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André De Shields

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"De Shields" redirects here. For a similar surname, seeDeShields.

André De Shields
De Shields in 2022
Born(1946-01-12)January 12, 1946(age 78)
Baltimore,Maryland,U.S.
EducationBaltimore City College
Wilmington College
University of Wisconsin, Madison(BA)
New York University(MA)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
  • director
  • dancer
  • choreographer
Years active1967–present
WebsiteOfficial website

André Robin De Shields(born January 12, 1946) is an American actor, singer, dancer, director, and choreographer. He has received numerous accolades including anEmmy Award,Grammy Award,andTony Award.

De Shields has appeared in the original broadway casts of multiple musicals, includingThe Full Monty,Warp!andThe Wiz,most recently and notably originating the role ofHermesonBroadwayin the musicalHadestown,winning the2019Tony Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musicaland the2020Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Albumfor his performance. He has also appeared on television, and won aPrimetime Emmy Awardfor Outstanding Individual Achievement for his performance in the 1982NBCbroadcast ofAin't Misbehavin'.

Early life and education

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André Robin De Shields was born on January 12, 1946, inDundalk, Maryland,to Mary Gunther and John De Shields. He was raised inBaltimore,Maryland,the ninth of eleven children; his father died at the age of 50, when André was 17.[1]De Shields obtained his high school diploma atBaltimore City Collegein 1964, then attendedWilmington College,where he starred in a production ofLorraine Hansberry'sA Raisin in the Sun.He then transferred colleges and earned hisB.A.inEnglish literaturefrom theUniversity of Wisconsin, Madisonin 1970. In 1991, De Shields received hisM.A.inAfrican American studiesfrom theGallatin School of Individualized StudyofNew York University.

He currently serves as anadjunct professorat Gallatin.

Career

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De Shields began his professional career in the 1969 Chicago production ofHair,which led to a role inThe Me Nobody Knowsand participation in Chicago'sOrganic Theater Company.He performed in a number ofOff-Off-Broadwayproductions atLa MaMa Experimental Theatre Clubin theEast Village of Manhattanduring the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s. These included Ken Rubenstein'sSacred Guard(1973),[2]Lamar Alford'sThoughts(1974),[3]and theCotton Club Galawith music byAaron Belland directed byEllen Stewart(1985).[4]He co-wrote (with Judith Cohen) and directed an evening of songs calledJudith and the Cohen Sisters in Midnight in Manhattanat La MaMa in September/October 1984.[5]He directed a production of Chico Kasinoir'sThe Adventures of Rhubarb: The Rock and Roll Rabbitin 1985[6]and a production of his own work,Saint Tous,to celebrateBlack History Monthat La MaMa in February 1991.[7]

He made hisBroadway debutas Xander inStuart Gordon's 1973Warp!and next appeared inPaul Jabara's 1973Rachael Lily Rosenbloom (And Don't You Ever Forget It),which closed during previews.[8]He then appeared in the title role ofThe Wiz,Charlie SmallsandWilliam F. Brown's 1975 musical directed byGeoffrey Holder.[9]

After choreographing twoBette Midlermusicals, De Shields returned to Broadway to perform in the musical revueAin't Misbehavin'in 1978.[10]The original production ran for over 1,600 shows and De Shields earned a 1978Drama Desknomination for his performance. Three years later, he returned to Broadway to perform inStardust: The Mitchell Parrish Musical,a musical revue featuring the lyricist's work withHoagy Carmichael,Benny Goodman,Duke Ellington,andLeroy Anderson.

