(upbeat techno music)
- Welcome to Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth, everybody.
Today, we celebrate Black culture and the emancipation
of those enslaved in the United States.
Now giving honor to our ancestors, this celebration
allows us to reflect, rejoice and plan for a better future.
- Today's show was conceived, created, designed, managed
and will be performed by people of the industry's
Black community.
- The Broadway League is committed
to promoting anti-racist policies and practices
in all levels of our industry.
And we'll continue to work
with our members and our partners to confront racism,
build inclusive cultures,
and create career opportunities that advance BIPOC artists
and professionals in our industry.
- The goal of Black to Broadway is to inspire more
profound engagement, with awareness of,
and access to Broadway for all Black people.
So let's get this concert started, right?
♪ Your lie til, I ran far ♪
♪ away to the ♪
♪ night ♪
♪ Buffalo, Newark, Greensboro too and ♪
♪ Nah I ain't done but what you gon' do ♪
♪ I'm creating this moment, so now I'm as free ♪
♪ I'm the E, I'm the G, I'm the O, I'm the T ♪
♪ Done waiting for someone to give it to me ♪
♪ I'm takin what's mine, I'm snatchin my freedom ♪
♪ Not bound your rules and nah I ain't done yo ♪
♪ This giant right here is about to be fun ♪
♪ We came with names like James, Fatima, ♪
♪ Nina, King, Dreamer ♪
♪ Redeemer of the people ♪
♪ Songs for the people ♪
♪ Original, spiritual content ♪
♪ You can smell it when it's God sent ♪
♪ Oh, I'm tired to tired people, ♪
♪ That don't mean we get to rest. ♪
♪ We've been marching out on these streets ♪
♪ Ever since we took our first steps. ♪
♪ Every crack I seen in the pavement ♪
♪ calling them out to get in the Ja. ♪
♪ We know you can hear us, we can be louder ♪
♪ Stick to the rules, but it's not a game. ♪
♪ Okay, we got the vision ♪
♪ We got the vision. ♪
♪ And we on the grind ♪
♪ Say, we on the grind ♪
♪ A love like collision ♪
♪ See how we fight ♪
♪ Come on! ♪
♪ I'd toast to resurrection ♪
♪ But they just keep moving the line ♪
♪ Please, give me some direction ♪
♪ Cause they just ♪
♪ Keep ♪
♪ Moving ♪
♪ The Line ♪
♪ Young, gifted, and Black ♪
♪ To be young, gifted, and Black ♪
♪ Eric Garner ♪
♪ Breonna Taylor ♪
♪ Sandra Bland ♪
♪ George Floyd ♪
♪ Buffalo ♪
- Today, today, today, we honor Ben Vereen with
the Juneteenth Legacy Award
for his continued work on behalf of the community.
His versatility as a performer
continues to inspire all of us
and now,
give it up for the one
and the only,
Ben Vereen.
(crowd cheering)
(soft piano music plays)
Oh, y'all can do better than that. Come on now.
This is history in the making, baby.
- Thank you for allowing us to be your voices,
your pain,
and your joy,
and reflecting it back to you.
You know, it's one thing to be an artist,
but another thing to be of service.
It's about the service
♪ Hold your head up high ♪
♪ Let your dreams ♪
♪ Ride up to the sky ♪
♪ Sing your greatest songs ♪
♪ Who can say if I've been ♪
♪ Changed for the better ♪
♪ But, because I knew you ♪
♪ I have been changed ♪
♪ For good ♪
- Today,
the Broadway community gathers to pay homage
to Leslie Uggams.
The incomparable Leslie Uggams
by presenting the Juneteenth Legacy Award
for her contributions to the stage, to the screen,
And of course,
to our community.
Please welcome my friend,
Miss Leslie Uggams.
(crowd clapping and cheering)
- It's been a long walk, but we ain't giving up the walk.
We still keeping on and I just wanna say,
listening to these extraordinary,
talented people today is just such a thrill because
we are passing the torch and the torch is in good hands.
This is an extraordinary award that I will cherish so much
so much,
but I just want you to know Ben and I ain't done yet.
(crowd laughing)
- Notice they gave us chairs.
- I know you gave us chairs to sit on,
but you know we still ready to work.
- Thank you so much.
Thank you.
♪ Para-Para ♪
♪ Paradise ♪
♪ Para-Para ♪
♪ Paradise ♪
♪ Para-Para ♪
♪ Paradise ♪
♪ Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh, Oh ♪
- Sing it with me
♪ Para-Para ♪
♪ Paradise ♪
♪ Para-Para ♪
♪ Paradise ♪
♪ Para-Para ♪
♪ Paradise ♪
♪ Oh-0h-0h-0h, oh-oh-oh-oh ♪
♪ Nothing's ♪
♪ gonna stop ♪
♪ Me ♪
♪ Now ♪
♪ Young, gifted, and Black ♪
- Uh oh
- Yeah
♪ To be young, gifted, and Black ♪
♪ I said we young, gifted and Black ♪
♪ Young, gifted and Black ♪
- Keep singing it, you know it's true
♪ To be young, gifted and Black ♪
(crowd cheering)
- [Announcer] Thanks for joining us
for the Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth.
Have a great day and go see a Broadway show.