Baltimore Native and Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award Winning Actor and Hadestown star André De Shields collaborated with Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young to deliver an important message on how we all can stay healthy and safe during the #COVID19 pandemic.
André De Shields is the triple-crown winner of the 2019 awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Tony awards for best featured actor in a musical for his critically acclaimed performance as Hermes in Hadestown. The Actors’ Equity Foundation followed suit with the Richard Seff Award, honoring veteran stage actors’ best supporting performances of the year. Prior to his Tony Award win, De Shields was best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions: The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Play On!, and The Full Monty. In a career spanning 50 years, he has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, and educator, receiving in 2018 the eighth annual Off-Broadway Alliance Legend Award and the 33rd annual Bob Harrington Life Achievement Bistro Award. Among his other accolades are the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award and a 2007 Village Voice Obie Award for sustained excellence of performance. In 2019, De Shields received the key to the city of his hometown, Baltimore, Maryland, from Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young; the inaugural Harlem Week Pride 50 Award; the Project1Voice Lifetime Achievement Award; the Joyce Warshow Lifetime Achievement Award from SAGE; the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre; and an induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame.
Lia Chang. Photo by Garth Kravits
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
Hadestown star and 2019 Tony Award Winner André De Shields attended the grand reopening of Apple’s newly revamped Fifth Avenue store in New York on September 20.
HADESTOWN star and 2019 Tony Award winner André De Shields at the grand reopening of Apple Fifth Avenue in New York on September 20, 2019. Photo by Lia Chang
Lines streamed around the block of the iconic cube for the launch day of the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max and Apple Watch Series 5.
Grand reopening of Apple Fifth Avenue in New York on September 20, 2019. Photo by Lia Chang
The first set of shoppers were treated to Memoji Karaoke with Mr. De Shields, who is currently starring as Hermes in Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theatre, and is best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions: Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award), Play On! (Tony Nomination), The Full Monty (Tony Nomination), and as the Wiz in The Wiz.
André De Shields meets his André Memoji custom created by Music Experiences Lead for Today at Apple Ron Ubaldo at the Grand reopening of Apple Fifth Avenue in New York on September 20, 2019. Photo by Lia ChangHADESTOWN star and Tony Award winner André De Shields at the grand reopening of Apple Fifth Avenue in New York on September 20, 2019. Photo by Lia Chang
With a new iPhone 11 Pro in hand, Mr. De Shields sang his iconic number, “So You Wanted to Meet the Wizard,” with his André memoji, custom created by Music Experiences Lead for Today at Apple Ron Ubaldo for the Memoji Karaoke performance.
HADESTOWN star and 2019 Tony Award winner André De Shields performs Memoji Karaoke at Apple Fifth Avenue in New York on September 20, 2019. Photo by Lia ChangGrand reopening of Apple Fifth Avenue in New York on September 20, 2019. Photo by Lia ChangHADESTOWN star and 2019 Tony Award winner André De Shields performs Memoji Karaoke at Apple Fifth Avenue in New York on September 20, 2019. Photo courtesy of Apple
After the performance, Mr. De Shields visited with Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, Senior Vice President of Retail + People Deirdre O’Brien and Senior Director of Worldwide Buzz Marketing at Apple Brian Brown Bartholomew.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and HADESTOWN star and 2019 Tony Award winner André De Shields at the grand reopening of Apple Fifth Avenue in New York on September 20, 2019. Photo by Lia ChangApple’s Senior Vice President of Retail + People Deirdre O’Brien and HADESTOWN star and 2019 Tony Award winner André De Shields at the grand reopening of Apple Fifth Avenue in New York on September 20, 2019. Photo by Lia ChangSenior Director of Worldwide Buzz Marketing at Apple Brian Brown Bartholomew and André De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangSenior Director of Worldwide Buzz Marketing at Apple Brian Brown Bartholomew and HADESTOWN star and 2019 Tony Award winner André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields is the triple-crown winner of the 2019 theater awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Tony Awards as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his unanimously critically acclaimed performance as Hermes, Messenger to the Gods, in Hadestown. The Actors’ Equity Foundation followed suit with the Richard Seff Award, which honors veteran stage actors’ best supporting performances of the year. In November, Mr. De Shields will be inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame and will receive The York Theatre Company’s 2019 Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre. In a career spanning fifty years, he has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, and educator, receiving in 2018 the 8th Annual Off Broadway Alliance Legend Award, and the 33rd Annual Bob Harrington Life Achievement Bistro Award. Among his other accolades are the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award and the 2007 Village Voice Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance. www.andredeshields.com
HADESTOWN star and 2019 Tony Award winner André De Shields at the grand reopening of Apple Fifth Avenue in New York on September 20, 2019. Photo by Lia Chang
Now nearly double the size of its original with a higher ceiling and more natural light, Apple Fifth Avenue is a brighter, more expansive space, and the perfect stage for customers to discover and try Apple’s newest products. A new Forum will be home to free, daily Today at Apple programming, which kicks off Saturday with a special series that captures the creative spirit of New York. The area dedicated to Geniuses has also doubled, allowing the team to dramatically increase service capacity. The Apple Fifth Avenue store is the only Apple retail location open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Click here for Today at Apple events running from September 21-29.