In 1984, De Shields wrote, choreographed, directed, and starred inAndré De Shields' Haarlem Nocturne,a Broadway musical revue featuring standards from theAmerican songbook,pop hitsfrom the early 1960s, and De Shields' own songs.[11]The revue was produced at theLatin Quarterand at La MaMa (with music byMarc Shaiman).[12]He appeared in a revival ofAin't Misbehavin'in 1988, and next appeared on Broadway in 1997 as the Jester inPlay On!,a musical based on Ellington's songs. De Shields earnedTonyand Drama Desk nominations for his performance.[13]

In 2000, De Shields originated the role of Noah "Horse" T. Simmons in theTerrence McNally/David Yazbekmusical adaptation of thefilmThe Full Monty.As withPlay On!,De Shields earned both Tony and Drama Desk nominations for this performance.[14]In 2004, he appeared in the Broadway production ofMark Medoff'sPrymateat theLongacre Theatre.[15]In 2008, he received a Drama Desk nomination for his performance in anoff-Broadwayproduction ofLangston Hughes'Black Nativity.In 2009, he appeared on Broadway oppositeJoan AllenandJeremy IronsinImpressionism.[16]The play ran through May 2009 at theGerald Schoenfeld Theater.

De Shields'regional theatrecredits includePlay On!,The Full Monty,Waiting For Godot,The Man Who Came to Dinner,Death of a Salesman,Dusyanta:A Tale ofKalidasa,The Gospel According to James,Camino RealandKing Lear.In 2013, he portrayedAkelaandKing Louiein the world premiere ofMary Zimmerman's adaptation ofRudyard Kipling'sThe Jungle Book,a co-production of theGoodman TheatreandHuntington Theatre Company.De Shields received his 3rdJeff Award(Outstanding Achievement in the category of Actor in a Supporting Role – Musical) for his role as King Louie, and garnered anElliot Norton Awardsnomination for Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actor as well as anIRNE Awardsnomination for Best Supporting Actor – Musical.

De Shields has portrayed Barrett Rude Sr. inThe Fortress of Solitude,the musical based onJonathan Lethem's novelThe Fortress of Solitude,since its inception in 2012 atVassar College.The Fortress of Solitudepremiered at theDallas Theater Centerin spring 2014,[17]and the off-Broadway production ofThe Fortress of Solitude,co-produced withThe Public Theater,ran through November 2014. De Shields,Lillias White,Stefanie Powers,andGeorgia Engelstarred in the new musicalGotta Dance,directed and choreographed byJerry Mitchell.The musical began performances on December 13, 2015, at Chicago'sBank of America Theatreand ran through January 17, 2016.[18][19]

He playedHermesin the Broadway musicalHadestown,which began previews on March 22, 2019, at theWalter Kerr Theatre.He received theTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a MusicalforHadestownon his third nomination.[20]He played his final performance on May 29, 2022. On January 26, 2021, it was announced that De Shields would reprise his role as Hermes inLive From Mount Olympus,a narrative podcast for tweens directed byRachel Chavkinand Zhailon Levingston.[21]The series was produced byThe Onassis Foundationand TRAX fromPRX.De Shields' co-stars include fellowHadestowncast memberAmber Gray,Divine Garland,Vinie Burrows,Kristen Sieh, and more.[22]

De Shields has appeared on television onAnother World,Cosby,Sex and the City,Great Performances,Lipstick Jungle,Law & Order,Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,andElsbethHe won anPrimetime Emmy Awardfor Outstanding Individual Achievement for his performance in the 1982NBCbroadcast ofAin't Misbehavin',and playedTweedledumin a1983 televised productionofAlice in Wonderlandthat also featuredEve Arden,Richard Burton,Colleen Dewhurst,James Coco,Kaye Ballard,andNathan Lane.Most recently, De Shields appeared inJohn Mulaney'sJohn Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunchin which he sang "Algebra Song!" The comedy/musical/variety special was released onNetflixon December 24, 2019. In 2020, he played the role of Chubby, a recurring character, in the television seriesKaty KeeneonThe CW.

