Photo Flash: Andre De Shields Receives Key To The City Of Baltimore

On Monday, August 19, 2019, Tony and Emmy Award winning actor André De Shields took the Amtrak Acela to Baltimore for a day of celebration.

Andre De Shields receives the Key to the City of Baltimore from Mayor Jack Young in the Ceremonial Room

11:00 a.m.

Baltimore Mayor Jack Young presented Mr. De Shields with a Key to the City and a mayoral salute in the Rotunda of Baltimore City Hall, two months after receiving his first Tony Award for "Best Featured Actor in a Musical" for his turn as Hermes in Anais Mitchell's Hadestown, currently playing to sold-out houses at the Walter Kerr Theatre.

Mr. De Shields is best known for his roles in "The Wiz," "Ain't Misbehavin,'" "Play On" and "The Full Monty."

In a career spanning fifty years, André De Shields has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director and educator. Mr. De Shields is the triple crown winner of the 2019 Awards Season, having won the prestigious Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Tony Awards in the category of Best Actor in a Featured Role for Hadestown, which won as Best Musical. His other numerous accolades include the 2019 Actors' Equity Foundation's Richard Seff Award, honoring best performances by a veteran male and female actor, the 2019 Harlem Pride 50 Award, the 2018 Off Broadway Alliance Legend Award, the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival's Living Legend Award, the 2007 Village Voice OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance, and eight AUDELCO Awards for Outstanding Performance, Direction and Choreography.

12:30 p.m.

Mr. De Shields was honored by The Arena Players at a special luncheon at Arena Playhouse, located at 801 McCulloh St. in West Baltimore, the nation's only continuously running black theater company founded by African-Americans.

Senator Larry Young, Chairman of Arena Players Board of Directors, introduced the program which featured remarks from Chapman Roberts and a performance of "Home" from "The Wiz" by Gabrielle Goodman.

Travis Winkey, Executive Director, One Step Further, presented Mr. De Shields with the 14 Carat Gold Achievement Award for outstanding achievement in the fields of acting, singing and directing. Arena Players' Youth Theater Director Catherine Orange and Artistic Director Donald Owens presented him with the Theatre Ambassador Award. After talking about his path in the arts over a half a century, Mr. De Shields sang "Believe in Yourself," accompanied by music director David Alan Bunn.

3:00 p.m.

Mr. De Shields took a trip down memory lane as he drove by his Junior High School, Booker T. Washington; stopped on Division Street, the street where he spent his youth; and circled his high school, Baltimore City College, nicknamed "The Castle on the Hill." A graduate of Baltimore City College, Mr. De Shields is a proud member of the class of 1964 and a member of the City College Hall of Fame.

The Central Scholarship celebration of André De Shields at Mount Lebanon Baptist Church featured performances by Baltimore Symphony musicians Rene Shapiro (Trumpet), Lior Willinger (Piano), and Morgan State University Choir Members Dezmond Covington (Tenor and Central Scholarship Recipient) and Taylor Jackson (Piano).

As Mr. De Shields stepped to the lectern to receive the inaugural Central Scholarship Alumnus Award 2019, he pulled out his Tony Award and his Emmy Award, commenting that this is what $300 gets you. This was a direct nod to being the fortunate recipient of a $300 scholarship from Central Scholarship which provided him with the opportunity to attend college.

5:00 p.m.

Mr. De Shields headed to Owings Mills to share the Tony Award and the Key to the City with his sister, Mary before traveling back to New York. Scroll down for photos and video of the celebrations.