Grand reopening of Apple Fifth Avenue in New York on September 20, 2019. Photo by Lia Chang
The redesigned plaza is lined by 28 honey locust trees bordered with linear fountains providing a welcome and quiet setting to gather and sit. At the center stands the dramatic glass cube flanked by 18 mirror-glass Skylenses and 62 skylights that flood natural light into the expanded store below. Visitors enter by descending the new stainless steel spiral staircase, or by riding the dynamic circular elevator into the grand hall. The staircase is a remarkable design achievement with 43 cantilevered stair treads that support a floating cylinder of glass. Above is a back-lit, cloud-like ceiling made from curved fabric that combines artificial and natural light to match the real-time tones of sunlight throughout the day.
HADESTOWN star and 2019 Tony Award winner André De Shields and Lia Chang at the Grand reopening of Apple Fifth Avenue in New York on September 20, 2019. Photo by Brian Brown Bartholomew
Steve Jobs opened the store in 2006 and personally welcomed the first customers to enter the cube. Since then, Apple Fifth Avenue has had over 57 million visitors, more annually than the Statue of Liberty or Empire State Building. The glass cube has been a beacon and an important focal point for product launches starting with the first iPhone in 2007.
Lia Chang. Photo by Garth Kravits. Photo by Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
The hits just keep coming for HADESTOWN star André De Shields, who will be inducted to the Theater Hall of Fame at an invitation only ceremony of the 49th Annual Theater Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievement in the American Theater, being held at the Gershwin Theatre on November 18.
City Council President Brandon Scott, Mayor Jack Young, André De Shields, Comptroller Joan Pratt in the rotunda of Baltimore City Hall on August 19, 2019. Photo by Lia Chang
In this interview, the 2019 Tony Award winner talks about having a social contract with Baltimore, and the significance of going home to receive the Key to the City from Mayor Jack Young and to serve as the grand marshal of Baltimore’s 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade. He also shared what it will mean to receive The York Theatre’s 2019 Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre at The Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street) on November 11.
André De Shields with his Tony Award in the Ceremonial Room of Baltimore City Hall on August 19, 2019. Photo by Lia Chang
The VIP Reception will begin at 6:00 p.m. followed by a concert and award ceremony at 8:00 p.m. Michael Unger (York’s former Associate Artistic Director and recently appointed Artistic Director of Skylight Music Theatre in Wisconsin) is set to direct the evening’s celebration. For additional information, pricing and reservations, please contact Director of Development Shana Farr at (212) 935-5824, ext. 214 or sfarr@yorktheatre.org, or go online at YorkTheatre.org.
The Oscar Hammerstein Award is named in honor of the legendary lyricist and librettist who helped shape American musical theatre through his collaborations with a number of different composers and writers. His contributions to such landmark musicals as Show Boat, Oklahoma!,South Pacific, and Carousel are a legacy for all time. The award was created in 1988 by Janet Hayes Walker, Founding Artistic Director of The York Theatre Company, with the endorsement of the Hammerstein family and the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. Its purpose is to recognize significant lifetime achievement in musical theatre, and it is presented at a gala evening held for the benefit of The York Theatre Company.
