Photo Flash: Andre De Shields Plays Laurie Beechman

Maurice Hines, Charles Randolph Wright (MOTOWN director), James Rado, Mercedes Ellington, Jonathan Groff, Wynonna Smith, Mark Nadler, Kimberly Grigsby and more turned out to see De Shields in action. Along with De Shields, the evening featured his longtime vocalists Freida Williams and Marlene Danielle with the multi-talented pianist Larry Spivack. Also featured were singer Ula Hedwig (one of the original Harlettes) who sang a song she wrote with Marc Shaiman called "Love's Sad Glance", and composer Steve Margoshes took to the piano to accompany De Shields on a rousing version of the Jim Steinman/Barry Keating song "Who Do The Dirty."

De Shields is currently in rehearsal to reprise his role as W.E.B. Du Boise in KNOCK ME A KISS (by Charles Smith) at Crossroads Theatre Company in New Brunswick, NJ. The show called "a dandy play...rollicking fun" by the New York Times, runs from October 25 through November 4.

Photo Credit: Lia Chang

James Rado, Jonathan Groff, Kimberly Grigsby (conductor) and Andre De Shields

A.D. Coughlan, James Rado, Andre De Shields, Steve Margoshes

Mercedes Ellington and Andre De Shields

Freida Williams, Andre De Shields, Marlene Danielle

Maurice Hines, Andre De Shields, Charles Randolph Wright