Tony Award winners Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton) and Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple), and Grammy Award-nominated singer and songwriter Kenny Lattimore will bring their powerful voices and dynamic stage presence to NJPAC’s 21st Annual Spotlight Gala of the Women’s Association of NJPAC on Saturday, October 1.
As music director, Grammy Award winner and bassist Christian McBride will lead his big band. A limited number of performance-only tickets at $50 are available by calling 1-888-GO-NJPAC (466-5722), online at njpac.org or at the NJPAC Box Office at One Center Street in downtown Newark. The concert starts at 7pm.
The 90-minute performance in Prudential Hall includes a 20-minute Gala awards ceremony and special performance by students from NJPAC’s Arts Education program. The Spotlight Gala is the official curtain-raiser for NJPAC’s 2016-2017 season.
Multifaceted performer Leslie Odom, Jr. gained widespread critical acclaim for his portrayal as Aaron Burr in the Broadway blockbuster Hamilton, a role that earned him the Tony for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He also is a Grammy winner as a principal soloist on Hamilton‘s original cast recording. Odom made his Broadway debut at the age of 17 in Rent and starred in Leap of Faith, also on Broadway, for which he won the 2012 Astaire Award for Outstanding Male Dancer on Broadway and was nominated for a Drama League Award. On the small screen, he is best known for his portrayal of Sam Strickland in the NBC musical series Smash. He released his first solo album in June, the acclaimed self-titled Leslie Odom, Jr., which includes show tunes and jazz classics, from Jerome Kern’s “Look for the Silver Lining” to Jule Styne’s “The Party’s Over.”
Cynthia Erivo is a multiple award-winning actress who took Broadway by storm with her performance as Celie in John Doyle’s new revival of The Color Purple. For performance, Erivo was awarded the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She first played the role in 2013 at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory, earning rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. In addition to her stage career, Erivo is an accomplished songwriter, having written “Fly Before You Fall” for the 2014 film Beyond the Lights.
Grammy-nominated singer Kenny Lattimore has been making listeners swoon for more than 20 years. Hailed by The New York Times as a “modern soul man,” Lattimore is renowned for his tender vocals and honest lyrics, and for such hits “What Must I Do,” “Love Me Back,” “Never Too Busy” and “For You.” He is the recipient of Soul Train and Stellar awards nominations and the NAACP Image Award for Best New Artist, and his vocals have graced projects by a diverse array of artists, including Kanye West, Musiq Soulchild and Nancy Wilson.
Five-time Grammy-winning bassist Christian McBride is Jazz Advisor for NJPAC. Recently named Artistic Director for Newport Jazz Festival, he has played with the likes of Milt Jackson, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny and has performed or arranged for Isaac Hayes, Chaka Khan, Sting and the legendary James Brown. McBride also has led his own ensembles: The Christian McBride Band, A Christian McBride Situation and Inside Straight. The Philadelphia native is an acclaimed leader, arranger, conductor and educator. His latest release is Christian McBride Trio: Live at the Village Vanguard.
