HJ694: Commending Adrienne Warren.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 694

Offered February 1, 2021
Commending Adrienne Warren.

Patrons-- Hayes, Adams, D.M., Carr, Convirs-Fowler, Delaney, Heretick, Hope, Kory, McQuinn, Rasoul, Reid, Simonds and Ware; Senators: Spruill, Boysko, Deeds, Howell and Marsden

WHEREAS, Adrienne Warren, an accomplished Broadway actor and native of Hampton Roads, was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical in 2020; and

WHEREAS, since she was a child, Adrienne Warren has been on the stage, singing in the choir at her father’s church and performing in productions of the Hurrah Players, a family-friendly theater company in Norfolk; and

WHEREAS, Adrienne Warren is a 2005 graduate of the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk, where the community of young artists contributed greatly to her development as an actor; and

WHEREAS, Adrienne Warren made her Broadway debut in 2012 in the musical Bring It On and four years later was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for her performance in Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed; and

WHEREAS, Adrienne Warren originated the role of Tina Turner in the critically acclaimed Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which premiered at the Aldwych Theatre in the West End of London in 2018; and

WHEREAS, Adrienne Warren received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical and recently reprised the role on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, earning her second Tony Award nomination in 2020; and

WHEREAS, Adrienne Warren has lent her talents to numerous television productions in recent years, including CBS’s Blue Bloods and Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black in 2013, ABC’s Black Box in 2014, USA Network’s Royal Pains in 2016, and ABC’s Quantico in 2017; and

WHEREAS, Adrienne Warren is a founder of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition and currently serves on its Board of Directors, using her platform to advocate for criminal justice and immigration reform and education equity; and

WHEREAS, during visits to her home in Hampton Roads, Adrienne Warren regularly meets young actors with the Hurrah Players and the Governor’s School for the Arts to share her experience and empower them to pursue their dreams; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Adrienne Warren, a celebrated actor from Hampton Roads, for earning a 2020 Tony Award nomination and impressing audiences on the finest stages in the world; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Adrienne Warren as an expression of the General Assembly’s high esteem and admiration for her tremendous achievements and best wishes for her continued success.