André De Shields served as the Grand Marshal of Baltimore’s 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade in Baltimore on August 31, 2019. Photo by Lia ChangVinie Burrows with André De Shields, winner of the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for “Hadestown,” at Radio City Music Hall on June 9, 2019 in New York. Photo by Lia ChangFront Row: Reeve Carney, Eva Noblezada, André De Shields, Patrick Page, Amber Gray. Back Row: Afra Hines, Timothy Hughes, Ahmad Simmons, Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, Kay Trinidad, John Krause, Kimberly Marable. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields is the triple-crown winner of the 2019 theater awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Tony Awards as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his unanimously critically acclaimed performance as Hermes, Messenger to the Gods, in Hadestown. The Actors’ Equity Foundation followed suit with the Richard Seff Award, which honors veteran stage actors’ best supporting performances of the year. Mr. De Shields will receive The York Theatre Company’s 2019 Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre on November 11. Prior to his Tony Award win, Mr. De Shields was best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions: The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award), Play On! (Tony Nomination), and The Full Monty (Tony Nomination). In a career spanning fifty years, he has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, and educator, receiving in 2018 the 8th Annual Off Broadway Alliance Legend Award, and the 33rd Annual Bob Harrington Life Achievement Bistro Award. Among his other accolades are the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award and the 2007 Village Voice Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance. www.andredeshields.com
Team HADESTOWN at the Outer Critics Circle Awards at Sardi’s in New York on May 23, 2019: Danielle Long King, Dale Franzen, André De Shields, Montego Glover, Mara Isaacs, Noah Hahn, Bradley King, Rachel Chavkin, Tom Kirdahy, Anaïs Mitchell and Hunter C. Arnold. Photo by Lia Chang2019 Richard Seff Award winner and 2019 Tony Award winner André De Shields and his HADESTOWN family. Photo by Lia ChangLia Chang. Photo by Garth Kravits. Photo by Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
André De Shields boards the 6:45 A.M. train to Baltimore at New York Penn Station on August 31, 2019. Photo by Lia Chang
Tony and Emmy Award winning actor André De Shields was the grand marshal of Baltimore’s 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto parade held on August 31.
André De Shields served as the Grand Marshal of Baltimore’s 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade. Photo by Lia Chang
Sponsored by the Historic Pennsylvania Avenue Main Street, Upton Planning Committee, Inc. and organized by Michael Johnson, the Parade kicked off the second day of the inaugural Billie Holiday Music and Arts Festival, marking the 99th anniversary of Pennsylvania Avenue and honoring Holiday’s legacy.
Baltimore Mayor Jack Young and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
De Shields led the parade in an antique 1976 light blue Cadillac Eldorado convertible.
André De Shields served as the Grand Marshal of Baltimore’s 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields served as the Grand Marshal of Baltimore’s 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade. Photo by Lia Chang
Highlights of the Parade included classic and high-end cars and performances by Lincoln University’s and Morgan State University’s marching bands and dance troupes along the route down Pennsylvania Avenue beginning at North Avenue and ending at Dolphin Street.
André De Shields served as the Grand Marshal of Baltimore’s 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade. Photo by Lia ChangBaltimore 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade. Photo by Lia ChangBaltimore 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields served as the Grand Marshal of Baltimore’s 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade. Photo by Lia ChangA classic Corvette in Baltimore’s 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade. Photo by Lia ChangA classic Cadillac in Baltimore’s 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade. Photo by Lia ChangCelebrating Billie Holiday. Photo by Lia ChangDrummers in Baltimore’s 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade. Photo by Lia ChangLincoln University Marching Band. Photo by Lia ChangMorgan State University Marching Band. Photo by Lia ChangMorgan State University Dance Troupe. Photo by Lia ChangMorgan State University Marching Band. Photo by Lia ChangMorgan State University Marching Band. Photo by Lia Chang
The Hadestown star and Baltimore native returned to his hometown just two weeks after receiving the Key to the City from Mayor Jack Young, who was also in attendance. De Shields and Mayor Young were presented with Billie Holiday Music and Arts Festival 2019 Heritage Awards.
