>> Tonight, Broadway celebrates Juneteenth.

Black cast members from the biggest shows are putting on a free concert in Times Square in honor of the holiday and we have your backstage pass.

Their click to transform Broadway into a more inclusive place as "MetroFocus starts right now.

♪ >> This is MetroFocus with Rafael Pima Raman -- Rafael Pi Roman on, Jack Ford and Jenna Flanagan.

MetroFocus is made possible by Sue Edgar Wachenheim the third, Philip and M D'Agostino foundation, the Peter G Peterson fund and Bernard and any shorts, Barbara Hope Zuckerberg and by Jody and Arnhold, Dr. Robert C and Tina Sohn foundation, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, estate of Roland Carland.

>> Good evening and welcome to MetroFocus.

Seeing Broadway for free is something New Yorkers and theater fans have often only jumped about but this Sunday June 18 in honor of the upcoming Juneteenth holiday Broadway is returning to the heart of Times Square for a free outdoor concert celebrating black artistry and community.

Over 25 black artists from 12 Broadway shows including smash hits like six and MJ the musical are expected to take part as the nation commemorates the emancipation of African-Americans from slavery.

Broadway celebrates Juneteenth is presented by the Broadway league's black Broadway initiative each is working to improve access for all black people to the theater, a traditionally white space.

Joining us with a preview and are on these ongoing diversity efforts are Janine Scott.

Janine is diversity officer of the Broadway league, the theaters national trade association.

Welcome to MetroFocus.

>> Thank you for having me.

Jenna: We are also joined by Eichel James Scott shared Michael is hosting the Juneteenth concert and you might recognize him as Jeannie from -- the Jeannie from allotted.

It's great to have you on to >> Hello.

It is nice to be here.

Jenna: That laugh is iconic either way.

I think we all know it by now.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to welcome the necessary.

Vanessa is making her Broadway debut in New York and will be performing at the event.

It is great to have you on the show.

>> I am excited to be here.

Jenna: Thank you all.

Janine, I want to start and ask you why is it so important for Broadway and again, the only way I could think to describe this is to widen its aperture for the target audience of who would be coming to the theater.

>> Goodness.

I would say that it is important we celebrate Juneteenth as an industry so people understand Broadway is for everyone and all are welcome.

It is even more important for us to see ourselves on stage working behind the scenes and in this industry.

It is very important for the sustainability of theater.

Jenna: Is there any research or understanding for how it is Broadway became at least seen by a lot of people as either exclusively or a very white space?

Is at the shows, the content, the ticket prices?

What is keeping Broadway so exclusive?

>> I think that -- historically it probably has been very exclusive.

Think we have made some strides and we continue to make strides through programming like Juneteenth, like back to Broadway and this celebration.

Programs like the podcast and our high school shadowing program where we open up the doors to students of color or to those groups typically shut out of the Broadway industry.

I wish I could say it was just one thing but I cannot.

It is all layered.

It is going to take a multilayered approach which we are committed to doing and have in emitted to doing for the past few years.

Jenna: With that in mind, I want to turn to you and ask as the host/MC of this show, what can people expect to see from what sounds like an incredible lineup and performance?

>> There is blackness.

OK?

Yes.

I mean, first of all, to be able to be the host this year is such an honor.

When I got approached about it, of course -- there was like yes.

Absolutely.

Of course.

It is so iconic to be able to think about the fact this is Broadway, Juneteenth and Times Square.

I mean, it is like all epic upon epic upon epic which is something I think it so exciting and so brilliant for the Broadway community to be able to get to be a part of.

Juneteenth has been some in the last few years we have now recognized nationally.

Not just for the black community but for all Americans to understand where this is coming from.

To be able to do this with my incredible what I call home, my family, the Broadway community is such a beautiful thing.

To be able to have something like this where the league is saying we want to put this out there and put it in Times Square and make it free for everyone to come and celebrate all of the amazing that is Broadway and black excellence is something really exciting.

You can expect to see amazingness.

We are going to bring our Broadway flare.

