Joshua Henry

Joshua Anthony Charlton Henry^[1] (born September 2, 1984) is an American actor and singer of stage and screen. He is best known for portraying Haywood Patterson in Kander and Ebb's 2010 musical The Scottsboro Boys, for which he received a Tony Award nomination.^[2] Through his career, he has worked with such performers as Jennifer Hudson, Corbin Bleu, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.^[3]

He is currently portraying the lead role of Aaron Burr in the Chicago production of Hamilton that began performances in late September 2016.^[4]

Personal life

Henry was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba,^[5] to Zadoc Henry, and raised in Miami, Florida. He currently resides in Harlem, New York City.^[6] He had originally wanted to be an accountant, like his mother, but changed his mind after he was cast as Harold Hill in his high school (Florida Bible Christian School) production of The Music Man. Henry studied theatre at the University of Miami, graduating in 2006.^[7] He recently married his college sweetheart, Cathryn Stringer.

Career

Henry made his acting debut when he co-starred as Judas in the Paper Mill Playhouse (Milburn, New Jersey) production of Godspell in 2006. He was set to star in a 2008 Broadway transfer, but the project was cancelled.^[8]

In 2007, Henry appeared in the ensemble of the Off-Broadway musical In the Heights, re-joining the cast for the show's Broadway production.^[9] For In the Heights, the entire cast won a Drama Desk Award, and Henry and the ensemble won an ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus from Actors' Equity Association.^[10]

Henry starred in Serenade, which played off-Broadway from December 9, 2007, to December 15, 2007.^[11] Henry then appeared in the first Sex and the City film in 2008, subsequently playing the Tin Man in The Wiz at the New York City Center in 2009.^[12]

On September 23, 2008, Henry performed in a concert performance titled Party Worth Crashing in New York City.^[13] In June 2009, Henry contributed original music to the off-Broadway musical Shafrika, The White Girl at the Vineyard Theatre.^[14]

From March 24, 2010 to July 20, 2010 he played "Favorite Son" in the original Broadway cast of the Green Day musical American Idiot.^[15][16]

Henry then joined the Broadway cast of The Scottsboro Boys, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman with a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb.^[17] He portrayed Haywood Patterson, for which he achieved critical praise.^[18] The Star Tribune wrote of his performance, "Joshua Henry ... ignites the role of Haywood Patterson as the lightning rod for our identification with the men."^[19] Charles Isherwood in The New York Times asserted that Henry "gives a performance of keen intensity as Haywood Patterson, an illiterate young man who becomes the focus of our sympathy as he steadfastly refuses to sign his name to a lie in order to obtain parole. Mr. Henry performs Haywood’s ballad of hopeless yearning, "Go Back Home," with a powerful simplicity that slashes through the evening’s artifice."^[20] Despite these positive reviews, The Scottsboro Boys closed within a month.^[21] For his performance, Henry was nominated for the 2011 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, but lost to Norbert Leo Butz in Catch Me If You Can.^[22][23]

Henry, along with Corbin Bleu and Andrea Burns, was featured on "Dare to Go Beyond: The Album", by the nonprofit organization R.Evolución Latina. It was released on December 13, 2010, produced by Luis Salgado.^[24] Henry has also appeared on the television series Kings and Nip/Tuck, as well as the 2010 short film Once Upon a Time in Australia.^[25]

On January 16, 2011, Henry, Laura Osnes, and Natalie Weiss were featured performers in Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk's You Made This Tour concert at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.^[26] On January 22, he was among the performers in the Broadway Memories concert performance in New York, in which he performed selections from The Scottsboro Boys.^[27]

Henry performed in the 92nd Street Y's Lyrics & Lyricists event, honoring Burton Lane, on February 14, 2011.^[28] On March 2, 2011, He performed with The Scottsboro Boys' original Broadway cast in Stro!, a gala celebration honoring Susan Stroman.^[29]

From March 15, 2011 until the show's closing on April 24, 2011 he returned to the role of "Favorite Son" in American Idiot.^[30][31]

Henry attended and performed at a MCC Miscast Gala in New York, held on March 15, 2011. The performance showcases "Broadway's hottest stars performing songs from roles in which they would never be cast."^[32]

On April 10, 2011, he returned to the University of Miami to perform in their Broadway Unplugged concert.^[33] In addition, Henry and the cast of The Scottsboro Boys performed in the May 16, 2011, performance of Broadway Sensation in New York City.^[34]

Henry performed the role of Jake in the American Repertory Theatre's production of Porgy and Bess, which began previews August 17, 2011, at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It officially opened on August 31 and ran through September 30, 2011. It transferred to the Richard Rogers Theatre on Broadway where it played from January 12 until September 23, 2012.^[35]

Henry also appeared in the role of Corporal Quincy Montclair on season 7 of the Lifetime series Army Wives.

Henry performed the role of Flick in the Roundabout Theatre production of Violet which began in April, 2014. On April 29, 2014, he was nominated for a Tony in the category of Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. He appeared in the role of Noble Sissle in the 2016 production of Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway.

Henry starred as Jamie alongside Cynthia Erivo in a one-night benefit concert performance of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years on September 12, 2016. Proceeds from the performance went to the Brady Center, a national gun violence organization.^[36]

Theatre credits

Awards and nominations

References

External links

• Joshua Henry's official website
• Internet Broadway Database profile
• Lortel Archives profile
• Joshua Henry at the Internet Movie Database