Crossett, Arkansas
Crossett is the largest city in Ashley County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 5,507, according to 2010 Census Bureau estimates. Combined with North Crossett and West Crossett, the population is 10,752. Crossett was incorporated in ...
) is an American singer and
actress
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
.
Biography
Boston' s early musical training and experience was in the choir at Crossett High School and in the Gates Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. She graduated from
North Texas State University
The University of North Texas (UNT) is a Public university, public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private Normal school, teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 y ...
(Denton, Texas), with a BA in music and performance, and then attended the
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univer ...
at Urbana-Champaign."Gretha Denise Boston" encyclopediaofarkansas.net, accessed December 23, 2015
Boston sang in the Manhattan Philharmonic concert performance of Mozart's "
Coronation Mass
A Coronation Mass is a Eucharistic celebration, in which a special liturgical act, the coronation of an image of Mary, is performed.
The coronation of an image of Mary is an act of devotion to her. It expresses the belief that Mary as mother ...
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
Show Boat
''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...
'', directed by
Hal Prince
Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre.
One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...
, which opened at the
Gershwin Theatre
The Gershwin Theatre (originally the Uris Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 222 West 51st Street, on the second floor of the Paramount Plaza office building, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Opened in 1972, it is operat ...
in October 1994. She won the
Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical has been presented since 1950. The award was not given at the first three Tony Award ceremonies. Nominees were not announced publicly until 1956.
Winners and nominees
1950s
...
for her performance.
She was nominated for the 1999
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical has been presented since 1950. The award was not given at the first three Tony Award ceremonies. Nominees were not announced publicly until 1956.
Winners and nominees
1950s
...
for her performance in the original
musical revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...
''
It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues
''It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues'' is a musical written by Charles Bevel, Lita Gaithers, Randal Myler, Ron Taylor, and Dan Wheetman. It was originally produced at The Denver Center for the Performing Arts and later presented by the Crossroads Th ...
'', as well as the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.
She performed in the musical revue ''Let Me Sing -- A Musical Evolution'' at the
George Street Playhouse
George Street Playhouse is a theater company in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in the city's Civic Square government and theater district. It's one of the state's preeminent professional theaters committed to the production of new and established ...
, New Brunswick, New Jersey, in December 2002.
She appeared in the staged concert "Broadway By the Year, 1935" at Town Hall (New York City) in March 2004.
In January 2005 she appeared as "Velma" in ''Crowns'' by
Regina Taylor
Regina Annette Taylor ''Film Reference''. (born August 22, 1960) is an American
at the Studio Theatre,
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...
. This production played at the
Arena Stage
Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest, Washington, D.C. Established in 1950, it was the first racially integrated theater in Washington, D.C. and its founders helped start the U.S. regional theater movement. It is ...
, Washington, D.C. in July 2005.
She appeared in the revue ''3 Mo' Divas!'' at the Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.) in July 2006.
According to ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...