We are going to bring the drama.

All of the amazingness you can expect on a Broadway stage in Times Square.

Jenna: All right then.

You kind of gave us a little bit of a taste but for anyone who might be fuzzy about what serious Broadway blackness would be or even look like, give us a little bit of a sentence or a taste -- a sense or a taste.

>>.

Is the thing.

As a little black boy growing up in Orlando, Florida I only dreamt of being on Broadway.

When I think about where we have come to this point to be able to get to see representation of people that look like myself on a stage where it is possible, that to me is major change.

We are recognizing that.

I never would have dreamt.

To be able to get to now be the genie in Disney's Aladdin on Broadway is one of the biggest iconic entertainment companies in the world.

Associated with what Disney on Broadway does, that to me shows it is possible.

I am the living proof it is possible.

If they chubby chocolate boy from Orlando can grow up to be that and looked up to, the list goes on and on.

We are the next generation and we are saying -- we don't -- we know what to expect from those amazing artists.

We have amazing new artists coming up.

People like Vanessa who is going to be performing.

That is an exciting thing.

People are going to see that.

I have been inspired by those people.

For me I am trying to carry on the legacy of these amazing artists before me have done.

Jenna: Vanessa, clearly Michael is very good at this.

He immediately introduced you.

But I would love to get your take on being involved in this especially as part of your Broadway debut season.

This sounds huge.

>> It is.

It is all still feeling very surreal.

It is moments like this, celebration, that help me feel grounded.

I am excited to meet more of the black Broadway community because it is my first foray into this community.

I'm excited to meet other black folks on Broadway, meet the fans, meet the people seeing their first Broadway shows.

I'm excited to make those connections and expand my community.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to get to celebrate in this way.

I think Juneteenth over the past couple of years has looked very different depending on the social climate.

Sometimes it is very reflective.

Sometimes it is very solitary.

Sometimes it is very hopeful.

I'm excited this year I'm going to be in joyful place with other people collectively filling our cup together so we can keep moving forward with hope and optimism.

I think these moments of coming together are really powerful and these are the moments that have kept me looking forward on this overwhelming journey of coming to Broadway for the first time.

Jenna: I would say hope and optimism is definitely something in all of my Broadway experiences I have come away with every performance from.

I want to turn to you and as we are talking about this I did mention in the intro there will be 25 performers, blood performers from various Broadway productions.

I'm wondering -- to be skeptical here, should we be reading into the fact it is only 25 out of so many performers or should it be like there are 25?

That is really impressive out of all these productions.

>> We need to be looking at it like yeah, there are 25 out of these productions because we have a timeframe.

We only have 90 minutes because our wonderful actors have to get back to their magnetic performances.

If we could go longer, we would.

We had a cutoff point and people were like please, please, please.

Because of time constraints, there were only 25 there are 25.

Remarkable considering from all across Broadway.

Shows that are not necessarily black led.

So this is tremendous and this is a great turnout.

It really shows diversity that exists on Broadway.

Jenna: I want to go back to you because you have had an amazing run on Broadway especially with the iconic character of genie.

During the Covid pandemic of course, we saw the unfortunately horrific murder of George Floyd but the response to that being there seemed to be a racial reckoning and a lot of people were saying there are a lot of things wrong in this country that need to be addressed and fixed.

I'm wondering from your perspective having the arc of having looked at it for the past few years, do you think Broadway has made enough effort or enough change has happened or at least the building blocks are being correctly put in place in your opinion?

>> I think what you just said is a beautiful way of putting it.

The building blocks I think have been putting in place to go further what does need to be changed.

I think the first think that has happened is the acknowledgment of it.

Next year I will celebrate 20 years on Broadway.

I have been -- thank you.

I have been -- it is a blessing.

Really.

And so I will never forget my first Broadway show experience and learning from all of those who were in that show.

Very few of color.

What was interesting about that was -- this idea -- sure, conversations have been happening privately for many years.

But I think what has happened now, which I feel so -- especially in our racial awakening we all know happened during the pandemic, everything was building up and all of azide and here we are including our Broadway community is the acknowledgment.

