Oakland University's Josh Young To Perform Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber

Tony Award nominated Broadway star Josh Young, an assistant professor in Oakland University's School of Music, Theatre and Dance, will perform show tunes from the catalog of Andrew Lloyd Webber at 8 p.m. on Friday, January 24 in Varner Recital Hall.

"My show celebrates the work of Andrew Lloyd Webber chronologically and, while doing so, I discuss my relationship with the man and his music through my own life and stories," Young said.

Young made his Broadway debut as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, which transferred to New York after an acclaimed run at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada. For his role as Judas, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

Young has also appeared in The Grapes of Wrath, Evita (for which he won the Broadway World Toronto Award for Best Actor in a Musical), and Kiss Me, Kate at Stratford, as well as a national tour of Les Misérables and an international tour of West Side Story. In 2015, he starred in the musical Amazing Grace on Broadway where he originated the role of John Newton.

"Andrew's music is what inspired my career," Young said. "Andrew gave me my Broadway debut. I love getting to tell that story to music in my show."

Among other works by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the performance will include one of Young's favorite pieces, "Heaven On Their Minds," from Jesus Christ Superstar.

"It's the first song in Jesus Christ Superstar and, as such, it was the first song I ever sang on a Broadway stage," Young said. "I'm especially fond of it because it's one of the most vocally and dramatically difficult of any song in musical theatre. I worked endless hours to make it work and once I finally did, it was a great feeling of accomplishment. It was and continues to be an absolute pleasure to perform the piece."

Tickets to the performance are $12 for students and $22 for the general public. To purchase tickets, visit www.etix.com.

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