Ann Duquesnay is an American musical theatre singer/actress, composer and lyricist. She is best known for '' Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk'', which earned her a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

and

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nomination.

Early life

Duquesnay's parents were Southern

sharecropper Sharecropping is a legal arrangement with regard to agricultural land in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on that land. Sharecropping has a long history and there are a wide range ...

s who moved to

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Harl ...

when she was five years old. Her formal music training began well after her stage years. She developed a passion for theatre, encouraged by director George C. Wolfe.Saltzman, Simon
Ann Duqesnay Interview
Theaterscene.net, September 27, 2004; retrieved November 23, 2006. Duquesnay's Broadway debut was in the

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own du ...

'' Blues in the Night'' in 1982 as a standby. Two years later, she played

Glinda Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Cou ...

in a revival of ''

The Wiz ''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...

''. She was next seen in '' Jelly's Last Jam'' as Gran Mimi and Ancestor. She was a replacement on Broadway in '' It Ain't Nothin But the Blues''. She toured extensively in the U.S. and internationally.She was critically acclaimed for her performance in roles as

Alberta Hunter Alberta Hunter (April 1, 1895 – October 17, 1984) was an American jazz and blues singer and songwriter from the early 1920s to the late 1950s. After twenty years of working as a nurse, Hunter resumed her singing career in 1977. Early life Hu ...

'' Cookin at the Cookery'' (Drama League Recognition Award and Drama Desk nominee); and

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

''Lady Day''" (Bay Area Critics Circle Award).

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

and Regional ''Sheila's Day'' at Hartford Stage, Crossroads Theatre, and Market Theatre, Johannesburg SA; ''Sammy'' Old Globe Theatre (NAACP Theatre Award nominee); revival of '' Hallelujah Baby'' Arena Stage (Helen Hayes Award); ''Our Leading Lady'' Manhattan Theatre Club (Audelco Award nominee); '' Spunk'' (NAACP Theatre Award) collaborated on music; ''

Porgy & Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play ''Porgy'', its ...

'' (Maria) Houston Grand Opera & Japan tour; '' Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' (Ma Rainey) Denver Centre Theatre. She has worked as a narrator in

Ken Burns Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary film, documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle United States, American History of the United States, history and Culture of the ...

' documentaries and the biographical audio book of

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

''Aretha From These Roots''. Along with Daryl Waters and Zane Mark, Duquesnay co-wrote the music for '' Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk'' in 1996, as well as playing the roles of 'Da Singer and Chanteuse. The musical debuted on April 25. For her contributions, she won a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and was nominated for Best Original Score. In 2006, Duquesnay returned to Broadway in the revue ''

Hot Feet ''Hot Feet'' is a jukebox musical featuring the music of Earth, Wind & Fire, a book by Heru Ptah and was conceived, directed, and choreographed by Maurice Hines. The musical opened on Broadway at the Foxwoods Theatre (then the Hilton Theatre) on ...

'', featuring music by Maurice White.

References

External links

* American women singers American musical theatre actresses American musical theatre composers Broadway composers and lyricists Living people Actresses from New York City Year of birth missing (living people) Tony Award winners 21st-century American women {{US-composer-stub