Celebrating Black History Month: AFTER MIDNIGHT Brings Jazz Back to Broadway

This February, BroadwayWorld is committed to celebrating the outstanding contributions that black artists have made to the American theatre. Join us for Black History month as we shine a spotlight on some of the most influential productions from Broadway's past. Today is all about After Midnight.

After Midnight, directed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, played for 273 performances at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. The revue is based on Cotton Club Parade, which ran in concert at Encores! in 2011 and 2012. The revue takes place "after midnight" in New York's Harlem. It features jazz pieces by Duke Ellington, Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields and Harold Arlen, framed by the poetry of Langston Hughes. The show features an orchestra of 17 musicians, 25 vocalists, dancers and performers. The show was nominated for seven Tony Awards and won for Warren Carlyle's choreography.

The production featured a rotating cast of guest artists, including Fantasia Barrino, k.d. lang, Toni Braxton, Babyface, Vanessa Williams, and Patti LaBelle.

Today we rewind to 2014 to take a closer look at After Midnight, which at the time featured special guest star Vanessa Williams.