SCENE : ENTERTAINMENT

Jelani Alladin in Frozen: The Broadway Musical CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: DEEN VAN MEER/DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS; PRODUCTIONS; THEATRICAL VAN MEER/DISNEY DEEN LEFT: TOP FROM CLOCKWISE NURU KIMONDO DORSEY @NURUKIMONDO1; KEVIN BERNE; MANUEL HARLAN. MANUEL BERNE; KEVIN @NURUKIMONDO1; DORSEY KIMONDO NURU THE VETERAN: LACHANZE Her résumé: This Tony Award– winning actress has stolen scenes and hearts in various productions, includ- BROADWAY’S ing The Color Purple Musical, Once on This Island, If/Then and Ragtime. ­LaChanze shines once again as the lead in Summer: The Donna Summer NEW CLASS Musical this spring. ONCE THESE THESPIANS STEP ONSTAGE, THEY HAVE When it’s showtime: “I tell everyone I OUR FULL ATTENTION BY TAIIA SMART YOUNG love that I’ll see you in a year because the show becomes my life. Everything THE NEWBIE: The secret to kissing a princess: “Ice Breakers in spearmint. The princess is is tailored around the amount of rest, JELANI ALLADIN nutrition and exercise needed to From regional theater to the Great allergic to apples, carrots and pears, maintain my instrument, which is my White Way: The New York University so I can’t eat those. I play a sweaty, body, for eight performances a week.” Tisch School of the Arts graduate smelly mountain man, but I’m not has enjoyed rave reviews for his per- going onstage smelling bad. Tom Ford formances in shows like Don’t Bother Black Orchid is my scent. My lips have Me, I Can’t Cope. After attending an to be moisturized with a little Vaseline, audition for Frozen: The Broadway then I’m good to go.” Musical on a whim, this immense tal- ent powered through several­ rounds On being #MadeinBrooklyn: “It’s of callbacks to make his debut—in a taught me grit. You need that to survive ­color-blind casting move—as Kristoff, as an artist. Brooklyn also taught me to the rugged mountain man and ice code-switch. If I’m with my [Guyanese] family, at the barbershop or at dinner LaChanze ­purveyor. “I was doing regional­ in Summer theater and I told my family, ‘Guys, with the president of Disney Theatrical next year Broadway has to happen.­ Group, I’m going to act a different way That’s my goal.’ ” with each audience.”

Paul Thornley THE GAME CHANGER: NOMA DUMEZWENI and Noma Harry “It Dumezweni Across-the-pond accolades: On Hermione as a Black woman: in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the most wasn’t strategic to make her Black. It Potter and celebrated play in the history of the was more of a dialogue. J.K. Rowling the Cursed Child Olivier Awards (the U.K.’s version of the discovered these young, Black female Tonys). A trophy belongs to Noma nerds who are so in love with this Dumezweni for Best Supporting Actress character and see themselves in her. as . This month she They felt that she is not the standard reprises her role on Broadway. heroine, and that’s where I come in.”

Follow ESSENCE Entertainment Director 52 ESSENCE.COM APRIL 2018 Cori Murray on @CORIMURRAY.