How Broadway Is Celebrating Juneteenth 2021 and How to Tune In
We've got your guide on how and when to watch some of the best Juneteenth theatrical offerings.
By: Nicole Rosky Jun. 18, 2021
President Biden has just signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday, and while that news is enough to celebrate, there are plenty of theatrical festivities going on this weekend to keep the party going. BroadwayWorld has pulled together a list of what you can watch from home!
Want to learn more about what Juneteenth is all about? Get a lesson on the specifics of the historic day here.
Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth
June 19 at 12pm
Times Square (Broadway between 43rd & 44th Streets)
And streaming at BroadwayWorld
The Broadway League will present a free outdoor event centered around Black joy and unity that will feature Black Broadway performers in a 90-minute concert with live music provided by The Music Performance Trust Fund. Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth is free and open to all to join in this celebration, including those who identify as Black, their allies, and anyone who feels a connection to this holiday. MAC Cosmetics (who will be giving away a free lipstick to the first 100 attendees) and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS are the event sponsors with the support of the Times Square Alliance.
In addition to the previously announced special appearances by Lillias White, who will be hosting, and Ben Vereen, the program will include performances from Broadway stars including: Lawrence Alexander with Gary Cooper and Jaquez Sims; Jacqueline B Arnold; Nick Rashad Burroughs; Bongi Duma; LaVon Fisher-Wilson; Amber Iman; André Jordan with Ravi Best on trumpet; Crystal Joy; Stanley Martin; Anastacia McCleskey; Ray Mercer & Lion King Cast Members; Janinah Burnett with Keith Brown on piano; Keenan Scott II, Britton Smith & The Sting; Kimber Elayne Sprawl with Matthew Frederick Harris, Marc Kudisch, Tom Nelis, and Austin Scott; and Richard Riaz Yoder.
Juneteenth Roundtable
June 19
Streaming here
New York City Center is joining forces with Broadway for Racial Justice in a renewed commitment to support Black art in all its joys, victories, and celebrations, and to amplify BFRJ's mission to build awareness and create equity in the Broadway and theatrical community. In commemoration of Juneteenth, City Center and BFRJ have collaborated on a social media series contextualizing the holiday and examining the influence of Blackness in American theater. The roundtable discussion features Kayla Davion, Brandon Michael Nase, Noax, and Sis, members of the Broadway for Racial Justice community, as they explore the future of Black artistry and how to advocate for and create equitable theater.
Live with Carnegie Hall: Juneteenth Celebration
June 19 at 7:30pm
Streaming here
Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes Jr. leads this celebration-along with Tamara Tunie, and special guests Martin Luther King III and Annette Gordon-Reed-to recognize the importance of this historic day and to acknowledge the long road still ahead. In addition to music, dance, and commentary, the evening also recognizes contributions made by prominent African Americans today: Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative; Robert F. Smith, businessman and chairman of Carnegie Hall's Board of Trustees; and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
Coming Together: A Juneteenth Celebration
June 19 at 12pm
The Isabel and Peter Malkin Stage at Hearst Plaza
Since the beginning of time, communities have relied on one another to flourish and prosper. To honor the Juneteenth emancipation holiday, Concerts For Kids presents Coming Together, a joyous celebration of Black culture through music, dance, and poetry. Coming Together explores the importance of family-in all its forms-and how vital connection is to resilience and transformation.
I Dream a Dream That Dreams Back at Me: A Juneteenth Celebration
June 19 at 7pm
The Restart Stage at Damrosch Park/The Isabel and Peter Malkin Stage at Hearst Plaza
Conceived and curated by the award-winning poet and artist Carl Hancock Rux, I Dream a Dream That Dreams Back at Me is an experiential site-specific event celebrating the Juneteenth emancipation holiday. Move across the Lincoln Center campus and experience the performance unfolding around you in multiple distinct parts-ending with a seated concert. The evening begins at Hearst Plaza with a musical introduction featuring vocalists Nona Hendryx, Marcelle Lashley and Kimberly Nichole performing original music by Vernon Reid and Nona Hendryx, with lyrics by Lynn Nottage. The performers wear paper dress creations crafted by designer Dianne Smith while standing in the Paul Milstein Pool, symbolizing the river journey taken by abolitionist Harriet Tubman while leading enslaved Americans to freedom.
Joe's Pub presents A Juneteenth Celebration
June 19 at 4:30pm
On Astor Place Near the Cube
As part of Make Music New York, a live, FREE musical celebration happening on the streets of New York City every year, Joe's Pub presents A Juneteenth Celebration. The event features live performances by Celisse, Ché Buford and mal sounds, and the Juneteenth Legacy Project.
JUNETEENTH: Opera in the Key of Music
June 19 at 12:30pm
Streaming here
NEMPAC Opera Project will celebrate its 10th Season with Juneteenth: Opera in the Key of Freedom. Featuring the works of William Grant Still, Scott Joplin, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, and a World Premiere Commissioned Piece for North End Music & Performing Arts Center by Mason Bynes. This virtual streaming presentation will celebrate the holiday of Juneteenth, when the Emancipation Proclamation was read in 1865 in Texas to the final groups of enslaved people marking the end to slavery in the United States. Through a variety of music from Black Composers across three centuries, we will celebrate Juneteenth with the themes of freedom, triumph, and joy. These works will be performed by leading Black Musicians of the Greater Boston Arts scene and filmed at the African Meeting House on Boston's Black Heritage Trail.
Ailey Juneteenth Celebration
Ailey Celebrates Juneteenth is an uplifting program that features performance highlights from Alvin Ailey's Cry and Revelations, as well as Rennie Harris' Lazarus. It also features Ailey Artistic Director Robert Battle's latest BattleTalk with Opal Lee, Samuel Collins, and Reginald Adams discussing the historical significance of Juneteenth and why Americans of all races should celebrate it as a national holiday. The Ailey Juneteenth Celebration will be available to watch on the Ailey website and YouTube through Tues, June 22 at 7:00pm EDT. Ailey Celebrates Juneteenth will also be available to watch on-demand until Tues, June 23 at 7:00pm EDT. The Ailey organization is committed to doing everything we can to support our dedicated dancers, instructors, and staff. In lieu of purchasing tickets for performances and classes, please consider making a special contribution of any amount today: AlvinAiley.org/Donate
Vasthy's Friends Celebrates Juneteenth!
June 19 at 12pm ET
Streaming here
Join us at Vasthy's Friends as we celebrate and learn about Juneteenth and are joined by Broadway Performers and Artists to learn about the history and important behind this Event! We worked with the wonderful people over at Kido Chicago to create this exciting event! Kido is a children's shop witha??a lot of HEART. Founded by parents Keewa and Doug in 2016, this small shop focuses on representation and inclusivity. Learn about other cultures, get to know your neighbors, and raise better citizens in the process We will be joined by some AMAZING performers and guests to be announced soon! Stay tuned! NOTE: Event Time is Posted in ET and is at 12pm ET / 9am PT This event is donation based, and donations will be to help Vasthy's Friends to continue to pay and support its performers for all events.
Videos