Billy Porter, Lillias White, Kenny Leon, and Jessica Paz Join EPIC Lineup

The Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry Conference (EPIC) will welcome four Tony Award-winning leaders in their fields - actors Billy Porter and Lillias White, director Kenny Leon, and sound designer Jessica Paz - to its international lineup of more than 120 speakers.

The first-ever global online event presents dozens of renowned speakers from around the world in 50 different sessions for everyone working in, aspiring to work in, or wishing to explore the arts and entertainment sector. Attendees can follow one of four pillars curated for their focus or move seamlessly between pillars in a livestreamed global event on January 10 and available on demand through February 12.

Billy Porter joins EPIC in a Mainstage Session for all attendees. A beloved Broadway talent for decades, Billy won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical as Lola in Kinky Boots. He has gone on to win a Golden Globe and Emmy for his work in Pose. Among numerous other accolades, he was one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. At EPIC, Billy sits down for a frank and honest discussion about theatre, art, fashion, music, activism, his book (Unprotected: A Memoir), and his rise to stardom.

Kenny Leon joins the CREATE pillar. Leon won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for the revival of A Raisin in the Sun starring Denzel Washington, and in 2021 his Broadway production of A Soldier's Play won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. Leon's career spans regional theatre, Broadway, TV, and Netflix, and in 2018 he published his memoir Take You Wherever You Go. In an exclusive interview with Broadway stage manager and production supervisor Lisa Dawn Cave, Leon describes his approach to directing theatre, film, and television, how he collaborates, his vision for the future of theatre, and the impact of his work.

The DESIGN pillar welcomes Jessica Paz, Tony Award winner for her sound design on Hadestown. Paz's additional Broadway credits include Dear Evan Hansen, Bandstand, and Fela!, as well as numerous regional theatre productions and concerts. The first woman to be nominated - and win - the Tony for Sound Design since the category's inception in 2008, she joins colleagues for an insightful look at the unique intersection of engineering and artistry necessary for sound mixers and designers.

Lillias White, Tony Award winner for her rousing performance in The Life, joins the PERFORM pillar to discuss her amazing career on and off-Broadway, in film, television, cabaret and more. White made her Broadway debut in Barnum in 1981, understudied the role of Effie in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls, played the part in the '87 revival, and her first solo studio album is set to be released this summer. In this session, White will explore the lessons learned throughout her varied career and look forward what's next.

These luminaries join over 120 leaders from the worlds of theatre, circus, dance, events, and opera for 50 unique, inspirational and insightful sessions. More details, including the full list of panelists, is available at GlobalEpicEvent.com.