Fantasia has come a long way since emerging as the season 3 winner on “American Idol” in 2004. Her winning was virtually assured when she delivered a spellbinding rendition of the George Gershwin classic “Summertime” from “Porgy and Bess.” The famed opera has, of course, been presented on the Broadway stage.
Fantasia, whose latest album is “Side Effects of You,” is set to return to Broadway in October in a production titled “After Midnight,” a celebration of the legendary bandleader/musician Duke Ellington with a focus on his years at the renowned Cotton Club, in Harlem, New York.
Previews of “After Midnight” will start on Oct. 18. The official opening will be on Nov. 3. Expectations are high.
Ellington is known for such beloved songs as “Satin Doll,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Take the ‘A’ Train” and “Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me.”
Fantasia previously appeared on Broadway in “The Color Purple,” in the role of Celle, and won wave reviews from critics and was responsible for an increase in ticket sales.