Vincent William and his Black Theater Alliance Awards Committee have chosen the singer and Broadway star Melba Moore to receive the 15th Annual Black Theatre Alliance Ira Aldridge Award of Merit. The honor is a lifetime achievement award that will be presented to the Tony Award-winning Moore on October 5 at the Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro Hotel Ballroom, 733 W. Madison Street.
Moore made her Broadway debut in 1967 as a member of the original cast of the musical Hair with Ronnie Dyson and Diane Keaton. Moore replaced Keaton and became the first Black actor to replace a white one in a leading role on Broadway. In 1970, Moore won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Lutiebelle in Purlie. In 1978 she co-starred with Eartha Kitt in Timbuktu!
Two years later Melba Moore became seriously involved in a recording career. She signed with Mercury Records and released her premiere single I Am Love, followed by Look What You're Doing To The Man. She became a superstar attraction in her first European tour, particularly in France. Upon returning to America she was featured with Clifton Davis in a CBS summer musical revue.
The Black Theater Alliance Awards, Inc. was founded and incorporated in 1995 as a 501C3, not-for-profit organization. It was established to honor African Americans who achieve excellence in theater, dance or other areas of the performing arts in the Chicago area.
THE BLACK THEATER ALLIANCE AWARDS, INC.
Nominations for 2008-2009 seasons
are as follow (partial):
Best Play (Drama or Comedy)
From The Mississippi Delta - eta
Creative Arts Foundation
No Experience Necessary!!!-
MPAACT
Pill Hill - eta Creative Arts
Foundation
Best Play (Musical or Revue)
I Gotcha: The Story of Joe Tex
and the Soul Clan - Black
Ensemble Theater
Sanctified - Congo Square Theater
Company
A Tribute To The Black Crooners-
Black Ensemble Theater
THE LORRAINE HANSBERRY AWARD
Best Writing of a Play
Lydia Diamond - Stage Black -
MPACCT
Kevin Douglas - No Experience
Necessary!!! - MPAACT
Nambi E. Kelley - Hope VI -
Chicago Dramatics
Lynn Nottage - Ruined - The
Goodman Theatre
Brian Tucker - The St. James
Infirmary - Congo Square Theatre
Company
THE AUGUST WILSON AWARD
Best Writing of a Musical Play
David Barr III/Joe Plummer - I
Gotcha: The Story of Joe Tex and
Soul Clan - BET
Dawn Bless/Rueben Echoles -
Tribute to Black Crooners - BET
Javon Johnson - Sanctified -
Congo Square Theatre Company
McKinley Johnson - Eye of the
Storm - Open Door Repertory
Company
THE TARGET COMMUNITY RELATIONS AWARD
Best Ensemble
No Experience Necessary!!! -
MPAACT
Pill Hill - eta Creative Arts
Foundation
Sanctified - Congo Square
Theatre Company
Stage Black - MPAACT
THE LLOYD RICHARDS AWARD
Best Direction of a Play (Drama or Comedy)
Kimberly Crutcher -
Radical
Hearsay…Stories at Sixty One -
MPAACT
Aaron Todd Douglas - Pill Hill -
eta Creative Arts Foundation
Audrey Morgan - From The
Mississippi Delta - eta Creative Arts
Foundation
Ron OJ Parson - The Piano
Lesson - Court Theatre
BEST DIRECTION of a PLAY
(Musical or Revue)
Rueben Echoles and Jackie Taylor -
A Tribute to the Black Crooners -
BET
McKinley Johnson - Eye of the
Storm - Open Door Repertory
Company
Derrick Sanders - Sanctified -
Congo Square Theatre Company
Jackie Taylor - I gotcha: The Story
Joe Tex/The Soul Clan - BET
The Duke Ellington Award Best Musical Direction
Clifton Robinson - …the
Beginning - Muntu Dance Theatre
of Chicago
Jimmy Tillman - Atribute to the
Black Crooners - Black Theatre
Company
Jarett Williams - Sanctified -
Congo Square Theatre Company
Most Promising Actor
Keith Sanga Alexander
Michael Bartlett
Bryson Engelen
Nicole Cobb-Oliver
Most Promising Actress
Najwa Brown
Kierra Bunch
Ashlee Olivia
Nicole Cobb-Oliver
The Harry Belafonte Award Best Performing in an Ensemble
(Actor)
David Adams - Pill Hill - eta
Creative Arts Foundation
Cecil Burroughs - Pill Hill - eta
Creative Arts Foundation
Kelvin Roston - Pill Hill - eta
Creative Arts Foundation
Sati Word - Stage Black -
MPAACT
Ethel Waters Award Best Performance in an Ensemble
(Actress)
Kierra Bunch - From The
Mississippi Delta - eta Creative
Arts Foundation
Kristy M. Johnson - A Song for
Coretta - eclipse theatre company
Ashlee Olivia - Radical
