Archive for May, 2012
Dwyane Wade with Actress Gabrielle Union Visited Lion King on Tour At The Adrienne Arsht Center
Dwyane Wade spent free time this weekend in watching the Lion King musical at The Adrienne Arsht Center. Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade celebrating son Zion’s birthday on Sunday with a performance of “Disney’s The Lion King” at Ziff Opera House At The Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. The Heat superstar celebrated his son Zion’s fifth birthday on Sunday, treating the boy and his friends to a performance of Disney’s The Lion King and a backstage meet and greet with the cast.
The group of about 30 including Wade’s girlfriend, Actress Gabrielle Union (Bad Boys II, Bring It On) also munched on pizza along with eats catered by Barton G and a jungle-inspired two-story cake. After the musical, Wade and fam went backstage to meet cast members Syndee Winters (who plays Nala) and Jelani Remy (Simba). It’s Zion’s fifth birthday party!
“The Lion King” is up through June 10, with Lion King Miami FL tickets available online.
The Miami Heat star witnessed the stage spectacular with Union on May 27, taking time after to pose with the show’s stars Syndee Winters (Nala) and Jelani Remy (Simba). Take a look at this Hot Shot from Rodrigo Gaya for World Red Eye, featuring the attractive couple.
Buy Lion King Miami FL tickets to see great musical through June 10. Get discounts on Lion King Ziff Opera House At The Adrienne Arsht Center Tickets Online, Get $10 OFF on Orders of $350 or more by using Code #SpringSavings at Checkout!
The Lion King’s Syndee Winters Talks Music and She Being Nala
Syndee Winters, the multi-talented singer, dancer and actress, has had a passion for the arts since she was an adolescent dreamer growing up in Miami.
The youngest of three children, the Palmetto High grad moved here from New York at age 13 to live with her father and grandmother. Now she returns to Miami as Nala in the Broadway tour of the Tony award-winning smash hit The Lion King, is currently performing at Ziff Opera House At The Adrienne Arsht Center and runs through June 10, 2012.
Chris Joseph of Miami New Times, spoke to Syndee about growing up in Miami, The Lion King, her solo career, and her unbridled excitement for being featured in Miami New Times. Read the interview below:
Syndee Winters: I remember being a kid in Miami and, going to college and picking up the New Times and going “Ah man! I wanna be in this publication! But I don’t know how, because I don’t know what I’m doing! This newspaper is so rad! There’s always stuff about musicians and artists and stuff that’s going on! How do I get into this thing?”
Cultist: And now you’re going to be featured in it!
So excited! I’m going to frame it!
Where did you study theatre?
Well, I attended Palmetto Senior and started dancing there, and when I graduated I joined several dance studios and did some auditions, and did a few music videos and did some background work for some reggeaton artists.
And from there you left Miami to New York?
Yeah. I figured, let me see what New York has to offer. I danced for the Knicks, then when my dancing days were over, I decided to continue my acting career and whanot and I was a wedding singer for a while. And then the audition for The Lion King came up in 2007 and I didn’t even get a call back.
Here I am thinking my dreams are gonna come true! This is it! I have hit it! Well that didn’t happen because I didn’t get a call back. And then in 2010, I got another call to come back for Nala, and then performed for them and did a couple of songs and, here I am! I’ve been on the tour for two years. I can honestly say I don’t ever get tired of it.
Have you always been into singing and theatre?
Oh I studied everything in high school. Chorus, dance, musicals. I was in every single extracurricular activity. I did stuff for Latin History month, even though I’m really not even Hispanic. If anyone was like, “Syndee you wanna do —” I’d be like, “Yes! I’ll do it!” Any time I got any opportunity to dance or perform I was like, I’m there.
And you pursued your dreams in New York not long after high school. What route did you take to get your career rolling?
Yeah. I was born in New York, and moved to Miami when 13. Getting back to New York, I was able to do auditions and network. When you go out on auditions you test the waters, see what fits, see where you belong, that kind of thing. There’s no formula. It’s just, when the time hits, you gotta be ready to do it. There’s nothing like the experience of going to auditions and being a part of it.
How does the stage version of The Lion King differ from the animated movie?
It’s very similar. You have your standard characters. You have your Simba, your Mufasa, your Scar. What differs is everything else. You’re going there expecting furry costumes and a jungle setting and that sort of thing. But that’s not at all the experience you’ll have. You will definitely have a full, culturally enriched experience. There’s so much African and Asian culture put into the show, lots of puppet work and you’ll be completely entertained. It’s not just for kids. The whole family will walk away fully entertained.
And this will be the first time you perform professionally in front of a major audience in Miami?
Yes! So excited! I can’t even tell you!
And what do you hope your adoptive hometown audiences take away from this show?
I hope they walk away with a sense of theatrical culture and appreciation. Respect for theatre and respect for the arts. There weren’t many musicals coming to Miami when I was growing up. Coming from New York, I understand that.
A lot of people are like, “I’m not a theatre person! I don’t like how you randomly break into song. That’s weird.” But there’s more to it than randomly breaking into song. There’s the visual aspects. And I think Lion King feeds that, especially in a mainstream, artistic, avant-garde type of way.
