A group of Broadway performers, including Mykal Kilgore, Aisha Jackson, and Destinee Rea, got together to perform a rendition of the celebratory “Everybody Rejoice (Brand New Day)” from The Wiz to raise support for mental health awareness. Check out the music video, which was created by the Darkness RISING Project in response to U.S. Census Bureau’s recent report that a third of Americans now show signs of clinical depression and anxiety.
Joining the trio in the video are fellow stage alums Antoine L. Smith, Ayana George, Kwame Remy, Carlita Victoria, Wes Barnes, Ayesha Cortinas, Jason Williams, Khori Rogers, Ramone Owens, Collin Heyward, and Michelle West.
“Communities of color have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and economic insecurity, coupled with trauma from systemic racism and police brutality,” said Darkness RISING Founder Carlita Victoria. “It is important for our organization to use our platform to bring a sense of hope not only to the Black community, but also the global community.”
READ: Broadway’s Mykal Kilgore Calls Out Racism in the Theatre on Facebook
Collin L. Howard directs the video, with choreography by Victoria. Rounding out the creative team are associate choreographer Ramone Owens, musical arranger David Dabbon, editor Neville Braithwaite, and audio engineer David Hoffman.
Darkness RISING Project is a non-profit organization led by singers and musicians from the Black Broadway community aimed at starting conversations about mental health, raising awareness, and erasing the negative stigma of mental health issues.
The Wiz, the Tony-winning musical adaption of The Wizard of Oz, opened at the Majestic Theatre January 5, 1975. It features a book by William F. Brown and a score primarily by Charlie Smalls, though the song above was actually penned by Luther Vandross.
