Billy Porter to Bring BROADWAY AND SOUL, Lead Master Class at Kean University

Tony and Grammy Award winner Billy Porter will be teaching a master class to students from Kean University's Theatre Conservatory on Thursday, April 27. It is his way of paying it forward to the next generation of stage performers.

The class will come on the heels of Porter's performance, Broadway and Soul, on Saturday, April 22, the final Enlow Recital Hall concert of the Kean Stage season.

Working with Porter is the latest professional learning opportunity for Kean performing arts students. This season, Kean students have shared the stage with megastars Patti LuPone and Judy Collins, and performed with Michael Mao Dance. They also took master classes with Michael Mao as well as Rennie Harris Puremovement, the Reduced Shakespeare Company and Turtle Island Quartet.

"Billy Porter will graciously give of his time and expertise to give our students practical advice on musical style and performance," said Steve Cochran, manager of Kean Stage. "These unique gifts will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on these aspiring actors and musicians and give them hope for what's to come if they continue to hone their craft and reach for the stars."

While performing arts students observe the master class, five students will work directly with Porter - Christiana Marie Alicante of North Plainfield, Jose Arroyo of Perth Amboy, Jesse Dorfman of Hawthorne, Brianna Javis of Union, and Cecelia Resto of Woodbridge. Each also was part of the group of students, dubbed the "Broadway Babies," who shared the stage with Enlow Hall's season-opening performer Patti LuPone for her Don't Monkey with Broadway concert.

"I am absolutely overwhelmed that in my freshman year, I got to sing back up for Patti LuPone and will work with Billy Porter," said Resto. "Kean University's Theatre Conservatory has provided us with the best of the best, and a strong sense of inclusion. Although a cliché, I've learned that hard work does pay off, and being yourself is the best you can do for yourself as a performer."

A Pittsburgh native and Carnegie Mellon graduate, Porter grew up singing in church and knew he was destined for a career in the arts, ever since he performed in his first middle school musical.

"It's what I was chosen to do," he said. "I had a passion for it, enough to keep me buoyant and forward moving."

Porter first appeared on Broadway in Miss Saigon and subsequently had parts in Five Guys Named Moe, Grease and Smokey Joe's Café. He is perhaps best known as the original Lola in Kinky Boots, a groundbreaking role that garnered him the 2013 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for lead actor in a musical.

"Kinky Boots really put me in the public eye in a way that I hadn't been for the first 25 years of my career," said Porter. "It opened up a lot of doors and allowed me to move on to the next level of my career."

Most recently, Porter appeared on Broadway alongside Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Joshua Henry and Brandon Victor Dixon in Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. He is currently directing a production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning show Topdog/Underdog at Boston's Huntington Theatre Company.

Porter's concert, Broadway and Soul, is an evening of Broadway songs and stories in which Porter will perform some of the Great White Way's most iconic songs, including I Have Dreamed, Lady Is a Tramp and Edelweiss, as well as songs from Kinky Boots and classics from his 2014 CD, Billy's Back on Broadway. Porter will also share some work from his recently released CD, Billy Porter Presents: The Soul of Richard Rodgers.

Tony and Grammy Award winner Billy Porter will perform Broadway and Soul at Kean University's Enlow Recital Hall on Saturday, April 22.

Founded in 1855, Kean University has become one of the largest metropolitan institutions of higher education in the region, with a richly diverse student, faculty and staff population. Kean continues to play a key role in the training of teachers and is a hub of educational, technological and cultural enrichment serving nearly 15,000 students. The University's five undergraduate colleges offer more than 50 undergraduate degrees over a full range of academic subjects. The Nathan Weiss Graduate College offers four doctoral degree programs and more than 60 options for graduate study leading to master's degrees, professional diplomas or certifications. With campuses in Union and Toms River, New Jersey, and Wenzhou, China, Kean University furthers its mission by providing an affordable and accessible world-class education. Visit www.kean.edu.

Kean Stage at Kean University educates, entertains and challenges audiences by presenting high-quality programs that reflect the diversity of the region and of the arts. These cultural offerings complement the intellectual life of the classroom for our students, increase opportunities for community engagement, and provide affordable access to the arts for New Jersey residents. Audiences of all ages are invited to enjoy a wide range of professional theatre, Broadway tours, dance performances, concerts, international films and family-friendly shows. In addition, Kean Stage encourages University students to attend events, and provides several options to explore the performing arts through master classes, workshops, lectures, employment opportunities as ushers, backstage technicians and box office staff. Visit ?www.keanstage.com.

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