Main stage of Baltimore’s 2019 Billie Holiday Music and Arts Festival. Photo by Lia ChangGrand Marshal André De Shields arrives at the main stage of Baltimore’s 2019 Billie Holiday Music and Arts Festival. Photo by Lia ChangGrand Marshal André De Shields arrives at the main stage of Baltimore’s 2019 Billie Holiday Music and Arts Festival. Photo by Lia ChangBaltimore Mayor Jack Young and André De Shields received Bille Holiday Music and Arts Festival 2019 Heritage Awards. Photo by Lia Chang
During the 1940s, 50s and 60s, Pennsylvania Avenue was the place to be to see the latest singers and musicians perform. Many jazz clubs and performance halls in the area, notably the Royal Theater on Pennsylvania Avenue, were part of the Chitlin’ Circuit where African American entertainers, such as Redd Foxx, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and James Brown, could perform freely in a segregated America. The Royal Theater has since been torn down, but its spirit lives on in the community and at The Avenue Bakery where its history is recounted through murals and plaques on the walls. Source: historicupton.com
In July, the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor of West Baltimore became the city’s fourth state-designated arts district. The program will offer incentives to spur economic development in the neighborhood according to a report in the Baltimore Business Journal. Resources available in Maryland Arts and Entertainment Districts include property tax incentives for buildings entirely or partially renovated for use by artists or for entertainment purposes.
Councilman Eric Costello, Councilman Leon F. Pinkett III, André De Shields and Kevin Brown. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields and Helen Holton. Photo by Lia ChangSenator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, District 44 and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang Baltimore Mayor Jack Young, Annie Hall, President Penn North Community Association, Anthony Pressley, Executive Director, Druid Heights Community Development Corporation, Marion Blackwell, Manager, Historic Pennsylvania Avenue Main Street, Councilman Eric Costello, District 11, City Council President Brandon Scott, Senator Antonio Hayes, District 40, André De Shields, Councilman Leon F. Pinkett, District 7, Helen Holton. Photo by Lia Chang Helen Holton, Baltimore Mayor Jack Young and André De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangJules Dunham-Howie, Director Upton-Westside CDC, Helen Holton, Host, City Council President Brandon Scott, Marion Blackwell, Manager, Historic Pennsylvania Avenue Main Street, Anthony Pressley, Executive Director, Druid Heights Community Development Corporation, Annie Hall, President Penn North Community Association, Councilman Eric Costello, District 11, Baltimore Mayor Jack Young, Andre De Shields, Councilman Leon F. Pinkett III, District 7, Senator Antonio Hayes, District 40, Commissioner Harrison, Baltimore Police Department, Michael Johnson, Creative Director of the Cadillac Parade and Billie Holiday Jazz Festival, André De Shields, Baltimore Mayor Jack Young, Michael Johnson, Creative Director of the Cadillac Parade and Billie Holiday Jazz Festival, City Council President Brandon Scott. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields, Baltimore Mayor Jack Young, Michael Johnson, Creative Director of the Cadillac Parade and Billie Holiday Jazz Festival and City Council President Brandon Scott. Photo by Lia ChangBeverly A. Cooper and André De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields is the triple-crown winner of the 2019 theater awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Tony Awards as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his unanimously critically acclaimed performance as Hermes, Messenger to the Gods, in Hadestown. The Actors’ Equity Foundation followed suit with the Richard Seff Award, which honors veteran stage actors’ best supporting performances of the year. Mr. De Shields will receive The York Theatre Company’s 2019 Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre on November 11. Prior to his Tony Award win, Mr. De Shields was best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions: The Wiz,Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award), Play On! (Tony Nomination), and The Full Monty(Tony Nomination). In a career spanning fifty years, he has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, and educator, receiving in 2018 the 8th Annual Off Broadway Alliance Legend Award, and the 33rd Annual Bob Harrington Life Achievement Bistro Award. Among his other accolades are the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award and the 2007 Village Voice Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance. www.andredeshields.com
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Camper Quimper Twins. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields and Amtrak Representative Arika Davenport. Photo by Lia Chang
