JAMES EARL JONES (Norman Thayer, Jr.) began his acting career in the theater.  He was part of the historic company of Jean Genet's The Blacks, which incubated a generation of future black stars, and his long association with the New York Shakespeare Festival carried him from Hamlet to King Lear. Awards for his theater work include Tony Awards for the Broadway productions of The Great White Hope and Fences, Drama Desk Awards for Othello, Les Blancs, Hamlet, The Cherry Orchard and Fences, Obie Awards for Clandestine on the Morning Line, The Apple, Moon on a Rainbow Shawl and Baal, a Theatre World Award for Moon on a Rainbow Shawl and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Fences. Additional Broadway credits include Paul Robeson and "MASTER HAROLD"...and the boys. He made his feature film debut in Dr. Strangelove and earned an Academy Award nomination for the film version of The Great White Hope. Additional films include Claudine; The Comedians; The River Niger; A Piece of the Action; Gardens of Stone; Coming to America; the Tom Clancy trilogy The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger; Matewan; Field of Dreams; A Family Thing; and Cry the Beloved Country; and he is perhaps best known as the voices of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films and Mufasa in Disney's animated classic The Lion King. For his extensive television work he's won two Emmy Awards (for "Gabriel's Fire" and "Heat Wave") and recently earned his eighth nomination for his guest appearance on the series "Everwood."  He was also nominated for his work on "East Side, West Side," "Picket Fences," "Fraiser," "Under One Roof" and "By Dawn's Early Light." Well-known as the spokesperson for Verizon, he is also the 'voice' behind CNN. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts and is a Kennedy Center honoree. His memoir is entitled "Voices and Silences." Back to previous page

LESLIE UGGAMS (Ethel Thayer) won a Tony Award as Best Actress in a Musical for her Broadway debut in Hallelujah, Baby!. For her performance as Ruby in August Wilson 's King Hedley II she received a Tony Award nomination as Best Actress in a Play. Most recently, she spent a triumphant year co-starring on Broadway in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Additional Broadway credits include Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes (Lincoln Center and national touring productions), Jerry's Girls, Blues in the Night and Her First Roman. Her recent Off-Broadway performances, The Old Settler and Keb Mo 's Thunder Knocking on the Door, were both honored with critical plaudits and Audelco Awards. Leslie's theatre career began at the age of nine (regular Apollo Theater appearances with such legends as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Dinah Washington) and has continued until today with appearances across the country in such productions as Master Class, Play On, Into the Woods, Call Me Madam, The Old Settler and Blue. Leslie's television career began at the age of six on the TV series "Beulah." At fifteen she appeared on "Name That Tune" which led to her series role on "Sing Along With Mitch." Other television credits include Kizzy in "Roots" (Critics Choice Award, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations), "Backstairs at the White House," "Sizzle," HBO's "Christmas at Radio City Music Hall," co-host of "Fantasy" (Emmy Award) and "The Leslie Uggams Show." Her film credits include Black Girl, Skyjacked and Sugar Hill. In addition to stage and television, she performs concerts around the country, recently appearing with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Washington Symphony Orchestras and the Memorial Day Concert on the Washington Mall, which was televised by PBS. Back to previous page

LINDA POWELL (Chelsea Thayer Wayne) was recently seen in Coming of the Hurricane at Arena Stage. New York credits include the Tony Award-nominated Wilder, Wilder, Wilder as well as such Off-Broadway productions as Jar the Floor, Jitney, Pericles, The Odyssey and Ascendancy. She has worked at regional theaters around the country including Long Wharf, Baltimore Center Stage where she appeared in Day of Absence, Seven Guitars and A Raisin in the Sun (Best of Baltimore Award). Pittsburgh Public, Williamstown, the A.R.T., where she received an IRNE award nomination for her portrayal of Yelena in Uncle Vanya. Linda's television and film credits include "Law & Order," "Sex in the City," "All My Children," "Cosby," The Best Man, American Cuisine and Labor Pains. Back to previous page

PETER FRANCIS JAMES (Bill Ray). Most recently: Much Ado About Nothing (Central Park), Drowning Crow (Broadway), August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean (L.A.). Other New York theatre: Judgment at Nuremberg (Broadway), House of Flowers (Encores), The Baron in Suzan-Lori Park's Venus, Horatio in Kevin Kline's Hamlet (NYSF), Claire in The Maids (Obie Award), Jupiter in Amphityron (C.S.C.), Scent of the Roses with Julie Harris. Williamstown: A.R. Gurney's Buffalo Gal. Baltimore Center Stage: Othello in Othello. LA: Oberon in Sir Peter Hall's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. McCarter: Coriolanus in Coriolanus and Jean in Miss Julie. Film and TV: Jahfree Neema in "Oz," Raymond Parks in "The Rosa Parks Story" with Angela Bassett, Joe Gould's Secret, "The Wedding" (miniseries), Montana, "The Ruby Bridges Story," "Law & Order: SVU," "Third Watch," Thurgood Marshall in "Simple Justice." Back to previous page

