Kenny Leon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kenny Leon
Born	(1956-02-10) February 10, 1956 (age 69) Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater	Clark Atlanta University
Occupation	Director, producer, actor

Kenny Leon is an American actor, director, and producer. He is famous for his amazing work on Broadway shows, TV programs, and plays in different parts of the country. He has won a Tony Award and a Drama League Award. He has also been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards.

Leon won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for his work on A Raisin in the Sun in 2014. He was also nominated for Tony Awards for Fences (2010) and A Soldier's Play (2019). He has directed other well-known plays like Radio Golf (2007), Topdog/Underdog (2022), and Purlie Victorious (2023). For his TV work, he was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards for Hairspray Live! (2017), American Son (2019), and Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (2021).

Early Life and School

When Kenny Leon was in high school, he joined a special program called TRIO Upward Bound. This program helps students get ready for college. After high school, he went on to graduate from Clark Atlanta University.

Kenny Leon's Career in Theater and TV

Kenny Leon became well-known in 1990. He became the artistic director of the Alliance Theatre Company in Atlanta. This was a big deal because not many African Americans led major non-profit theater companies at that time.

During his time at the Alliance Theatre, many new plays were shown for the first time. These included Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage and The Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry. He also directed the first show of the musical Aida, created by Elton John and Tim Rice. This musical later moved to Broadway. The theater company's money also grew a lot while he was there.

In 2000, Leon left the Alliance Theatre to work on new projects. He helped start the Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company. This theater group is based in both Atlanta and Washington, D.C.. He also started working on Broadway.

Directing on Broadway and TV

In 2004, Kenny Leon directed his first Broadway show. It was a new version of A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Famous actors like Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, and Audra McDonald starred in it. Later that year, he directed Gem of the Ocean by August Wilson on Broadway.

In 2005, he directed an opera called Margaret Garner. The music was by Richard Danielpour and the story was by Toni Morrison. In 2007, he directed another August Wilson play, Radio Golf. All three of these plays were nominated for Tony Awards. He was also nominated for a Drama Desk Award for A Raisin in the Sun.

Leon also directed the TV version of A Raisin in the Sun, which aired in 2008. In 2010, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Director for Fences. This play starred Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, who both won awards for their acting.

In 2012, he directed a TV movie remake of Steel Magnolias for Lifetime. He also directed a stage version of the movie Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Another project was a musical inspired by the music of rapper Tupac Shakur.

In 2014, he directed a new Broadway version of A Raisin in the Sun again. This time, it starred Denzel Washington and LaTanya Richardson Jackson. He also directed the musical Holler If Ya Hear Me, which used Tupac Shakur's songs. For A Raisin in the Sun, Kenny Leon won a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play.

Live TV Musicals and Other Projects

In 2015, Leon directed the live TV musical The Wiz for NBC. The famous circus company Cirque du Soleil worked with them, planning to bring the show to Broadway later. In 2016, he worked with NBC again to direct Hairspray Live!. This show featured popular stars like Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Kristin Chenoweth, and Harvey Fierstein.

Besides directing, Kenny Leon has also acted a lot on stage, TV, and in movies. He appeared in the movie Big Ain't Bad, playing the mayor of Atlanta. In 2018, he released his book called Take You Wherever You Go. The title came from advice his grandmother gave him. In 2019, Leon directed the Netflix movie American Son, which was based on a play he had directed earlier.

In 2019, he directed A Soldier's Play on Broadway. This play won a Pulitzer Prize and starred Blair Underwood and David Alan Grier. He also directed The Underlying Chris and a well-liked production of Much Ado About Nothing. In 2022, a new musical called Trading Places: The Musical! opened in Atlanta, directed by Leon.

Works

Television

As a director

As an actor

Stage

As a director

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Kenny Leon