Lee Summers

Lee Summers (born 1958) is an American theatre, television and film actor, singer, librettist, composer, director and theatre producer best known for creating and producing Off-Broadway's From My Hometown.^[1] As an actor, 2013 television audiences most recently saw Summers as Sergeant Stiles, acting opposite Tom Selleck, in the 2nd episode of the 4th season of CBS' Blue Bloods.^[2]

Early life and career

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Summers' grew up listening to Motown and funk and singing in church and school choirs and playing the trombone in school bands where he learned to read and write music. His first professional performing job was at Nashville's Opryland USA during his enrollment as a student at Tennessee State University. Upon moving to New York in 1980, Summers performed in numerous Off and Off-Off Broadway shows. His Broadway debut was in the original production of Dreamgirls.^[3] Summers credits working for years inside the dramatic structure of Dreamgirls as his first musical theatre writing teacher.

A member of the Dramatists Guild of America,^[4] Summers believes, while he communicates theatrically in universal themes, his mission is "dramatizing the gifts the African diaspora has given the world." His works have been produced and presented Off-Broadway and at numerous New York and regional theatres such as the The Milwaukee Repertory, where Summers collaborated with Kevin Ramsey to debut their original tap-dance musical, If These Shoes Could Talk,^[5] which starred Harold Nicholas,^[5] of the legendary Nicholas Brothers, in his farewell stage performance. Other venues and regional theatres where Summers' works have been produced include The Arkansas Repertory Theatre,^[6] The Ensemble Theatre,^[7] Karamu Theatre,^[8] The Phoenix Theatre,^[9] The Meadow Brook Theatre, The Madison Theatre at Molloy College,^[10] Theaterworks in Palo Alto, California, The Triad Theatre, New World Stages, AMAS Musical Theatre, Crossroads Theatre,^[11] RACCA's Seaport Salon, The Kirk Theatre, Gramercy Theatre,^[12] Radio City Music Hall's^[13] workshop spaces, The Kennedy Center^[14] and many others. Other notable projects in development include Summers as librettist, co-lyricist and co-composer (with Timothy Graphenreed) for Yo' Alice^[15] (Adaptation of Alice in Wonderland) which was conceived by Maurice Hines. Summers also collaborated with Hines on Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song for which Summers is book writer. Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song premiered at New Jersey's Crossroads Theatre in 2004 and most recently (2014) has been produced by Metro Stage Theatre in Alexandria, VA starring Freda Payne (Hit record: "Band of Gold") directed by Maurice Hines.

Summers made his Off-Broadway not-for-profit producing debut in 2003—partnering with Amas Musical theatre for the developmental production of From My Hometown. The production transferred commercially in 2004 garnering Summers the title of commercial producer. From My Hometown would be the last show to run at New York's historic Gramercy Theatre.

As a director, Summers has directed projects ranging from readings to developmental workshops to commercial productions. He has worked in venues ranging from New York’s Urban Stages,^[16] AMAS Musical Theatre, The John Houseman Theatre, New World Stages,^[17] The Triad Theatre, Flushing Town Hall, Theatreworks in Palo Alto, California, The Milwaukee Repertory Theater, The Cell Theatre and many more.

In between his artistic engagements Summers served as general manager of the historic Triad Theatre where he oversaw a $400,000 renovation and created The Just A Piano Concert Series (trademarked),^[18] which has presented countless artists and benefited numerous charities.

Summers studied theatre at Tennessee State University, vocal technique from Val Bumbalus (Fisk University) and dance from Frank Hatchett, now Broadway Dance Center. Summers holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dramatic Writing for Musical Theatre from SUNY Empire State University, where he was recipient of the Yip Harburg Foundation Scholarship (The Wizard of Oz). Summers has guest lectured for The Actor's Work Program; Theatre Resources Unlimited (TRU); New York University; City College of New York; Tennessee State University; Motlow College and many others. Presently, Summers is an MFA candidate in the NYU/Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.

Work

Librettist

• 1993 If These Shoes Could Talk^[5](Co-librettist)
• 1998 From My Hometown^[1] (Conceiver) (Co-librettist)
• 1999 Yo Alice^[19](Librettist)
• 2004 Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song^[11](Librettist)
• 2005 The Funkentine Rapture^[20](Co-librettist)
• 2013 The System (Librettist)

Lyricist

• 1993 If These Shoes Could Talk^[5] (Co-lyricist)
• 1998 From My Hometown^[1] (Conceiver) (Co-lyricist) (Lyricist)
• 1999 Yo Alice^[19](Co-lyricist)
• 2005 The Funkentine Rapture^[20] (Lyricist)
• 2010 Winds of Change (Co-lyricist) (Lyricist)
• 2013 The System(Co-lyricist) (Lyricist)

Composer

• 1993 If These Shoes Could Talk(Co-Composer)
• 1998 From My Hometown (Conceiver) (Co-Composer)
• 1999 Yo Alice (Co-Composer)
• 2005 The Funkentine Rapture (Composer)
• 2010 Winds of Change (Composer)
• 2013 The System(Composer)

Playwright

• 2013 One Shot Deal(Author)

Producer

• 2003 From My Hometown (Kirk Theatre, New York, New York)
• 2004 From My Hometown (Gramercy Theatre, New York, New York
• 2010 Winds of Change (Triad Theatre)

Television and film actor

• 1992 Malcolm X^[21]...Elijah Muhammad's FOI
• 1994 Law and Order^[22] (TV Series)- Coma (1994) ... Dr. David Monroe
• 1996 Law and Order^[23] (TV Series)- Causa Mortis (1996) ... Belmont Uniform Policeman
• 1997 New York Undercover^[24] (TV Series)- Fade Out (1997) ... Walter Stokes
• 2003 The Presidents^[25] (PBS VIdeo)Colin Powell / Secret Service Man
• 2011 Boardwalk Empire^[26] (TV Series) - Battle of the Century (2011) ... Otis
• 2013 Blue Bloods^[27] (TV Series) - The City That Never Sleeps (2013) ... Sgt. Stiles

Stage actor and singer

• 1981 Dreamgirls^[3] (Original Broadway Production)
• 2001 Dreamgirls 20th Anniversary^[3](Broadway Event)
• 2001 Little Ham^[28](Off-Broadway)
• 2010 Winds of Change^[29](Cabaret - Bistro Award Winner)

Awards and competitions

Summers' works have received critical acclaim along with such honors as The New Professional Theatre's "Our Voices Award" (1996) eight AUDELCO Award nominations including “Best Musical” (2003), selection and presentation in the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's Festival of New Musicals^[30](2005), TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, California (2005), a developmental workshop at Radio City Musical Hall (1999), developmental support from the Shubert Organization (2003), a Gilman and Gonzalez-Falla Commendation^[31] for his body of work in American Musical Theater (2003), New York's Bistro Award^[32](2010) and four Michigan 2012 Wilde Award^[33] nominations and a recent win for Best Ensemble (2012).

References