Read the complete convesation Via {MiamiNewTimes.com}
Lion King at Ziff Opera House At The Adrienne Arsht Center will perform through June 10, 2012. Avail discounts on Lion King Miami FL Tickets, Use Code #SpringSavings at Checkout to Get $10 OFF on Orders of $350 or more!
Arsht Center Cleaning Up After Sunday’s Flooding – The Lion King To Play Tuesday
The Lion King musical will resume at the Arsht Center as scheduled Tuesday night, two days after a widespread ceiling leak forced “The Lion King” hero off the stage and sent the audience sloshing toward the exits.
Heavy rains cut the show short Sunday night, as the Arsht Center was evacuated because of flooding. The arts center said that flash flooding downtown caused a drain line to leak during the performance.
Arsht Center CEO and President John Richard said in a statement Monday that the cleanup was progressing as planned. He blamed a faulty pipe from the roof’s drainage system, saying that night’s downpour caused the rupture inside the Arsht’s Ziff Ballet Opera House. “The building is safe for patrons and Tuesday evening’s 8 p.m. performance of ‘The Lion King’ will be presented as scheduled,” he said.
Richard encourage ticket holders for Sunday’s show to call their original point of purchase or the Arsht Center’s box office at 786-468-2337 to exchange tickets for a future performance. Lion King Miami FL Tickets are available for shows through June 10.
The Lion King at Ziff Opera House At The Adrienne Arsht Center – Behind The Scenes Gallery
Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ premieres Thursday night at 8 p.m. at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts for a limited engagement of 4 weeks through Sunday, June 10, 2012.
Jipsy (Visit her blog for complete news) visited back stage of lion king for what was a truly amazing and unique experience.
She met Syndee Winters, a graduate of Palmetto High, who plays Nala; the energetic Jelani Remy, who plays Simba; and ensemble member Amyia Burrell, she plays 11 roles with 14 costume changes.
Lion King at Ziff Opera House At The Adrienne Arsht Center will perform through June 10, 2012. Lion King Miami FL Tickets sales is in full swing. Book your Lion King Miami FL tickets in advance, Use Code #SpringSavings at Checkout to Get $10 OFF on Orders of $350 or more!
Broadway’s The Lion King Welcomes Back Dashaun Young as Simba
The Lion King will welcome Dashaun Young back to Broadway as Simba. Dashaun Young returns as the King of Pride Rock in Broadway’s The Lion King beginning May 16.
Young has previously played the role of Simba on Broadway, North American tour, and most recently in the Las Vegas company. Young will assume the role from current Simba, Adam Jacobs, who is taking a brief hiatus but plans to return to the Tony-winning production on June 26.
Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, The Lion King is playing at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre (200 West 45th Street).
In addition to The Lion King, Young has appeared in New York and on tour in: Hairspray (first national tour), Legends (NY premiere), The Scottsboro Boys (reading), Emerald Man (workshop). His regional credits include: Hairspray; Hello, Dolly!; Aida; and Radio City Christmas Spectacular. He appeared in the film Sex and the City 2 and received training at California State University, Fullerton.
Young joins current cast members Alton Fitzgerald White as Mufasa, Patrick R. Brown as the sardonic and deviously cunning Scar, Tshidi Manye as the wise baboon shaman Rafiki, Jeff Binder as Zazu, Ben Jeffrey as the carefree warthog Pumbaa, Fred Berman as the wisecracking meerkat Timon and Chauntee Schuler as the loyal lioness Nala.
The three evil hyenas are played by James Brown-ORLEANS (Banzai), Bonita J. Hamilton (Shenzi) and Enrique Segura (Ed). The role of Young Simba is alternated between Judah Bellamy and Niles Fitch and the role of Young Nala is alternated between NIA ASHLEIGH and Imani Dia Smith.
The musical currently plays Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre. Get discounts on Lion King New York NY Tickets Online, Get $10 OFF on Orders of $350 or more by using Code #SpringSavings at Checkout!
The Lion King Broadway Box Office Update – Week May 13, 2012
The Lion King Broadway show still on the top of the table with the gross $1,717,281 and had a 99.7% attendance rate, same as the previous week. The 38 shows on the boards grossed $25,244,974, about 0.71% more than that of the previous week’s totals.
Below are the Top 10 Grosses from BroadwayWorld.com for the week ending May 13, 2012.
1. The Lion King – (MINSKOFF) $1,717,281
2. The Book Of Mormon – (EUGENE O’NEILL) $1,598,593
3. Wicked – (GERSHWIN) $1,579,314
4. Evita – (MARQUIS) $1,529,144
5. Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark – (FOXWOODS) $1,218,638
6. Nice Work If You Can Get It (IMPERIAL) – $1,092,937
7. Jersey Boys – (AUGUST WILSON) $937,635
8. Death Of A Salesman (ETHEL BARRYMORE) – $934,861
9. Newsies – (NEDERLANDER) $931,370
10. The Phantom Of The Opera – (MAJESTIC) – $800,916
{Via BroadwayWorld.com}
Disney’s “The Lion King” Roars Back to Miami
Lion King Broadway Tour will stop in Miami for four weeks from May 15 to June 10, 2012.
