Brian Stokes Mitchell has been scheduled to perform his solo concert at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre on Sunday and Monday nights, when the Light in the Piazza theatre is dark. Stokes Mitchell has performed his concert around the country, and received glowing reviews for his February cabaret debut at Feinstein's at the Regency. Love/Life, true to its name, was an evening of romantic standards that highlighted Stokes Mitchell's appeal as a tall, dark and suavely handsome leading man with a sweet, easygoing charm and swoon-inducing baritone voice. Stephen Holden of The New York Times was impressed, alluding to a previous Stokes Mitchell role: "His vocal command is such that when he determines to right unrightable wrongs and beat unbeatable foes, you wonder for a moment if the impossible might actually be within his grasp."Stokes Mitchell made his Broadway debut in the musical Mail in 1988. Ten years later, he skyrocketed to fame as the martyred pianist Coalhouse in Ragtime. He was nominated for a Best Actor Tony, but won for his work as Fred/Petruchio in the 1999 Kiss Me Kate revival. He was also nominated for his performance as Don Quixote in his last Broadway outing, the 2002 revival of Man of La Mancha. Other Broadway credits include Oh, Kay!, Kiss of the Spiderwoman and August Wilson's drama King Hedley II.
Stokes Mitchell would be following in the footsteps of two theatrical legends, Patti LuPone and Barbara Cook, both of whom have also played their concerts at the Beaumont in similar contexts. This is not Stokes' only upcoming concert--he has the South Pacific one at Carnegie Hall to which he can look forward. Stokes Mitchell will sing Emile de Becque opposite Reba McEntire's Nellie Forbush on June 9, 2005.The Light in the Piazza, the new Adam Guettel musical set in 50's Italy that stars Victoria Clark and Kelli O'Hara, will begin previews on March 17, 2005. It will play at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre from April 18 through June 12.