On December 28, 2020, it was announced that De Shields would star as Anton Ego in a benefit concert presentation ofRatatouille the Musical,aninternet memethat originated onTikTok,inspired by the 2007Disney/Pixarfilm.The concert streamed exclusively onTodayTixon January 1, 2021.[23]De Shields appeared inLin-Manuel Miranda's directorial debut film,tick, tick... BOOM!,released onNetflixon November 12, 2021, as a patron of theMoondance Dinerin the musical scene for "Sunday", as well as other Broadway actors such asChita Rivera,Renée Elise Goldsberry,Phillipa Soo,among others. He also plays the significant supporting role of Jack in Netflix comedyUncoupled,released in July 2022.

In September 2022, De Shields began performances as Uncle Ben inDeath of a Salesmanon Broadway at theHudson Theatre.[24]In March 2024, De Shields was announced to be portrayingOld DeuteronomyinCatsat thePerelman Performing Arts Centerin the summer of that year.[25]

Personal life

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De Shields isgay,[26]but prefers to be described as "a Black man who isqueer"or" a Black man who loves other men ".[1]He is also a "long-term survivor" ofHIV,living with HIV for over 40 years, having been diagnosed during the earlyAIDS epidemicafter noticing hislymph nodeswereswollenwhen shaving before a Los Angeles performance onAin't Misbehavin's 1980 national tour and being formally diagnosed in 1991.[1][27]His partner of 17 years, Chico Kasinoir, died in June 1992 of AIDS-relatedlymphoma.[28]Another partner of De Shields', a man named John whom he was with for two years, died of AIDS-relatedmeningitisin 1995.[29]

Awards and nominations

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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 AUDELCORecognition 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
AUDELCORecognition 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 Won
Obie Award Sustained Excellence of Performance Won
2008 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Black Nativity Nominated
2009 AUDELCORecognition 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 Best Supporting Actor - Musical Nominated
Elliot Norton Award Outstanding Musical Performance by an Actor Nominated
Fox FoundationFellowship Grant for Distinguished Achievement($25,000 to support his work at theVictory Gardens Theatrein Chicago)[30] Won
2014 AUDELCORecognition Award Special Achievement Award[31][32] Won
2018 Bistro Awards Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award Won
2019 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Musical[33] Hadestown Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Won
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance[34] Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical[35] Won
2020 Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Won
2023 Drama League Award Distinguished Achievement In Musical Theater[36] Honoree