Lion King musical is all about the noble lion king Mufasa sacrifices his own life to save his headstrong young son Simba. Mufasa’s evil brother Scar commits fratricide and rules over a dying kingdom. Young love blossoms when Simba reencounters his boyhood friend Nala, then finds the brave purpose that would make his late father proud. The darker elements of The Lion King’s universally resonant story are the stuff of Greek tragedy, but the reliably moving musical glows with a hopeful ending and many moments of beauty, joy and the celebration of life.
For two of the cast members in the Lion King’s touring company, playing the Arsht Center means coming home. Syndee Winters, a Palmetto High graduate, is playing the adult Nala, a role she has coveted since she was a child.
Sharron Williams, a New World School of the Arts and Florida State University grad, plays multiple roles — a cheetah, a lioness, a wildebeest, a hyena and more. Both women trained as dancers and are thrilled to be performing in a show choreographed by Garth Fagan, a Tony-winning modern dance figure.
“When the show played South Florida before, I was in Miami but I couldn’t afford a ticket to see it,” says Winters, who plans to teach a class at her old high school while the show is at the Arsht. “When you come to see The Lion King, you suspend your disbelief. For the next two and a half hours, you belong to us. You could be the biggest, buffest guy, but when you hear Circle of Life, you’re affected. You get a lump in your throat. You get chills.”
Winters’ pal Williams, who will also teach a class while the show is in town, expects as many as 30 people in her extended family will see The Lion King during its Arsht run. For her, the show’s appeal is a combination of story, design, music and Fagan’s demanding choreography.
“When I first saw it, I laughed, I cried, I was touched in every way,” Williams says. “The work is challenging. The beat of the drums, the costumes, the music — they make you feel fierce. I get excited every time.”
Lion King at Ziff Opera House At The Adrienne Arsht Center will perform from May 15, 2012 through June 10, 2012. Lion King Miami FL Tickets sales is in full swing. Book your Lion King Miami FL tickets in advance, Use Code #SpringSavings at Checkout to Get $10 OFF on Orders of $350 or more!
The Lion King Kansas Ticket Sales in Full Swing
The Lion King Musical tour will be in Wichita, Kansas for 1 month from September 04 to September 30, 2012. Lion King Kansas Tickets on sale at the box office. Kansans wait in line for hours for tickets to The Lion King Century II Convention Center performances.
Kansans lined up six hours before the box office opened to get tickets to The Lion King. Close to 800 Kansans got their pick of seats during a two-hour sale only at the Wichita-tix Box Office Saturday morning. Organizers say the turnout was better than expected with a line that wrapped around the building. The Wichita Theater League says they’re looking forward to having the award-winning musical right here in town.
“That first number, The Circle of Life when the animals all come in, it will absolutely bring tears to your eyes,” said Amy Hamm with the Wichita Theater League. “It brought tears to my eyes, it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen on stage.”
Lion King Wichita KS Ticket sales is in full swing. Although ticket sales have been brisk, there are still good seats left. Lion King at Century II Convention Center will perform from September 04 through September 30, 2012. Book your Lion King Wichita Kansas tickets in advance, Use Code #SpringSavings at Checkout to Get $10 OFF on Orders of $350 or more!
Vote for Lion King for the 2012 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards
After a week of fan voting, nominations have been announced for the 13th Annual Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards, the only major theater prize chosen by Broadway theatergoers.
Vote for Lion King for the 2012 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards in the following categories:
Favorite Long-Running Show
Favorite Tour
Productions with Multiple Nominations
The nominees for Favorite Tour are Les Miserables, The Lion King, Next to Normal, West Side Story and Wicked.
The Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards will be presented at a swanky affair at the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Sunday, May 13.
Now, to vote for Lion King CLICK HERE. Polls close at 11:59PM on Wednesday, May 9.
Lion King Broadway Box Office Update – Week April 29, 2012
Lion King Broadway grossed $1,761,855 and had a 99.1% attendance rate, around 0.4% less than that of the previous week. The 39 shows on the boards grossed $26,084,412, about 0.66% more than that of the previous week’s totals.
Below are the Top 12 Grosses from BroadwayWorld.com for the week ending April 29, 2012.
1. The Lion King – (MINSKOFF) $1,761,855
2. Wicked – (GERSHWIN) $1,742,571
3. The Book Of Mormon – (EUGENE O’NEILL) $1,603,228
4. Evita – (MARQUIS) $1,515,746
5. Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark – (FOXWOODS) $1,371,737
6. Jersey Boys – (AUGUST WILSON) $907,895
7. Death Of A Salesman (ETHEL BARRYMORE) – $900,749
8. Newsies – (NEDERLANDER) $897,046
9. Gore Vidal’s The Best Man (SCHOENFELD) – $892,877
10. The Phantom Of The Opera – (MAJESTIC) – $890,181
11. Nice Work If You Can Get It (IMPERIAL) – $829,755
12. Mamma Mia! – (WINTER GARDEN) $804,623
{Via BroadwayWorld.com}