CRAIG BOCKHORN (Charlie Martin). Broadway: Prelude to a Kiss, The Lonesome West. Off-Broadway: The Seagull (New York Shakespeare Festival); Kit Marlowe, The Cripple of Inishmaan (Public Theater); The Hope Zone, The Truth-Teller (Circle Repertory Company); As You Like It (Pearl Theatre) Regional: Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Pittsburgh Public); Spinning Into Butter, Lonely Planet (Alliance Theatre); The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Alley and GeVa Theatres); Our Town (Playmakers' Rep.); East of Eden (Actors' Theatre of Louisville); Dinner with Friends, Art, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Front Page, (Pioneer Theatre) Molly Sweeney, The Skin of Our Teeth, Of Mice and Men (Delaware Theatre Co.). Film: TransAmerica. Television: "Reel Jokes" (HBO), "Law & Order," "Law & Order: SVU," "Ed," "As the World Turns."
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ALEXANDER MITCHELL (Billy Ray) has appeared on Broadway in The Lion King and most recently as Travis in the revival of A Raisin in the Sun. Other stage credits include Percy in The Miracle Worker and Junior in the staged reading of The Story of My Father. He was the voice of Billy in the animated series "Kenny the Shark" and portrayed Ed Lynch in the film Into the Fire. He is honored and blessed to share the stage with such a distinguished cast. Back to previous page

Additional Cast...

CHARLES TURNER (Standby for Norman), a native New Yorker, has performed major roles on and Off-Broadway, in regional theaters and on film and television.  Recently played Norman as Mr. Jones' standby at The DuPont Theatre in Delaware. Played Gaev in The Cherry Orchard (CTH) and acted The Man opposite Marian Seldes in Albee's The Play About the Baby. Last season: The Oedipus Plays at The Herod Atticus (Athens Festival). National Actors Theatre: The Persians, Mandella (Oratorio) at AMAS/Crossroads. Recently: "Law & Order," "Dave Chappelle Show." MFA, Yale School of Drama. Praises to grandtots Khari and Alliyah. Back to previous page

PETRONIA PALEY (Standby for Ethel) was last seen this season as Lyubov Ranevskaya in Classical Theatre of Harlem's The Cherry Orchard. Broadway: The First Breeze of Summer (Negro Ensemble Company). Off-Broadway: The Trial (New Federal Theatre, AUDELCO Award), Waiting for Lefty (New Group), A Photograph (NYSF). Regional: Regan, King Lear (Yale Repertory Theatre); Hecuba, Trojan Women (Helen Haynes nomination); Jocasta, The Oedipus Plays (Odeon Herod Atticus, Shakespeare Theatre); Midsummer Night's Dream, Nothing Sacred (Arena Stage). Film: Solomon Northrup's Odyssey; Annie Hall. Extensive daytime including "Guiding Light," "Another World." Member: Ensemble Studio Theatre, Actors Studio.  Back to previous page

OPAL ALLADIN (Standby for Chelsea). Broadway debut. Off-Broadway: Two Noble Kinsmen (The Public), Miss Julie (Cherry Lane), Marco Polo Sings A Solo (Signature). Regional: King Stag, Breath Room (Yale Rep); Twelfth Night (Guthrie); Wit (Pittsburgh Public); Home, Every Good Woman (Actors Theatre of Louisville/Humana Festival); Camino Real (NJ Shakespeare Festival); The Trojan Women, As You Like It, Antony & Cleopatra, Henry VI (Shakespeare Theatre of DC). Film: Brown Sugar, Intersections. TV: "Hack," "Law & Order," "SVU," "Cosby," "One Life to Live," "Guiding Light." Juilliard Group 25.   Back to previous page

CORNELL WOMACK (Standby for Bill and Charlie) thanks his family for their profound and immeasurable support. Broadway debut. Off-Broadway credits include Manhattan Theater Club, Minetta Lane, Theater at St Clement's and Pearl Theater. He also wrote music and lyrics for the popular Off-Broadway AtrainPlays. Regional credits include Arena Stage and The Shakespeare Theater. Television: "Law & Order," "Law  & Order: Criminal Intent." Film: The Producers. Cornell is also the narrator for VH1's "Fortune Files." Training: Juilliard School, The Space with John Anthony. Back to previous page

RYDELL ROLLINS (Standby for Billy Ray) is 13 years-old. Credits: Young Simba in The Lion King (national tour), The Me Nobody Knows, "Law & Order," "Third Watch," "Saturday Night Live," Nickelodeon, Coca-Cola, Wendy's, Jell-O, K-Mart, others. Film: Killing Time, Mayhem. Rydell is most grateful to his supportive parents Angela and Norman, all his wonderful agents at Abrams Artists and Manager Judy Lesley at Sinclair Management. Back to previous page

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