Making her debut at the Bucks County Playhouse is Tony and Emmy Award-winning Leslie Uggams for one performance only on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m.
For those of a certain generation, Uggams needs no introduction. Her name pops out in bold letters for this author — she had her own TV show in 1969 (unfortunately scheduled opposite Bonanza).
For everybody else, Leslie Uggams was a smart, sassy, multi-talented African-American entertainer who was a pioneer in theater, voice, and television. From the age of six, when she opened for artists like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald at the famed Apollo Theater, to her star-making appearances on Sing along with Mitch and Roots, to scores of Broadway appearances (Hallelujah Baby, Thoroughly Modern Millie, On Golden Pond and Anything Goes), Uggams captivated audiences with her vocal range and stage presence.
In An Evening with Leslie Uggams at the Playhouse, Uggams will perform a variety of her classic signature songs that promoters promise audiences won’t forget.
For full details, and to purchase tickets, please visit the theater online or call (215) 862-2121.
Uggams’ career has brought her from Harlem to Broadway, the big screen (Skyjacked) to television (The Leslie Uggams Show). Perhaps best known for her stirring portrayal of Kizzy in the landmark TV mini-series Alex Haley’s Roots (Critics Choice Award, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations), Uggams has been touring nationally, performing to sold-out audiences, with her autobiographical one-woman musical Uptown/Downtown (LA Drama Critics Circle Award, NAACP Theatre Award, IRNE Award, Broadway World People’s Choice Award), which chronicles her extraordinary career in stories and song. Uggams also recently starred in the Broadway-bound world premiere of Stormy Weather: The Lena Horne Story (Ovation nomination) at the Pasadena Playhouse in California, breaking that theater’s all-time house attendance record.
Uggams’ vibrant television career, which began at the age of six portraying Ethel Waters’ niece on the TV series Beulah, spans decades. As a regular on Sing Along with Mitch, Leslie was the first African-American performer to be featured on a weekly national prime time television series. Other guest appearances include The Muppets and Sesame Street, The Good Wife, Memphis Beat and NYC 22.
In concert Uggams has toured with Peter Nero and Mel Torme; performed at the Hollywood Bowl in Jerry Herman’s Broadway, an all-star tribute to the legendary composer; and appeared as a guest soloist with numerous symphony orchestras across the country, including The Cincinnati Pops, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, The Washington Symphony Orchestra and The Rhode Island Symphony.
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