Councilman Leon F. Pinkett III, André De Shields, Amtrak Representative Arika Davenport, Kevin Brown. Photo by Lia Chang
Councilman Leon F. Pinkett III, District 7 and André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Grand Marshal André De Shields and Councilman Eric Costello. Photo by Lia Chang
Lieutenant Nicolas and Grand Marshal André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Baltimore Mayor Jack Young staying cool on the main stage of Baltimore’s 2019 Billie Holiday Music and Arts Festival. Photo by Lia Chang
Marsha Reeves_Jews, André De Shields and Helen Holton. Photo by Lia Chang
Grand Marshal André De Shields at Baltimore’s 2019 Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Auto Parade. Photo by Lia Chang
Grand Marshal André De Shields and Catalina Byrd. Photo by Lia Chang
Wanda Best and Grand Marshal André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Michael Johnson, Creative Director of the Cadillac Parade and Billie Holiday Jazz Festival and Grand Marshal André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Kevin Brown’s Nancy by SNAC. Photo by Lia Chang
Salmon at Kevin Brown’s Nancy by SNAC. Photo by Lia Chang
Lunch at Kevin Brown’s Nancy by SNAC. Photo by Lia Chang
André De Shields with Kevin Brown at Nancy by SNAC in Baltimore. Photo by Lia Chang
After the parade, De Shields headed to lunch at Kevin Brown’s Nancy by SNAC before taking the Acela back to New York.
Lia Chang and Andre De Shields. Photo by Kevin Brown
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
On Monday, August 19, 2019, Tony and Emmy Award winning actor André De Shields took the Amtrak Acela to Baltimore for a day of celebration.
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
11:00 a.m.
Mr. De Shields, impeccably clad in a slim suit of Claret Red, black suede boots with harlequin tipped toes, a navy and red floral tie, and a navy and white polka dot patterned pocket square, visited with Mayor Jack Young in the Ceremonial Room of Baltimore City Hall. Mr. De Shields is best known for his roles in “The Wiz,” “Ain’t Misbehavin,’” “Play On” and “The Full Monty.”
André De Shields receives the Key to the City of Baltimore from Mayor Jack Young in the Ceremonial Room. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields receives the Key to the City of Baltimore from Mayor Jack Young in the Ceremonial Room. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields receives the Key to the City of Baltimore from Mayor Jack Young in the Ceremonial Room. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields receives the Key to the City of Baltimore from Mayor Jack Young in the Ceremonial Room. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields shares his Tony Award with Mayor Jack Young in the Ceremonial Room. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields with his Tony Award in the Ceremonial Room. Photo by Lia Chang
In the Rotunda on the main floor of Baltimore City Hall, Mayor Young presented him with a Key to the City and a mayoral salute just two months after receiving his first Tony Award for “Best Featured Actor in a Musical” for his turn as Hermes in Anais Mitchell’s Hadestown.
Mayor Jack Young, André De Shields, Comptroller Joan Pratt in the Rotunda of Baltimore City Hall. Photo by Lia ChangAnd the crowd goes wild for André De Shields in the Rotunda of Baltimore City Hall. Photo by Lia ChangCouncilwoman, Sharon Middleton, City Council President, Brandon Scott, Mayor Jack Young, André De Shields, Comptroller Joan Pratt in the Rotunda of Baltimore City Hall. Photo by Lia ChangCity Council President, Brandon Scott, Mayor Jack Young, André De Shields, Comptroller Joan Pratt in the Rotunda of Baltimore City Hall. Photo by Lia ChangComptroller Joan Pratt, André De Shields with his Tony Award, City Council President, Brandon Scott in the Rotunda of Baltimore City Hall. Photo by Lia ChangKey to the City of Baltimore. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields’ Mayoral Salute. Photo by Lia Chang
In a career spanning fifty years, André De Shields has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director and educator. Mr. De Shields is the triple crown winner of the 2019 Awards Season, having won the prestigious Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Tony Awards in the category of Best Actor in a Featured Role for Hadestown, which won as Best Musical. His other numerous accolades include the 2019 Actors’ Equity Foundation’s Richard Seff Award, honoring best performances by a veteran male and female actor, the 2019 Harlem Pride 50 Award, the 2018 Off Broadway Alliance Legend Award, the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award, the 2007 Village Voice OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance, and eight AUDELCO Awards for Outstanding Performance, Direction and Choreography.
