Leslie Uggams Looks Back On Her Decades In Show Business

This episode of Fresh Air features an interview with Leslie Uggams, a singer and actress with a career spanning from childhood to her current work in projects like "The Gilded Age" and "Deadpool." Uggams reflects on her early experiences at the Apollo Theater, where she met Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, and her role in "Beulah" and "Roots," discussing the impact of these roles on her and her family's history. She shares anecdotes about her time on "Sing Along with Mitch," her Broadway success in "Hallelujah Baby," and the challenges she faced as a black performer during the Civil Rights era, including her marriage to an Australian man and the racism she encountered. The conversation also touches on her personal connections to the songs she performs, her experiences with class and race, and her thoughts on the current state of diversity and inclusion in the arts.