Shine: Black on Broadway

The 2010 Tony Awards aired on Sunday night, with Broadway's African-American stars shining brightly!

August Wilson's "Fences", directed by Kenny Leon, scored Tony awards for "Best Revival of a Play", "Best Leading Actor in a Play" (Denzel Washington) and Best Leading Actress in a Play" (Viola Davis).

Fences is the sixth component of Wilson's ten-part compilation "The Pittsburgh Cycle". It received a coveted Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama and a Tony Award for Best Play in 1987. The talent and experience of the revival's cast and crew is making this Broadway run just as successful.

Academy-Award Winner Denzel Washington stars as slightly disillusioned dream- chaser and sanitation worker Troy Maxson. The versatile actor's role in Fences will add to his resume of previous Broadway stage credits, which include the revival of Julius Caesar in 2005 and the original production of the comedy Checkmates in 1988.

Washington is joined by veteran Tony Award winner and Academy Award nominee Viola Davis, who plays Troy's deeply compassionate wife, Rose. Davis has appeared on the Broadway stage as Vera in Seven Guitars in 1996, and as Tonya in King Hedley II in 2001. Both plays were also written by August Wilson and received multiple Tony and Drama Desk nominations, including the Tony nomination for Best Play.

FELA!, a production produced in part by Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Jay-Z, won awards for Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones), Best Costume Design of a Musical (Marina Draghici), and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Rober Kaplowitz). FELA! is the true story of the legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, whose soulful Afrobeat rhythms ignited a generation.

Inspired by his mother, a civil rights champion, he defied a corrupt and oppressive military government and devoted his life and music to the struggle for freedom and human dignity.

FELA! is a triumphant tale of courage, passion and love.

Fences is now showing at the Cort Theatre 138 W. 48th Street New York, NY and FELA! is showing at The Eugene O'Neill Theatre 230 W. 48th Street New York, NY.