway's New York, New York
Start spreading the news! Full casting has been revealed for Broadway's upcoming New York, New York, beginning performances March 24 ahead of an April 26 opening night at the St. James Theatre.
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The musical is being directed and choreographed by five-time Tony winner Susan Stroman, with the book (reportedly only loosely based on the Scorsese-directed film) by David Thompson and Sharon Washington. All four of John Kander and Fred Ebb's songs written for the film will make the jump to the stage score, joining new songs by Kander and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is supplying additional lyrics throughout.
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Van Dean Productions will present industry presentations of GOODBYE NEW YORK: A NEW MUSICAL starring Arielle Jacobs (Disney 's Aladdin, Wicked, In the Heights), Brad Standley (In Transit), and Ben Jeffrey (Disney's The Lion King and Aladdin), with Richie Abanes (Dreamgirls), Kyle Carter (In the Heights), Eleanna Fin, Rachel Ling Gordon (How the Grinch Stole Christmas), Dayna Marie Quincy (Waitress), and Stephanie Torns (Waitress, Wicked) with direction and choreography by Abbey O'Brien (Waitress, Moulin Rouge, Jagged Little Pill).
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Goodbye New York
A New Musical
Review: Waitress orders up a slice of emotional pie
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Dayna Marie Quincy shares her experience on stage, and roots in Detroit.
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The hit Broadway musical “Waitress” will be at the Fischer Theatre from March 15th-20th, and actress Dayna Marie Quincy joined “Live In The D” co-host Jason Carr to talk about the show, and growing up in Detroit.
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ARE YOU READY TO SEE YOUR WAITRESS?
Review: WAITRESS at Schubert Theatre
Though every character was well-loved in this production, no one can overlook Nurse Norma (Dayna Marie Quincy), who stole the show with her hilarious one-liners.
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Waitress is a crowd-favorite with something for everybody. You could take it from me, or better yet, from Sara Bareilles, herself, who was in the audience and posted her praise for the cast on Instagram shortly after the show. The Waitress tour absolutely delivers and I know I definitely want to go back for seconds.
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The Color Purple – a new musical
Review: ‘The Color Purple’ at Toby’s Dinner Theatre
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Dayna Quincy as Celie moistens the audience’s eyes with “Somebody Gonna Love You” and an astounding rendition of “I’m Here” at the show’s end.
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