The open talk about what has to change.

What needs to change.

What can we do to make change and so amazing organizations like -- putting on this concert and with the Broadway league and that to me is major.

That to me is the change.

That is what we are doing to acknowledge what needs to be changed in the conversations to happen.

But moreover, giving people the empowerment to feel like they can speak.

And really can be a part of the change.

I am so -- it is amazing for me to think about my almost 20 year career next year and what Vanessa is experiencing right now.

Coming into this community and feeling like if there is stuff she is not feeling comfortable with, there are people.

There are groups.

There are organizations.

We can all go to people right now to actually talk about that.

That was not the case years ago.

So I think that to me is the major change.

I am so proud we are doing.

We had work to do and we will continue to do it.

I think people are really walking the walk as well.

Jenna: That is certainly important.

Again, so very good at this that he cues me up for another question for you.

Seriously.

I feel like you're coming from my job next.

>> You are fantastic at your job.

Jenna: OK. To you, I'm wondering given so much that has happened leading up to your Broadway debut, first of all, it is a two part question.

First part would be how has that empowered whatever little girl dreams perhaps you have had of performing on Broadway?

The same way that Michael explained he never would have dreamed of.

>> What immediately comes to mind is when I was kind of starting to explore theater and I was enjoying community theater as a little girl, it was scary for the adults in my life to imagine what that career would look like because there is not a model of representation of successful black artists in theater.

I had limited exposure to professional theater.

Even less so to like people in theater.

Successfully pursuing that career.

And not doing like one token job where they come in and have a small part and exit.

People leading the charge and taking the stage and feeling empowered and having agency over their careers.

I did not have a ton of examples of that.

What made it -- that made it scary for the adults in my life who wanted to set me up on the best path possible.

I am very lucky at my parents did say go chase your dreams but there are thousands of people I am sure who without that representation, they don't get the same encouragement.

There are people who should be on Broadway right now who probably are not because they have not had the representation and positive role model to say that could be me.

It is a huge responsibility and it is so exciting to be part of the next generation of people saying we are here.

We are doing it.

We are fabulous.

We are talented.

We are living the dream and you can too.

That feels so incredible to be part of that next wave.

Jenna: So the part two of my question and this tends to come up with young black people stepping into a space where there has been so much work and labor put in to make sure you have either a smoother road to walk or you don't face some of the same challenges may be people before you did.

Is there a weight you are carrying to fully embrace everything that people -- the work people have laid out for you or is this something where it feels almost seamless like you are just stepping into something that feels almost natural?

>> I want to borrow the phrase you use earlier and agree with Michael the building blocks are there and we are taking huge strides and things are improving and I am privileged to walk a much easier road than the people who came before me.

That being said, there is still work to do.

I do feel the way and responsibility of when I am in a room and I see something is not right.

I have a duty to call that out.

To be part of the action to help change it.

We all have different capacity day today to be able to be the ones changing these systems.

I do feel the responsibility and the weight of actually tackling issues when they present themselves and trying not to shy away.

There is a big history in many hierarch will industries where you don't want to be the one to rock the boat.

It is exciting to be like actually no.

I'm here because people rocked the boat before me.

I will stand up and do my part and try to keep things moving forward.

I reiterate the building blocks are there.

I am grateful when I walk into my first Broadway contract there are two black women who are explaining equity and diversity policies and they are a separate entity outside of our management company who we can go to with questions, with issues.

That structure did not exist very recently.

I feel really protected.

I feel really supported.

Also I feel really excited I can continue to be a part of the action and a part of the change in keep making it better for future generations.

Jenna: Speaking of rocking the boat, I want to go back to you because recently an interview came up with a theater professor.

She described Broadway as having a traditionally middle-aged white woman audience.

She said it has been entertainment for white people by white people about white people aimed at white people.

We love all people here at PBS and WNET but that is a lot of white people in one statement.

How does that begin to get addressed at all I.S.?

-- at all I guess?