André De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangAl Robinson, Board Member Baltimore City College Alumni Association, Cinese Caldwell, Board Member Baltimore City College Alumni Association, Bob Manekin, Board Chair Baltimore City College Foundation, André De Shields, Neil Bernstein, Ex-Official Board Member Baltimore City College Alumni Association, Jacob Howard, Board President Baltimore City College Alumni Association. Photo by Lia ChangMichael Medeiros and André De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangJ. Wynn Rousuck and André De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangTonya R. Miller Hall, Executive Director of Cable and Communications and Senior Director of Public Affairs, Steph Rusinko-Flowers, Gil Flowers, Khali Deshields, André De Shields, Mayor Jack Young, Robert A. Manekin in the Mayor’s office. Photo by Lia ChangKen Melamed, Liza Streb Melamed, André De Shields, Mayor Jack Young in the Mayor’s office. Photo by Lia ChangMayor Jack Young and André De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields in the Rotunda of Baltimore City Hall. Photo by Lia Chang
12:30 p.m.
Mr. De Shields was honored by The Arena Players at a special luncheon at Arena Playhouse, located at 801 McCulloh St. in West Baltimore, the nation’s only continuously running black theater company founded by African-Americans.
André De Shields’ posters of THE WIZ, HAARLEM NOCTURNE AND AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’. Photo by Lia Chang
Senator Larry Young, Chairman of Arena Players Board of Directors, introduced the program which featured remarks from Chapman Roberts and a performance of “Home” from “The Wiz” by Gabrielle Goodman.
Senator Larry Young, André De Shields, Travis Winkey and David Alan Bunn. Photo by Lia ChangDavid Alan Bunn, Gabrielle Goodman. Photo by Lia ChangDavid Alan Bunn, Gabrielle Goodman. Photo by Lia Chang
Travis Winkey, Executive Director, One Step Further, presented Mr. De Shields with the 14 Carat Gold Achievement Award for outstanding achievement in the fields of acting, singing and directing. Arena Players’ Youth Theater Director Catherine Orange and Artistic Director Donald Owens presented him with the Theatre Ambassador Award. After talking about his path in the arts over a half a century, Mr. De Shields sang “Believe in Yourself,” accompanied by music director David Alan Bunn.
Arena Players’ Artistic Director Donald Owens, André De Shields and Youth Theater Director Carol Orange. Photo by Lia ChangDavid Alan Bunn and André De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangChapman Roberts, André De Shields and David Alan Bunn. Photo by Lia ChangGordon Parks, André De Shields, Gabrielle Goodman and David Alan Bunn. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields, Beverly Cooper, David Alan Bunn. Photo by Lia ChangChapman Roberts, Toni Isreal, André De Shields , Cherine E.Anderson and David Alan Bunn. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields and Lenora Howze, Executive Director/Assistant to the Publisher, AFRO. Photo by Lia ChangTravis Winkey, Michael Eugene Johnson, André De Shields, Sharon Alford, Kelly Ward. Photo by Lia ChangThe Arena Players celebrate André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
3:00 p.m.
Mr. De Shields took a trip down memory lane as he drove by his Junior High School, Booker T. Washington; stopped on Division Street, the street where he spent his youth; and circled his high school, Baltimore City College, nicknamed “The Castle on the Hill.” A graduate of Baltimore City College, Mr. De Shields is a proud member of the class of 1964 and a member of the City College Hall of Fame.
Booker T. Washington Junior High School. Photo by Lia ChangBaltimore City College. Photo by Lia Chang
The Central Scholarship celebration of André De Shields at Mount Lebanon Baptist Church featured performances by Baltimore Symphony musicians Rene Shapiro (Trumpet), Lior Willinger (Piano), and Morgan State University Choir Members Dezmond Covington (Tenor and Central Scholarship Recipient) and Taylor Jackson (Piano).
