Photo by Aubrey Reuben
JANE SUMMERHAYS
Little Rock connection: Starred in the Arkansas Rep production of William Inge’s A Loss of Roses.
Tony Award connection: Was nominated for a 1987 Tony for Featured Actress in a Musical for Me and My Girl.
PETER SCHNEIDER
Little Rock connection: Directed and conceived the Arkansas Repertory Theatre revival of Pal Joey which opened the 2013-2014 season.
Tony Awards connection: Won a Tony Award for producing The Lion King on Broadway.
Hardwicke & Boyer
Charles Boyer and Cedric Hardwicke
Little Rock connection: The pair were part of a touring cast of Don Juan in Hell which is adapted from Shaw’s Man and Superman. It played at Robinson Auditorium in 1951.
Tony Awards connection: Boyer received a Special Tony in 1952 for creating and directing Don Juan in Hell. He also received a Tony nomination in 1963 for starring in the play Lord Pengo. Hardwicke received a 1959 Tony nomination for Actor in a Play for his performance in A Majority of One.
GRETHA BOSTON
Little Rock connection: A native of Arkansas, she has appeared in performance at Wildwood Park for the Arts and at Baptist Health’s Bolo Bash. She has also been inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. (While she was in Little Rock for the Wildwood performance, the Culture Vulture drove her around.)
Tony Awards connection: Won the 1995 Tony for Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in Show Boat. She was also nominated in the same category in 1999 for It Ain’t Nothin’ but the Blues.
MELISSA ERRICO
Little Rock connection: Soloist with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
Tony Awards connection: Nominated for a Tony in 2003 for Actress in a Musical for Amour.
CHARLES S. DUTTON
Little Rock connection: He was the opening speaker of the 2013-2014 Bless the Mic series at Philander Smith College.
Tony Awards connection: He received a 1985 Tony nomination as Featured Actor in a Play for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom by August Wilson. In 1990, he was nominated for Actor in a Play for Wilson’s The Piano Lesson.
(AP Photo/Random House/Dwight Carter)
MAYA ANGELOU
Little Rock connection: An Arkansas native, this poet, writer, actress and speaker has made numerous appearances in Little Rock over the years. She was a member of the first group of inductees into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 1993.
Tony Awards connection: Received a 1973 Tony nomination for Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in Look Away. That was one of three plays that season which featured Mary Todd Lincoln. Leora Dana, who won the Featured Actress Tony over Angelou, appeared in another one of the plays – The Last of Mrs. Lincoln.
Little Rock Culture Vulture 