>> Look, I will say this.

Traditionally in the past, historically, the statement that she made was probably true or is true.

I'm not going to say probably.

If you look at the Tony Nominees and you look at what is on stage right now, this is probably the most diverse that we have seen in a really long time if ever.

So I don't necessarily 100% agree with that statement.

As in 2023.

Just like everyone else has said, building blocks.

We are.

It is going to take time.

We did not get to be this industry overnight.

It is going to take time for us to change that path which is why we have multiple initiatives.

You have now more producers of color than ever before.

We have fellowship programs that are existing to help with the behind the scenes, the backstage and offices.

You look at Vanessa right now who is making her debut and then you look at 20 years of the genie with Michael.

It is taking time.

We did not get here overnight.

It is going to take time.

I don't necessarily all the way agree with it being all white people for weight people targeted -- for white people targeted toward white people.

I think our stories are universal.

But with that said, history, yes.

But Broadway is just like any other industry.

Most industries were geared toward white people.

Let's look at the systems and how they were created systemically.

This world, this country was created for white people.

We are going to -- it is going to take time to change and Broadway is no different than any other industry.

We have programs in place to help to rock the boat and to change the trajectory of Broadway and I think if you look at the Tony Nominees and you will see that we have come a long way.

While still having a ways to go.

Jenna: Of course.

But with moving along the way, voting blocks as we have discussed being put in place, sometimes progress can feel like two steps forward one step back.

I guess my final question and this will be to everyone is, do you feel like the momentum is in such a way that there cannot be next lighting -- not be back sliding?

Or if there could be, is there something ready to go to address that so we do not kinda forget, lose momentum and fall back into some toxic patterns?

>> Shorted I can answer -- sure.

I can answer that first.

Accountability is everything.

I think that we are at a place now where we may have accepted some things as that is just the way it is that we are no longer accepting any more.

It is not good enough.

We are going to hold each other accountable.

I ask people hold me accountable and I ask you hold our industry accountable.

Accountability is going to be key.

I don't see us going back.

We have come too far.

As long as you have at least the three of us in this industry, I don't see it happening because right now you have -- to steal Vanessa's words, you have some serious boat rockers.

I don't see us going back.

Jenna: Michael, same question and I have about a minute left.

>> I agree.

What I know is I don't think none of us will be shutting up anytime soon.

I know -- you can barely get me to shut up anyway in general.

I am just one.

So I know and I am very confident knowing some of my other friends.

The down to literally some of our front of house ushers.

All of it.

The team that we all are in this community.

That we are not shutting up at this point.

We are moving forward.

A lot of people have finally started to feel empowered.

With empowerment, I think that can be scary for people but the scary thing about it is it is an amazing thing for those of us who finally feel like we can speak even after someone who has been here for years and years.

I know I will not be going back.

I am here to stay.

I feel like that is for sure now in front of us and that is where we are going.

Jenna: We are going to have to leave it there but I want to thank all three of my guests.

Michael James Scott just for being Michael James Scott.

[LAUGHTER] Vanessa, who's Broadway career I cannot wait to watch you blossom and develop.

And of course, Janine Scott for doing the work you do and making sure Broadway shows up the way it should to represent and support the entire metropolitan community.

Everyone, thank you so much for joining us and we look forward to this concert.

>> Thank you.

>> Thank you.

I will see you there.

>> Thank you.

>> Thanks for tuning in to MetroFocus.

You can take our award-winning program with you wherever you go with MetroFocus the podcast.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode or simply ask your smart speaker to play MetroFocus the podcast.

Also available at metrofocus.org and on the NPR one app.

♪ >> MetroFocus is made possible by Sue and Walken Heim the third.

Philp and M D'Agostino foundation.

The Peter G Peterson and Joan Ganz Cooney fund.

Bernard and Denise Schwartz.

Barbara Hope Zuckerberg.

And by Jody and John Arnhold.

Dr. Robert C and Tina Sohn foundation.

The Ambrose Monell foundation.

Estate of Roland Carland.

♪