André De Shields
André De Shields | |
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Occupations |
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Years active | 1967–present |
Website | Official website |
André Robin De Shields (born January 12, 1946) is an American actor, singer, dancer, director, and choreographer. He has received numerous accolades including an
De Shields has appeared in the original broadway casts of multiple musicals, including The Full Monty, Warp! and The Wiz, most recently and notably originating the role of Hermes on Broadway in the musical Hadestown, winning the 2019 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical and the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for his performance. He has also appeared on television, and won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for his performance in the 1982 NBC broadcast of Ain't Misbehavin'.
Early life and education
André Robin De Shields was born on January 12, 1946, in
He currently serves as an adjunct professor at Gallatin.
Career
De Shields began his professional career in the 1969 Chicago production of
He made his
After choreographing two Bette Midler musicals, De Shields returned to Broadway to perform in the musical revue Ain't Misbehavin' in 1978.[10] The original production ran for over 1,600 shows and De Shields earned a 1978 Drama Desk nomination for his performance. Three years later, he returned to Broadway to perform in Stardust: The Mitchell Parrish Musical, a musical revue featuring the lyricist's work with Hoagy Carmichael, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and Leroy Anderson.
In 1984, De Shields wrote, choreographed, directed, and starred in André De Shields' Haarlem Nocturne, a Broadway musical revue featuring standards from the
In 2000, De Shields originated the role of Noah "Horse" T. Simmons in the Terrence McNally / David Yazbek musical adaptation of the film The Full Monty. As with Play On!, De Shields earned both Tony and Drama Desk nominations for this performance.[14] In 2004, he appeared in the Broadway production of Mark Medoff's Prymate at the Longacre Theatre.[15] In 2008, he received a Drama Desk nomination for his performance in an off-Broadway production of Langston Hughes' Black Nativity. In 2009, he appeared on Broadway opposite Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons in Impressionism.[16] The play ran through May 2009 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater.
De Shields'
De Shields has portrayed Barrett Rude Sr. in
He played
De Shields has appeared on television on
On December 28, 2020, it was announced that De Shields will star as Anton Ego in a benefit concert presentation of Ratatouille the Musical, an internet meme that originated on TikTok, inspired by the 2007 Disney/Pixar film. The concert streamed exclusively on TodayTix on January 1, 2021.[23] De Shields appeared in Lin-Manuel Miranda's directorial debut film, tick, tick... BOOM!, released on Netflix on November 12, 2021, as a patron of the Moondance Diner in the musical scene for "Sunday", as well as other Broadway actors such as Chita Rivera, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Phillipa Soo, among others. He also plays the significant supporting role of Jack in Netflix comedy Uncoupled, released in July 2022.
In March 2024, De Shields was announced to be portraying Old Deuteronomy in Cats at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in the summer of that year.[24]
Personal life
De Shields is
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Production | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1978 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Ain't Misbehavin' | Nominated |
1982 | Primetime Emmy Award
|
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program | Won | |
1984 | AUDELCO Recognition Award | Outstanding Direction of a Musical | Blackberries | Won |
Outstanding Choreography of a Musical | Won | |||
1991 | Excellence in Black Theatre | Saint Tous | Won | |
1992 | Haarlem Nocturne | Won | ||
1997 | Tony Award
|
Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Play On! | Nominated |
Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Nominated | ||
2001 | Tony Award
|
Best Featured Actor in a Musical | The Full Monty | Nominated |
Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Nominated | ||
Outer Critics Circle Award
|
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Won | ||
2004 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Prymate | Nominated |
AUDELCO Recognition Award | Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Play | Dream on Monkey Mountain | Won | |
2007 | Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, University of Wisconsin–Madison
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Won | ||
Obie Award | Sustained Excellence of Performance | Won | ||
2008 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Black Nativity | Nominated |
2009 | AUDELCO Recognition Award | Outstanding Performance in a Musical [Male] | Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe | Won |
National Black Theatre Festival | Living Legend Award | Won | ||
2013 | Jeff Award | Outstanding Achievement in the category of Actor in a Supporting Role – Musical | The Jungle Book | Won |
IRNE Award
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Best Supporting Actor - Musical | Nominated | ||
Elliot Norton Award | Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actor | Nominated | ||
Fox Foundation Fellowship Grant for Distinguished Achievement ($25,000 to support his work at the Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago)[29]
|
Won | |||
2014 | AUDELCO Recognition Award | Special Achievement Award[30][31] | Won | |
2018 | Bistro Awards
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Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | |
2019 | Tony Award
|
Best Featured Actor in a Musical[32] | Hadestown | Won |
Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Won | ||
Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance[33] | Nominated | ||
Outer Critics Circle Award
|
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical[34] | Won | ||
2020 | Grammy Award
|
Best Musical Theater Album | Won | |
2023 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Achievement In Musical Theater[35] | Honoree |
References
- ^ a b c Sanchez, Charles (January 3, 2022). "Inviting Death to Tea". POZ. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Sacred Guard (1973)".
