For a PDF version of this press release, click here. NOTE - this performance was rescheduled to April 22.
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Join award-winning TV, Broadway, and film actor @tayediggs (Facebook and Twitter)/@tayediggsinsta (Instagram) for a live Q&A following a screening of the hit musical RENT @KimmelCC (Twitter)/@KimmelCulturalCampus (Facebook and Instagram) on 4/22. For more info, visit kimmelculturalcampus.org.
Press Contacts:
Lauren A. Woodard Hall Hannah Palermo
484-832-1963 267-765-3724
lhall@kimmelculturalcampus.org hpalermo@alliedglobalmarketing.com
KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS PRESENTS A LIVE CONVERSATION WITH TAYE DIGGS FOLLOWING A SCREENING OF RENT, THE 2005 MOVIE MUSICAL, APRIL 22, 2023
“Commanding a room with his cool demeanor and sophisticated sense of ease is more than just a credit to Diggs’ job in the limelight – it’s a reflection of how he approaches all of life’s turns: with a smile.” – Men’s Health
“Rent really is the gift that keeps on giving.” – Taye Diggs to Yahoo
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (January 23, 2023) –– The Kimmel Cultural Campus presents acclaimed stage, film, and television actor, Taye Diggs, in A Live Conversation with Taye Diggs at the Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) on April 22 2023, at 7:30 p.m. The moderated Q&A will follow a screening of the hit movie musical, Rent, in which Diggs reprised his role of “Benny,” a role he originated in Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning production in 1996.
Rent is the 2005 film version of the Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning rock musical with music, lyrics, and book by Jonathan Larson about Bohemians in the East Village of New York City, struggling with life, love and AIDS, and the impacts they have on America, directed by Chris Columbus. In A Live Conversation with Taye Diggs, Diggs will discuss how he has continued to explore new territories in his career, from the original Broadway production of Rent to Broadway’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch, in which he was the first Black actor cast in the title role. Diggs’ other theatre credits include A Soldier’s Play, Wicked, Chicago, The Wild Party, and Carousel.
“A household name within the Broadway community, Taye Diggs has grown his talent to embody diverse roles and explore different artistic mediums throughout his career, working on comedies and dramas in film, TV, and on the stage,” said Frances Egler, Vice President of Theatrical Programming & Presentations on the Kimmel Cultural Campus. “We’re thrilled to give our audiences this unique opportunity to interact with someone who is an integral part of RENT’s history and therefore the history of theater.”
In 1998, Diggs made his film debut in How Stella Got Her Groove Back. He played The Bandleader in the 2002 film version of the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago. He co-starred as Sam Bennett opposite Kate Walsh in Private Practice, the spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy, and starred in the TNT serial crime drama Murder in the First, which ran for three seasons from 2014-2016. For his role in the series, Diggs earned a nomination for a 2014 NAACP Image Award in the category of “Outstanding Male Actor in a Drama Series.” He is also known for his role in the hit FOX drama, Empire, as Angelo Dubois.
He is the author of five children’s books, all illustrated by Shane Evans: Mixed Me! (2015), Chocolate Me (2015), I Love You More Than… (2018), My Friend! (2021), and the recent Why?: A Conversation About Race (2022), which takes a look at social activism from the eyes of Black children as they struggle to understand demands for change.
He is currently partnered with the National Head Start Association as their Child Literacy Ambassador and has visited Washington DC with the organization. He is the co-artistic director of a dance company, Dre.dance, with fellow Broadway veteran and School of the Arts alumnus, Andrew Palermo. He currently stars in Peacock’s original show, The Best Man: The Final Chapter, the spin-off of the hit films, The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday.
Other featured upcoming performances on the Kimmel Cultural Campus include Wanda Sykes (February 3 – 4, 2023, Miller Theater), Antoni: Let’s Do Dinner (February 13, 2023, Perelman Theater), Heather McMahan: The Comeback Tour (February 18, 2023, Academy of Music), Jay Shetty World Tour: Love Rules (February 21, 2023, Academy of Music), Karlous Miller: At the End of the Day... (February 25, 2023, Miller Theater), The Second City Swipes Right: An Incomplete Guide to The Ultimate Date Night (March 10 – 11, 2023, Perelman Theater), Nimesh Patel: The Lucky Lefty Tour (March 10, 2023, Miller Theater), Noel Miller: Everything Is F#&KED (March 24, 2023, Miller Theater) and Matteo Lane: The Al Dente Tour (March 31, 2023, Miller Theater).
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.kimmelculturalcampus.org. In-person ticket sales can be conducted daily from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street. See www.kimmelculturalcampus.org for more information.
A Live Conversation with Taye Diggs
Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) on the Kimmel Cultural Campus
April 22, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
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KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS
Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region's diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1-million guests per year and includes Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, and SEI Innovation Studio), the Academy of Music, and the Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) – representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. We are home to The Philadelphia Orchestra and six esteemed Resident Companies: Opera Philadelphia, Philadelphia Ballet, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region's most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. Our Cultural Campus serves as a preeminent and inclusive place to enjoy exceptional experiences that reflect the spirit of our region by cultivating a creative and socially responsible environment where our community shares experiences that are delivered with pride, integrity, and respect. As a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, we collaborate on, present, and produce a broad range of relevant and meaningful events, we serve as an active gathering space for social and community events, we educate the region's young people through access to quality arts experiences, and we provide support to artists in the creation of new work. Read Kimmel Cultural Campus' vision statement, world view, and mission statement here. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and how it encompasses our mission, coworkers, and programs here.
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For photography, please visit https://kcccpress.smugmug.com
For a PDF version of this press release, click here. NOTE - this performance was rescheduled to April 22.