At times, his choices created controversy, especially when he transformed the annual holiday show “A Christmas Carol” by hiring an integrated cast, including black and white actors playing members of the Cratchit family.

Atlantans may live in communities that are largely segregated, but Kenny saw the Alliance as a place where we would all come together and experience the healing power of theater. As the first African-American in that role, Kenny set out to produce shows that bridged racial divides. Watch Kenny give Maddie Baillio the news:īut Georgians got to know Kenny way back in 1990 when he was named artistic director of Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, one of the country’s largest regional theater companies. The show also features a young, unknown performer who Kenny found after auditioning more than 1,000 young women for the key role of Tracy Turnblad. Kenny directed the live production of “ The Wiz” that aired on NBC last year, and is now preparing to go into rehearsal for this year’s NBC live holiday broadcast of “Hairspray,” which will star Broadway veterans Kristin Chenoweth, Martin Short and Harvey Fierstein among a cast of other stars. He’s worked with some of the biggest names in theater and film: Samuel Jackson, Denzel Washington, Queen Latifah, Angela Basset, Phylicia Rashad, Viola Davis and so many more.

He’s now a Tony Award-winning director with numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway productions to his credit. For Georgians who love theater, watching the career arc of Kenny Leon has been thrilling.

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