The stars are aligning for Chicago rapper Common, setting the Broadway stage for him to become an EGOT.
The “Glory” chart-topper has won an Emmy, Grammys, and an Oscar. With his debut on Broadway in the new show, “In Between Riverside and Crazy,” he could win an Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence.
He seems to be locked in.
According to ABC 7, the artist said, “I come from a world where you can kind of improv and stuff, but in the theater, it’s like ‘stick to the word!’ If there’s a ‘the’ there, you have to say ‘the ‘… This is a new arena, a new space for me. I’m here to present myself and be part of this and grow and learn.
“My work with people who are incarcerated truly helped me prepare for this role,” Common said. “The work that I have done with people who are incarcerated has changed my life. It made me see life in new ways. It made me look at human beings in new ways. Because of my connection with people who have been incarcerated and the work that I’ve been able to do in just listening to them, I get to express that in a way onstage.”
His co-star Stephen McKinley Henderson said, “And he’s a beautiful human being.”
He added, “He brings himself humbly to it and his victories, we all celebrate, and he’s going to be triumphant.”
Tickets to see the play are available now on the 2nd Stage website.