Mount Lebanon Baptist Church. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangJan Moylan Wagner, Central Scholarship President and André De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangCentral Scholarship Alumnus Award 2019. Photo by Lia Chang
As Mr. De Shields stepped up to the lectern to receive the inaugural Central Scholarship Alumnus Award 2019, he pulled out his Tony Award and his Emmy Award as the results of what $300 gets you. This was a direct nod to receiving $300 from Central Scholarship, enabling him to attend college.
Central Scholarship Alumnus Award 2019 Recipient André De Shields with his Tony Award and his Emmy Award. Photo by Lia ChangBooker T. Washington Junior High School classmates Lillian Wright and André De Shields. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields with Baltimore Symphony musicians Rene Shapiro and Michael Lisicky. Photo by Lia ChangDezmond Convington, Central Scholarship Recipient, Taylor Jackson, André De Shields, and Lior Willinger. Photo by Lia ChangAndré De Shields with fellow Baltimore City College Alum Al Robinson, Board Member Baltimore City College Alumni Association, Arnold Fruman and Larry Kamanitz. Photo by Lia ChangJerry Focas, Central Scholarship Board Chair, Nancy Fenton, Central Scholarship Director of Development, André De Shields and Abby Case, Stewardship and Annual Fund Manager. Photo by Lia ChangBack Row from Left: Kayla Bettenhauser, Tim Redmond, Jerry Focas, Arnold Fruman, Princess Agha, Abby Case, Kim Haley Front Row from Left: Michele Waxman Johnson, Nancy Fenton, Molly Shock, Jan Moylan Wagner, André De Shields, Margot Heller, Larry Kamanitz, Angela Harrison. Photo by Lia Chang
5:00 p.m.
Mr. De Shields headed to Owings Mills to share the Tony Award and the Key to the City with his sister, Mary before traveling back to New York.
André De Shields with his sister, Mary. Photo by Lia Chang
Garth Kravits, André De Shields, Lia Chang. Photo by Liza Streb MelamedLia Chang. Photo by Garth Kravits. Photo by Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
On Monday, August 19, 2019, Baltimore native André De Shields will be presented with a Key to the City, two months after receiving his first Tony Award for “Best Featured Actor in a Musical” for his turn as Hermes in Anais Mitchell’s Hadestown, currently playing to sold-out houses at the Walter Kerr Theatre.
Tony Award Winner André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young will present De Shields with the Key to the City and a mayoral salute in the Rotunda at Baltimore City Hall at 11:00 A.M. in an event open to the pubic. It will be streamed live on FLive on CharmTVBaltimore.
De Shields acknowledged his Baltimore roots during his acceptance speech at the Tony Awards.
“Baltimore, Maryland are you in the house?” he asked. “I hope you are watching at home because I am making good on my promise that I would come to New York and become someone you’d be proud to call your native son.”
De Shields is a graduate of Baltimore City College, a proud member of the class of 1964 and a member of the City College Hall of Fame.
In a career spanning fifty years, André De Shields has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director and educator. Mr. De Shields is the triple crown winner of the 2019 Awards Season, having won the prestigious Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Tony Awards in the category of Best Actor in a Featured Role for his performance as Hermes, Messenger To the Gods in Hadestown, which won as Best Musical. His other numerous accolades include the 2019 Actors’ Equity Foundation’s Richard Seff Award, honoring best performances by a veteran male and female actor, the 2019 Harlem Pride 50 Award, the 2018 Off Broadway Alliance Legend Award, the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival’s Living Legend Award, the 2007 Village Voice OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance, and eight AUDELCO Awards for Outstanding Performance, Direction and Choreography. He continues to be consistently acclaimed for his show stopping performances in four legendary Broadway musicals: The Full Monty (Tony Nomination), Play On! (Tony Nomination), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award) and The Wiz (Title Role). Mr. De Shields is proud a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA and SDC. www.andredeshields.com
Lia Chang. Photo by Garth Kravits. Photo by Lia Chang
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
