UNION, NJ — Recent Tony Award-winning star of stage and screen Alex Newell opens Kean Stage’s 2023-2024 season at Enlow Recital Hall in Hillside on Friday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m. Newell will perform an eclectic mix of Broadway, American, pop and R&B standards at this inspiring concert event. Newell brings the party, excitement and their signature powerhouse voice to an unforgettable evening that you won’t want to miss.
Newell made history with their performance in the hit musical “Shucked,” which has received glowing reviews and praise for Newell’s performance of the show-stopping song, “Independently Owned.” In addition to the Tony, Newell’s performances garnered them the Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical. Prior to “Shucked,” Newell starred as the God ‘Asaka,’ a female role, in the Broadway revival of “Once On This Island,” garnering Newell a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album. The show was nominated for nine Tony Awards in 2018, winning Best Revival.
Apart from theater, Newell was also recently a series regular on NBC show “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” where they played the non-binary character Monique. Most recent guest credits include Fox’s “Our Kind of People,” “Empire” and NBC pilot “Imaginary Friend.” Most notably, Newell rose to national attention from The Glee Project leading to their regular series role on “Glee,” in which they portrayed the transgender character Unique. On the music side, Newell is signed to Big Beat Records, an Atlantic Records subsidiary. Their song, “Kill the Lights,” was featured throughout the HBO series “Vinyl.” Newell is also a spokesperson for GLAAD and was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award in 2020 for their work on Zoey’s. Newell was just included in Time Magazine’s annual Time100 list of the most influential people in the world.
Tickets for Newell can be purchased online at keanstage.com or by contacting the Box Office at 908-737-7469. The Box Office is currently open Monday and Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Photo Courtesy of Gersh