Obba Babatunde To Play Sammy Davis, Jr. On Stage

Tony Award nominee Obba Babatundé has been tapped to star as Sammy Davis, Jr. in the world premiere of the new musical, "Sammy," at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre, reports Broadway.com.



The show, directed by Keith Glover, will begin previews on Sept. 19 and run through Nov. 8. Opening night is Oct. 2.



"Sammy" moves from Sammy Davis, Jr.’s days as a child working in vaudeville through his years with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin as a member of the Rat Pack. Featuring classic tunes such as “The Candy Man,” “Mr. Bojangles” and “What Kind of Fool Am I?” as well as new songs written especially for the musical, "Sammy" traces the highs and lows of the ultimate triple-threat singer, actor and dancer, who broke new ground while struggling with issues of identity, race and a turbulent personal life.



Babatundé was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as C.C. White in the original Broadway cast of "Dreamgirls." His additional Broadway credits include the revival of "Chicago," "Grind" and "Timbuktu!" He also created the role of Jelly Roll Morton in "Jelly’s Last Jam."