Photo Credit: Lia Chang

Baltimore City Hall

 

Mayor Jack Young and Andre De Shields

 

Andre De Shields receives the Key to the City of Baltimore from Mayor Jack Young in the Ceremonial Room

 

Andre De Shields receives the Key to the City of Baltimore from Mayor Jack Young in the Ceremonial Room

 

Andre De Shields receives the Key to the City of Baltimore from Mayor Jack Young in the Ceremonial Room

 

Andre De Shields receives the Key to the City of Baltimore from Mayor Jack Young in the Ceremonial Room

 

Andre De Shields shares his Tony Award with Mayor Jack Young in the Ceremonial Room

 

Andre De Shields in the Ceremonial Room of Baltimore City Hall

 

And the crowd goes wild welcoming Andre De Shields in The Rotunda

 

Mayor Jack Young, Andre De Shields, Comptroller Joan Pratt

 

Councilwoman, Sharon Middleton, City Council President, Brandon Scott, Mayor Jack Young, Comptroller Joan Pratt

 

City Council President, Brandon Scott, Mayor Jack Young, Andre De Shields, Comptroller Joan Pratt

 

Comptroller Joan Pratt, Andre De Shields, City Council President, Brandon Scott

 

Key to the City of Baltimore

 

Andre De Shields

 

Andre De Shields

 

Andre De Shields

 

Andre De Shields and his fellow Baltimore City College Alum - Al Robinson, Board Member Baltimore City College Alumni Association, Cinese Caldwell, Board Member Baltimore City College Alumni Association, Bob Manekin, Board Chair Baltimore City College Foundation, Neil Bernstein, Ex-Official Board Member Baltimore City College Alumni Association, Jacob Howard, Board President Baltimore City College Alumni Association

 

Michael Medeiros and Andre De Shields

 

Tonya R. Miller Hall, Executive Director of Cable and Communications and Senior Director of Public Affairs, Steph Rusinko-Flowers, Gil Flowers, Khali Deshields, Andre De Shields, Mayor Jack Young, Robert A. Manekin

 

Ken Melamed, Liza Streb Melamed, Andre De Shields, Mayor Jack Young

 

Andre De Shields

 

Andre De Shields' posters of THE WIZ, HAARLEM NOCTURNE AND AIN''T MISBEHAVIN'

 

David Alan Bunn, Gabrielle Goodman

 

David Alan Bunn, Gabrielle Goodman

 

David Alan Bunn, Andre De Shields

 

Andre De Shields

 

Arena Players' Artistic Director Donald Owens, Andre De Shields and Youth Theater Director Carol Orange

 

Chapman Roberts, Andre De Shields, David Alan Bunn

 

Gordon Parks, Andre De Shields, Gabrielle Goodman and David Alan Bunn

 

Andre De Shields, David Alan Bunn

 

Chapman Roberts, Toni Isreal, Andre De Shields, Cherine E. Anderson and David Alan Bunn

 

Senator Larry Young, Andre De Shields, Travis Winkey and David Alan Bunn

 

The Arena Players salute Andre De Shields

 

Garth Kravits, Andre De Shields, Lia Chang. Photo by Liza Streb Melamed

 

Andre De Shields

 

Jan Moylan Wagner, Central Scholarship President and Andre De Shields

 

Central Scholarship Alumnus Award 2019

 

Andre De Shields

 

Andre De Shields with Baltimore Symphony musicians Rene Shapiro and Michael Lisicky

 

Dezmond Convington, Central Scholarship Recipient, Taylor Jackson, Andre De Shields, and Lior Willinger

 

Andre De Shields with fellow Baltimore City College Alum with fellow Baltimore City College Alum Al Robinson, Board Member Baltimore City College Alumni Association, Arnold Fruman and Larry Kamanitz

 

Jerry Focas, Central Scholarship Board Chair, Nancy Fenton, Central Scholarship Director of Development, Andre De Shields and Abby Case, Stewardship and Annual Fund Manager

 

Central Scholarship celebrates Andre De Shields. Back Row from Left: Kayla Bettenhauser, Tim Redmond, Jerry Focas, Arnold Fruman, Princess Agha, Abby Case, Kim Haley Front Row from Left: Michele Waxman Johnson, Nancy Fenton, Molly Shock, Jan Moylan Wagner, André De Shields, Margot Heller, Larry Kamanitz, Angela Harrison.

 

Andre De Shields with his sister, Mary