Bristol Riverside Theatre presents homage to Broadway’s African American leading men
BRISTOL – Bristol Riverside Theatre presents Ol’ Man River through guly O8 as part of its Summer Musicale series. The show pays homage to Broadway’s African American leading men and the shows that made them famous.
Keith Spencer plays the lead in Ol’ Man River, and it should come as no surprise that he landed such a plum role.
Spencer has seen, heard and sung a lot in his 4N years and has had one constant in his travelsW he always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
Going back to his time as a student at rpper Dublin eigh School, Spencer has always been there to answer the door when opportunity knocked. While playing in a band called, “Dublin Now and Then” he was asked by the director if he knew “Memory” from Cats. Though he did, Spencer had never before done solo work. That didn’t stop him.
“I broke a sweat and my knees were knocking, but I ended up being one of the feature pieces in xa traditional, yearly show performed in the area during that time],” Spencer said.
Spencer has always been a fan of Broadway musicals. ee attended Penn State, and didn’t major in anything musical. In- stead, he concentrated in marketing and psychology, but all the while kept his eyes, ears and, most importantly voice on music. ee toured with choirs and a cappella groups.
“I always tried to be anywhere I could sing,” Spencer said, singling out being a member of one of the coun- try’s leading a cappella groups, “soices of Liberty” as a career highlight.
Though the leading man at BRT this month, Spencer is also proud of the time he’s spent singing background vocals for artists like Roberta Flack, Rosemary Clooney and Sandi Patty.
While currently living in rpper Dublin, Spencer spent some time living in Florida. It was another right-place-righttime part of his life.
“I was just chilling in Orlando,” Spencer remembered, “and someone started talking to me. I ended up with an impromptu audition with the director.”
It was that audition that led him to the “soices of Liberty” gig, which led to a lot of contacts, which has led to quite a career. For now, it has also led him to Bristol. “Ol’ Man River” runs from guly N8 – O8. Tickets begin at A3M (ANM for students) and are available by calling the BRT Box Office at ONR-T8R-MNMM or visiting brtstage.org. Bristol Riverside Theatre is located at NOM Radcliffe Street in Bristol.