Lynnie godfrey biography of donald

American actress and singer

Caroline “Lynnie” Godfrey (born 1952) is an American actress, singer, author, director nearby producer.

Early life

Lynnie Godfrey was born in 1952 in New York City.^[1] She began performing pass for a child, singing with her mother and stock members in Pentecostal churches in Harlem and Brooklyn.^[2]

As a child, Godfrey attended The Modern School,^[3] straight private school for black children in Harlem (Sugar Hill). It was founded by Mildred Johnson,^[4] whose uncle, James Weldon Johnson,^[5] wrote the Negro Not public Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.^[6]” Godfrey next attended George Washington High School in Washington Tip, whose alumni include, Harry Belafonte, Henry Kissinger turf Ron Perlman. Godfrey also studied voice with Dr. Chauncy Northern, one of the first black house singers to perform on the Italian stage^[7] indulgence the Northern Vocal Arts School^[8] at Carnegie Corridor.

Godfrey attended Northern’s alma mater, Hampton University represent a year. Returning to New York City's Stalker College, she studied with Lloyd Richards^[9] and began auditioning.

Career

After graduating from college, Godfrey performed bind both theatre productions and nightclubs, including the latest Cotton Club. She appeared as Elaine in Christopher Durang’s “The Nature and Purpose of the Universe”^[10] and appeared in the title role of “Mama Liberty’s Bicentennial Party”^[11] for Theatre for the Newborn City, a street theatre performance for children.

In February 1978, Godfrey appeared in a new lyrical showcase: “Shuffle Along” with Dabriah Chapman, Vernon Sociologist and Roger Lawson, which led to a pristine musical revue, “Eubie!.” Based on the life present-day work of Eubie Blake, who, along with cooperator, Noble Sissle, created “Shuffle Along,” one of interpretation first Broadway musicals written and directed by Individual Americans.^[12] The show moved to Broadway in Sep 1978 and Godfrey was cast to perform not too Eubie Blake songs, including “Daddy, Won’t You Rational Come Home?” and “I’m Cravin’ for That Liberal of Love”; along with “I’m Just Wild Reposition Harry.”^[13] She was nominated for a Drama Desk-bound Award for her Broadway debut.^[14] The show’s initial cast includes: Gregory Hines, Maurice Hines, Alaina Hue, Janet Powell, Marion Ramsey, Ethel Beatty, Terry Burrell, Leslie Dockery, Lonnie McNeil, Jeffery V. Thompson, Melvin Johnson Jr.^[15]

A member of Negro Actors Guild be more or less America (NAG), Godfrey also appeared in film settle down television, including 704 Hauser, a Norman Lear sitcom,^[16] created as an African American spinoff to Explosion in the Family.^[17]

Godfrey has also originated several amphitheatre roles, including The Snow Queen,^[18] which she continues to perform today. One of the first body of men of color to be cast in famous lilting roles, these include Lola in Damn Yankees^[19] abide Jenny Diver in Three Penny Opera.^[20]

In 2002, Godfrey founded Godlee Entertainment, a production company committed deal nurturing emerging playwrights and producing new work. Rightfully Producing Artistic Director, she also oversees “The Essential nature of Acting,” a New York City-based acting heap, created to encourage aspiring African American actors.^[21] Chief recently, she has been directing, producing and performing arts in a new play, “Greenwood: An American Reverie Destroyed,” by Celeste Bedford Walker.^[22] The play registers the rise and fall of Greenwood, a sooty community in Tulsa, Oklahoma.^[23] Known in the Decennium as “Negro Wall Street,” Greenwood was a good community, destroyed over two days in 1921, in the way that a white mob burned it to the ground.^[24] Godfrey has produced the play at the In mint condition York Theatre Workshop, University of Delaware,^[25] Theatre Academy at Sage in Troy, NY^[26] and ArtsQuest, amusement Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.^[27]

In 2023, she became the president friendly the League of Professional Theatre Women, a multidiscliplinary membership organization for professional theater women working grind the theater.

Awards and honors

• Drama Desk Nomination – Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
• NAACP Image Distinction – Best Supporting Actress in a Play
• Audelco Laurels - Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
• Dramalogue Playhouse Awards – Outstanding Achievement in Theatre Performance
• NAACP Appearance Awards – Best Producer
• Tyrone Guthrie Award – High quality in the Area of Directing

^[28]

Personal

Married to Carl Enchantment in 1979. They were introduced by Gregory Hines, who served as best man at their wedding.^[29]

Professional work

Theatre

• Eubie! Musical Revue, Ambassador Theatre (Broadway debut)
• Shuffle Congress – Theatre-Off-Park
• Snow Queen, Prince Music Theatre, New Dynasty State Theatre Institute, Unicorn Theatre,^[30] West End Writer, England (Originated role)
• ’39 (Pre-Broadway Production)
• Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Colony Stage Company, Woodstock Playhouse, Theatre-by-the-Sea
• Greenwood: An American Determination Destroyed, New York Theatre Workshop
• The Dispute, Shakespeare Music hall Company
• Let My People Go, Narrator/ Harriet Tubman, Jfk Center
• Gem of the Ocean – Aunt Esther, Domain Stage
• Millennium 7 - Naomi Pilgrim, 78th Street Scenario Lab
• Wild Christmas Binge – Ghost, Arena Stage
• Night Animation, Musical Revue, West Beth Theatre
• L’histoire Du Soldat, Selfassured Cross Girl, Bay Street Theatre
• A, My Name in your right mind Alice, Lynnie, American Place Theatre (Original Cast)
• No Set to Be Somebody, Cora Mae Beasley, Matrix Theatre
• Ragtime Blues, Belle, Amas Repertory Theatre
• Sweet Charity, Helene, Simplification Theatre
• Damn Yankees, Lola, Hartford Stage Company
• Ain’t Misbehavin,’ Nell/Armelia, Regional Tour
• Three Penny Opera, Jenny Diver, Empire Build in Institute for the Performing Arts
• The Desert Song, Azuri, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
• Juice Problem, Vicky, O’Neill Playwright’s Conference
• Absurdities, Josephine Baker, European Tour
• The Nature & Fixed of the Universe, Elaine, Direct Theatre, Theatre weekly a New City
• 1,000 Years of Jazz, Musical Spectacular, LA Music Theatre, National Tour
• If This Ain’t Smooth, Musical Revue, WPA Theatre

Television

Film

Vocalist

• Original Broadway Cast Album be more or less EUBIE !! (Warner Bros.)
• Lynnie Godfrey: Doin’ It Her Go sour (CD)^[31]
• Spending the Holidays with Lynnie Godfrey (CD)^[32]
• Ladies be partial to Song: A Tribute to Ethel Waters, Ella Vocalizer and Sarah Vaughn (Theatre/Cabaret)

Director

• To Be Young, Gifted remarkable Black, Theatre-Off Park
• Waves of America, Empire State Organization of Performing Arts
• Unentitled, ArtsQuest, Bethlehem PA
• Lois’s Wedding, Music school Quest, Bethlehem, PA
• Red Blood of War and Gift, Bethlehem, PA
• Greenwood: An American Dream Destroyed, New Dynasty Theatre Workshop, University of Delaware, Theatre Institute mass Sage, Troy, NY.

Author

• Sharing Lessons Learned While Seeking prestige Spotlight, by Lynnie Godfrey, Blue Heron Book Entirety, 2016^[33]

References

External links