Tituss Burgess to Host 2017 STARS IN THE ALLEY Concert this Friday

STARS IN THE ALLEY has just announced that stage and screen actor Tituss Burgess will host the free outdoor concert that will take place on Friday, June 2 at 1 PM in Shubert Alley, between Broadway and 8th Avenue and 44th and 45th Streets.

Produced by the Broadway League, STARS IN THE ALLEY celebrates the end of the 2016-2017 Broadway season and adds to the festivities leading up to the 2017 Tony Awards. The event will consist of performances from over 20 musicals, including shows from this past season as well as numbers from current long-running shows, all accompanied by a 12-piece live orchestra.

"We're thrilled that Tituss Burgess can join us in celebrating the end of an incredible Broadway season! His energy and enthusiasm for theatre will get everyone excited for this year's Tony Awards," says Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League. "The great variety of musicals and plays that Broadway has to offer will be on full display with the incomparable lineup of talent at this year's concert!"

"Stars in the Alley showcases the excitement of musical theatre and the vibrancy of Times Square all at once. The opportunity to help bring great live music that is free to the public is the primary goal of the MPTF," says Dan Beck Trustee, Music Performance Trust Fund

Tituss Burgess is an Emmy and SAG-nominated actor who has emerged as one of the entertainment industry's most versatile and dynamic performers, with his work in television and theater generating both critical and commercial acclaim. He emerged as the breakout star of Netflix's award-winning comedy "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," currently in its third season, after becoming a fan-favorite on Tina Fey's Emmy-winning NBC series "30 Rock." Burgess has appeared on Broadway in Guys and Dolls, The Little Mermaid, Jersey Boys and Good Vibrations. Regionally he has also performed in productions of The Wiz and Jesus Christ Superstar. Burgess has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series and two Critics' Choice TV Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He was also awarded Best Actor at the 2015 Webby Awards and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy at the 2015 Gold Derby TV Awards. His other television credits include "A Gifted Man", "Blue Bloods", and "Royal Pains". Burgess lent his voice to two major studio films: The Angry Birds Movie and Smurfs: The Lost Village. He will also join the cast of the upcoming "Departures," set to be released in 2018. Burgess recently acquired the rights to the beloved film The Preacher's Wife, for which he's writing an original score and lyrics. In addition, Burgess evolved his solo music career in 2012 with the debut of his album Comfortable, in which he wrote the music and lyrics for ten of the eleven songs.

For more details about STARS IN THE ALLEY or for Broadway information in NYC as well as for shows on tour across North America and internationally, visit Broadway.org.

The concert will come just nine days before the American Theatre Wing's 71st Annual Tony Awards. The ceremony will air on the CBS Television Network on Sunday, June 11, 2017 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/delayed PT) live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, hosted by Tony Award-winner Kevin Spacey. The Tony Awards, which honor theatre professionals for distinguished achievement on Broadway, have been broadcast on CBS since 1978. The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

For more information on the Tony Awards, visit TonyAwards.com and Facebook.com/TheTonyAwards and follow @TheTonyAwards on Instagram and Twitter.

The event is produced by The Broadway League. United Airlines is the title sponsor of Stars in the Alley and is the official airline of The Broadway League and the Tony Awards. Live music sponsored by The Recording Industry's Music Performance Trust Fund and The Film Funds. The official hospitality partner is Junior's Restaurant. The official media partner is The New York Times. Additional support is provided by The Shubert Organization and SL Green Realty Corporation.

Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter-Keddy