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Thoughts (1974)".
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Cotton Club Gala (1985)".
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Judith and the Cohen Sisters in Midnight in Manhattan (1984)".
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Adventures of Rhubarb: The Rock and Roll Rabbit, The (1985)".
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Saint Tous (1991)".
- ^ "Warp – Broadway Play – Original". ibdb.com. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- ^ "Giants in the Earth: A Tribute to Geoffrey Holder". AmericanTheatre.org. October 17, 2014.
- ^ Wilson, John S. (February 20, 1978). "'Here 'Tis' - A Musical Bow to Fats Waller; The Cast". The New York Times. p. C13. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
- ^ Wilson, John S. (January 31, 1984). "Cabaret: De Shields's 'Harlem Nocturne'". The New York Times.
- ^ La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Haarlem Nocturne (1984)".
- ^ Armstrong, Linda (August 12, 1997). "Black Fest '97: Andre De Shields Back After Play On!". Playbill. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ Ehren, Christine (May 29, 2001). "Playbill On-Line's Brief Encounter with Andre de Shields". Playbill. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ Murray, Mathew (May 5, 2004). "Broadway Reviews: Prymate". Talkin' Broadway.
- ^ Kachka, Boris (March 22, 2009). "The Impressionist: André De Shields". New York.
- ^ "Hopes are high and sights quietly Broadway-set for 'The Fortress of Solitude,' premiering in Dallas". Dallas Morning News. March 9, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ Cox, Gordon (June 29, 2015). "Stefanie Powers, Georgia Engel Join Cast of Broadway-Bound 'Gotta Dance'". Variety.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (December 14, 2015). "Gotta Dance, Helmed by Jerry Mitchell, Extends Chicago Run; Broadway Debut Set for Fall". Playbill. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (March 12, 2019). "Hadestown Begins on Broadway March 22". Playbill.
- ^ White, Peter (January 26, 2021). "'This American Life' Distributor PRX, Onassis Foundation & Theater Company TEAM Launch Tween Podcast Series 'Live from Mount Olympus'". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ Harms, Talaura (January 26, 2021). "In the News: André De Shields Voices Hermes in New Podcast With Rachel Chavkin, More". Playbill. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ Evans, Greg (December 28, 2020). "'Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical' All-Star Cast to Include Wayne Brady, Tituss Burgess & Adam Lambert". Deadline.
- ^ "Antwayn Hopper, Junior LaBeija, André De Shields, More Will Star in Drag Ball Cats | Playbill".
- ^ Teeman, Tim (April 30, 2019). "Broadway Star André De Shields on Hadestown, Tony Awards, Racism, Sexuality, and Fulfilling His Parents' Dreams". The Daily Beast.
- ^ Porter, Juan Michael (February 3, 2020). "Broadway Legend André De Shields Is Thriving at His Own Pace". The Body. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ "'Mr. Wiz' eases on back to Baltimore for reprise of 1975 musical role". The Baltimore Sun. February 21, 1993. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ Teeman, Tim (April 29, 2019). "Broadway Star André De Shields on 'Hadestown,' Tony Awards, Racism, Sexuality, and Fulfilling His Parents' Dreams". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ "Andre De Shields Awarded Fox Foundation Grant for Distinguished Achievement; Heads to Chicago's Victory Gardens Theatre in 2013". BroadwayWorld. October 3, 2012.
- ^ Peterson, Tyler (November 13, 2014). "Andre De Shields to Receive Audelco Special Achievement Award at 42nd Annual Gala, 11/17". BroadwayWorld.
- YouTube
- ^ McPhee, Ryan (April 30, 2019). "2019 Tony Award Nominations: Hadestown and Ain't Too Proud Lead the Pack". Playbill. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- ^ Lefkowitz, Andy (April 17, 2019). "Nominations Announced for 85th Annual Drama League Awards". Broadway.com. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- ^ Lefkowitz, Andy (April 23, 2019). "Hadestown, Tootsie & Oklahoma! Lead 2019 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations". Broadway.com. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
- ^ "2023 Awards - The Drama League". November 3, 2022.