THEATRE

The Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston presents Tony and Emmy Award winner Leslie Uggams in concert for two shows only October 16 and 17 at 2 p.m. The legendary actress and singer brings her acclaimed cabaret "Uptown, Downtown" to the Robinson Theatre in Waltham straight from a triumphant three-week engagement at the Café Carlyle in New York City. Stephen Holden, music critic for the New York Times, called Uggams “a show-biz trouper with sawdust in her blood” whose jazzy voice, “dazzling smile,” and internal feistiness are reminiscent of an earlier musical giant, Lena Horne.

In her concert, accompanied by a swinging pop-jazz quintet, Uggams puts her own personal stamp on classic songs which mark milestones in her Uptown (Harlem) and Downtown (Broadway) careers. “Born in a Trunk” tells of her beginnings as a nine-year-old opening for greats like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington. “If He Walked into My Life” recalls her two-year run in the hit musical revue "Jerry’s Girls" based on the music of renowned composer Jerry Herman. Two numbers from "Hallelujah, Baby!" celebrate her Tony Award-winning Broadway debut at the age of 24.

Uggams is probably best known for her history-making role as Kizzy in the unforgettable television series, Alex Haley’s “Roots.” Gaining worldwide recognition as a dramatic actress as a result of her remarkable portrayal, Uggams earned the Critics Choice Award, an Emmy nomination, and a Golden Globe nomination.