NEW YORK CITY: The American Theatre Wing and the Village Voice have announced that the 65th annual Obie Awards will be presented online July 14 at 8 p.m. ET. The prerecorded ceremony was originally slated to air June 4, but was postponed for a moment of reflection in the wake of nationwide calls to end racial injustice.
Cole Escola is the host, and special guest presenters include Cynthia Erivo, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Heidi Schreck, and others. Performances include an encore presentation from the Obie Award-winning Fela! featuring Saycon Sengbloh and Sahr Ngaujah. Playwright Michael R. Jackson also shares a special performance of “Memory Song” from A Strange Loop, York Theatre Company’s revival of Merrily We Roll Along are joined by the members of the original Broadway and 2019 Fiasco Theater casts to perform “Our Time,” and Shaina Taub performs during the In Memoriam portion.
The event will include a pre-show fundraiser featuring a sing-a-long with Saycon Sengbloh and N’Kenge, accompanied by Adam Michael Tilford and Kenney M. Green from Marie’s Crisis. The pre-show event will also include a chat and live performance with LaChanze and her daughter, Celia Rose Gooding. The fundraiser, sponsored by Art Lab, will support the Wing’s efforts to support and sustain the theatre community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