References

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  1. ^abcSanchez, Charles (January 3, 2022)."Inviting Death to Tea".POZ.RetrievedJanuary 20,2022.
  2. ^La MaMa Archives Digital Collections."Production:Sacred Guard(1973) ".
  3. ^La MaMa Archives Digital Collections."Production:Thoughts(1974) ".
  4. ^La MaMa Archives Digital Collections."Production:Cotton Club Gala(1985) ".
  5. ^La MaMa Archives Digital Collections."Production:Judith and the Cohen Sisters in Midnight in Manhattan(1984) ".
  6. ^La MaMa Archives Digital Collections."Production:Adventures of Rhubarb: The Rock and Roll Rabbit, The(1985) ".
  7. ^La MaMa Archives Digital Collections."Production:Saint Tous(1991) ".
  8. ^"Warp – Broadway Play – Original".ibdb.com.RetrievedJune 20,2018.
  9. ^"Giants in the Earth: A Tribute to Geoffrey Holder".AmericanTheatre.org.October 17, 2014.
  10. ^Wilson, John S. (February 20, 1978)."'Here 'Tis' - A Musical Bow to Fats Waller; The Cast ".The New York Times.p. C13.RetrievedJanuary 17,2012.
  11. ^Wilson, John S. (January 31, 1984)."Cabaret: De Shields's 'Harlem Nocturne'".The New York Times.
  12. ^La MaMa Archives Digital Collections."Production:Haarlem Nocturne(1984) ".
  13. ^Armstrong, Linda (August 12, 1997)."Black Fest '97: Andre De Shields Back AfterPlay On!".Playbill.RetrievedJanuary 13,2022.
  14. ^Ehren, Christine (May 29, 2001)."Playbill On-Line's Brief Encounter with Andre de Shields".Playbill.RetrievedJanuary 13,2022.
  15. ^Murray, Mathew (May 5, 2004)."Broadway Reviews: Prymate".Talkin' Broadway.
  16. ^Kachka, Boris (March 22, 2009)."The Impressionist: André De Shields".New York.
  17. ^"Hopes are high and sights quietly Broadway-set for 'The Fortress of Solitude,' premiering in Dallas".Dallas Morning News.March 9, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 13,2022.
  18. ^Cox, Gordon (June 29, 2015)."Stefanie Powers, Georgia Engel Join Cast of Broadway-Bound 'Gotta Dance'".Variety.
  19. ^Gans, Andrew (December 14, 2015)."Gotta Dance,Helmed by Jerry Mitchell, Extends Chicago Run; Broadway Debut Set for Fall ".Playbill.RetrievedJanuary 13,2022.
  20. ^Hetrick, Adam (March 12, 2019)."Hadestown Begins on Broadway March 22".Playbill.
  21. ^White, Peter (January 26, 2021)."'This American Life' Distributor PRX, Onassis Foundation & Theater Company TEAM Launch Tween Podcast Series 'Live from Mount Olympus'".Deadline.Archivedfrom the original on January 26, 2021.RetrievedMarch 17,2021.
  22. ^Harms, Talaura (January 26, 2021)."In the News: André De Shields Voices Hermes in New Podcast With Rachel Chavkin, More".Playbill.RetrievedMarch 17,2021.
  23. ^Evans, Greg (December 28, 2020)."'Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical' All-Star Cast to Include Wayne Brady, Tituss Burgess & Adam Lambert ".Deadline.
  24. ^"Wendell Pierce, André De Shields, and Miranda Cromwell Talk Death of a Salesman at 92Y October 3 | Playbill".
  25. ^"Antwayn Hopper, Junior LaBeija, André De Shields, More Will Star in Drag Ball Cats | Playbill".
  26. ^Teeman, Tim (April 30, 2019)."Broadway Star André De Shields onHadestown,Tony Awards, Racism, Sexuality, and Fulfilling His Parents' Dreams ".The Daily Beast.
  27. ^Porter, Juan Michael (February 3, 2020)."Broadway Legend André De Shields Is Thriving at His Own Pace".The Body.RetrievedDecember 6,2020.
  28. ^"'Mr. Wiz' eases on back to Baltimore for reprise of 1975 musical role ".The Baltimore Sun.February 21, 1993.RetrievedApril 11,2022.
  29. ^Teeman, Tim (April 29, 2019)."Broadway Star André De Shields on 'Hadestown,' Tony Awards, Racism, Sexuality, and Fulfilling His Parents' Dreams".The Daily Beast.RetrievedApril 11,2022.
  30. ^"Andre De Shields Awarded Fox Foundation Grant for Distinguished Achievement; Heads to Chicago's Victory Gardens Theatre in 2013".BroadwayWorld.October 3, 2012.
  31. ^Peterson, Tyler (November 13, 2014)."Andre De Shields to Receive Audelco Special Achievement Award at 42nd Annual Gala, 11/17".BroadwayWorld.
  32. ^Audelco Awards "The VIV's" -2014 Vivian Robinson Recognition for Excellence in Black TheateronYouTube
  33. ^McPhee, Ryan (April 30, 2019)."2019 Tony Award Nominations:HadestownandAin't Too ProudLead the Pack ".Playbill.RetrievedApril 30,2019.
  34. ^Lefkowitz, Andy (April 17, 2019)."Nominations Announced for 85th Annual Drama League Awards".Broadway.com.RetrievedApril 17,2019.
  35. ^Lefkowitz, Andy (April 23, 2019)."Hadestown,Tootsie&Oklahoma!Lead 2019 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations ".Broadway.com.RetrievedApril 23,2019.
  36. ^"2023 Awards - The Drama League".November 3, 2022.
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