well, That's Show Biz, 02-01-2026 4-44 Black History Month 2026

Black History Month

“Well, That’s Show Biz!”

2-01-2026

• You are listening to [Station ID].

• 
  

• Welcome to “well, That’s Show Biz!”. I am your host, Jeremy Freedman, and this is the show that brings you music from Broadway, Movies, and Entertainers along with some anecdotes, information, and commentary all based on a theme.

• 
  

• Today’s show was pre-recorded.

• 
  

• Today marks the start of Black History Month. To celebrate this year, I am simply going to play songs performed by an array of African American performers from various eras.

• 
  

• For our opening set, we are going to start with actress, dancer, choreographer, director, and producer Debbie Allen singing “If My Friends Could See Me Now” from the 1986 revival of Sweet Charity. Then we will hear singer, actress, and the first African American woman to be crowned Miss America, Vanessa Williams sing the “Act II: Lament” from the 2002 revival of Into the Woods. We will follow that with actress and singer Leslie Uggams singing “Being Good” from the Jule Styne Tony Award winning musical, Hallelujah, Baby!. And we will close the set with actress, singer, activist, and first African American woman to win the Best Actress Tony Award, Diahann Carroll singing "Loads of Love" from No Strings. Here’s Debbie Allen singing “If My Friends Could See Me Now”.

• 
  

• Today begins Black History Month and you just heard Debbie Allen singing “If My Friends Could See Me Now” from Sweet Charity, Vanessa Williams singing the “Act II: Lament” from Into the Woods, Leslie Uggams singing “Being Good” from Hallelujah, Baby!, and Diahann Carroll singing “Loads of Love” from No Strings.

• 
  

• <PSA>

• 
  

• For our next group of African American performers, we start with actor, dancer, singer and Tony Award winner for Best Actor, Ben Vereen singing “Simple Joys” from the Stephen Schwartz musical Pippin. Then we will hear actor, dancer, and choreographer Gregory Hines along with tap dancer, actor, and choreographer Savion Glover singing “The Whole World’s Waitin’ to Sing Your Song” from Jelly’s Last Jam. And we will end with actor, singer, and Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart performing “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin. Here’s Ben Vereen with “Simple Joys”.

• 
  

• You just heard Ben Vereen singing “Simple Joys” from Pippin, Gregory Hines and Savion Glover singing “The Whole World’s Waitin’ to Sing Your Song” from Jelly’s Last Jam, and James Monroe Iglehart performing “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin as we celebrate Black History Month today on “well, That’s Show Biz!”.

• 
  

• <Station Promo>

• 
  

• You are listening to “well, That’s Show Biz!” on [Station ID].

• 
  

• February is Black History Month and we are celebrating by playing songs from famous African American artists.

• 
  

• For our third set we open with singer, actor, and Tony winner Billy Porter singing “Land of Lola” from Kinky Boots. Next, we have actor, singer, and Tony and Grammy winner Leslie Odom Jr. singing “Wait For It” from Hamilton. Then, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winner Cynthia Erivo and youngest EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson perform “What About Love” from The Color Purple. And we will end with Tony Award winner Myles Frost singing “Billy Jean” from MJ the Musical. Here’s “Land of Lola” from Kinky Boots.

• 
  

• Today begins Black History Month and you just heard Billy Porter singing “Land of Lola” from Kinky Boots, Leslie Odom Jr. singing “Wait For It” from Hamilton, Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson performing “What About Love” from The Color Purple, and Myles Frost singing “Billy Jean” from MJ the Musical.

• 
  

• <Donation Copy>

• 
  

• <Other Show Promo>

• 
  

• And now for our final set for Black History Month we begin with actor, activist, and professional football player Paul Robeson singing “Ol’ Man River” from Showboat. Then we will hear Audra McDonald, winner of 6 performance Tony Awards, sing “God Bless the Child”, as Billie Holiday, in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. And we will conclude with legendary singer, actor, and activist Lena Horne performing “If You Believe”, originally from The Wiz, from her one woman show, The Lady and Her Music. When the film version of The Wiz was announced, she wanted the role of the Wicked Witch of The West and thought she would get it since her son in law was the producer. But instead she got the role of Glinda hence this song. Here is Paul Robeson and “Ol’ Man River”.

• 
  

• You just heard Paul Robeson singing “Ol’ Man River” from Showboat. Audra McDonald singing “God Bless the Child”, as Billie Holiday, in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, and Lena Horne performing “If You Believe”, originally from The Wiz, from her one woman show, The Lady and Her Music which concludes today’s show for Black History Month.

• 
  

• And that concludes this week’s edition of “well, That’s Show Biz!”. If you would like to assist with a future show, send your theme and song suggestions to me at wruushowbiz@gmail.com. And if you enjoyed today’s show, please contact the station at WRUU.org and let them know. And don’t forget to tell your friends to join us every Sunday at 1pm for more of “well, That’s Show Biz!” on WRUU-LP, Savannah, GA, 107.5FM and WRUU.org.  We are Savannah Soundings, Community Radio with Global Soul.

• 
  

• Please stay tuned for “Music At The Movies”, coming up next, hosted by Aiden Peck and I will see you next week. So long.