Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Last month, we reported that Grammy-winning singer Fantasia was in rehearsals with Wynton Marsalis prepping for their new Broadway musical, After Midnight. The new jazz-age revue pays tribute to the music of Duke Ellington’s during his years at the famous Cotton Club in New York City.
According to Broadway.com, Fantasia will lead the ensemble cast which includes Dule Hill and Adriane Lenox as well as an orchestra of 17 world class musicians hand-picked by Marsalis, who serves as the show’s musical director. Fantasia will also perform classic standards like “Stormy Weather” which was first sung by Ethel Waters at the Cotton Club but made famous by Lena Horne.
For Fantasia, she is both excited and nervous as she steps into the shoes of these musical legends.
“It feels good, but scary at the same time,” said the singer to Broadway.com. “I’m a very emotional person, so I tend to embody these roles and carry them with me. If you listen to the lyrics, these women were in a lot of pain, there were dark moments in their lives.”
Also joining Fantasia for the musical journey is Grammy-winning singers Toni Braxton, Babyface and K.D. Lang. They will appear in the show beginning in February 2014. After Midnight previews begin October 18 with opening night on November 3.
Take a look at a behind-the-scenes video below:
[youtube id=”hg85borEAl0″ width=”600″ height=”350″]
Photo Credit: SingersRoom.com
