Tony Award-winning baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell, described by a New York Times reviewer as “the last leading man,” performs songs from popular musical theater productions in “Simply Broadway” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17, in Penn State’s Eisenhower Auditorium.
Mitchell, who came to national attention for his role as Dr. Justin “Jackpot” Jackson on TV’s “Trapper John, M.D.,” earned a Tony Award for best actor in the 2000 revival of “Kiss Me, Kate.” He also received Tony nominations for the musicals “Man of La Mancha” and “Ragtime,” plus the play “King Hedley II.”
In the “Simply Broadway” concert — based on his recording of the same title that USA Today chose as one of the best albums of 2013 — Mitchell and pianist Tedd Firth enliven classics from Broadway’s “Camelot,” “Porgy and Bess,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Les Misérables” and other shows.
“Mr. Mitchell commands a singularly thunderous baritone,” wrote a critic for the New York Times. “Few other Broadway baritones have such vocal resources.”
Mitchell’s career has involved extensive work in television and film. In addition to his seven-year stint on “Trapper John, M.D.,” he’s made guest appearances on shows including “Frasier” and “Glee” and co-starred opposite Angela Bassett in “Jumping the Broom.”
Tickets for the Center for the Performing Arts presentation can be purchased at www.cpa.psu.edu or by calling (814) 863-0255 or (800) ARTS-TIX. Tickets are also available at four State College locations: Eisenhower Auditorium (weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Penn State Downtown Theatre Center (weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), HUB-Robeson Center Information Desk (weekdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Bryce Jordan Center (weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.).
