Joshua Henry
Encyclopedia
Joshua Anthony Charlton Henry (born circa 1984 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is an African-American actor 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. Through his career, he has worked with such performers as Jennifer Hudson
, Corbin Bleu
, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
, Manitoba
and raised in Miami, Florida
, Henry currently resides in Harlem
, New York City. 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 production of The Music Man
. Henry studied theatre at the University of Miami
, graduating in 2006.
in the Paper Mill Playhouse
(Milburn, New Jersey
) production of Godspell
in 2006. He was set to join the latter for a 2008 Broadway transfer, but the project was cancelled.
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. 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
.
Henry starred in Serenade, which played off-Broadway from December 9, 2007, to December 15, 2007. 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.
On September 23, 2008, Henry performed in a concert performance titled Party Worth Crashing in New York City. In June 2009, Henry contributed original music to the off-Broadway musical Shafrika, The White Girl at the Vineyard Theatre
.
From March 24, 2010 to July 20, 2010 he played "Favorite Son" in the original Broadway cast of the Green Day
musical
American Idiot
.
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
. He portrayed Haywood Patterson
, for which he achieved critical praise. 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." 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." Despite these positive reviews, The Scottsboro Boys closed within a month. 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
.
Henry, along with Corbin Bleu
and Andrea Burns
, was featured on "Dare to Go Beyond: The Album", by the group R.Evolución Latina. It was released on December 13, 2010, produced by Luis Salgado. 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.
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. 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.
Henry performed in the 92nd Street Y
's Lyrics & Lyricists event, honoring Burton Lane
, on February 14, 2011. On March 2, 2011, He performed with The Scottsboro Boyss original Broadway cast in Stro!, a gala celebration honoring Susan Stroman.
From March 15, 2011 until the show's closing on April 24, 2011 he returned to the role of "Favorite Son" in American Idiot.
Henry also 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."
On April 10, 2011, he returned to the University of Miami
to perform in their Broadway Unplugged concert. In addition, Henry and the cast of The Scottsboro Boys performed in the May 16, 2011, performance of Broadway Sensation in New York City.
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 is now expected to begin performances on Broadway on December 17, 2011, at the Richard Rogers Theatre.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and screen
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. He is best known for portraying Haywood Patterson
Haywood Patterson
Haywood Patterson was one of the Scottsboro Boys . He was accused of raping Victoria Price and Ruby Bates...
in Kander and Ebb
Kander and Ebb
Kander and Ebb were a highly successful songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb . Known primarily for their stage musicals, Kander and Ebb also scored several movies including their most famous song, the theme song from Martin Scorsese's New York, New York...
's 2010 musical The Scottsboro Boys
The Scottsboro Boys (musical)
The Scottsboro Boys is a musical with a book by David Thompson, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Based on the Scottsboro Boys trial, the musical is one of the last collaborations between Kander and Ebb prior to the latter's death...
, for which he received a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination. Through his career, he has worked with such performers as Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...
, Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu Reivers , known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor, model, dancer, producer, and singer-songwriter. He performed in the High School Musical film series, the Discovery Kids drama series Flight 29 Down, and the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In!...
, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Personal life
Born in WinnipegWinnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and raised in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Henry currently resides in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, New York City. He had originally wanted to be an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
, like his mother, but changed his mind after he was cast as Harold Hill in his high school production of The Music Man
The Music Man
The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with...
. Henry studied theatre at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, graduating in 2006.
Career
Henry made his acting debut when he co-starred as JudasJudas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
in the Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse
Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theatre with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey, less than 25 miles from Manhattan. Due to its location, it can draw from the pool of actors who live in New York City. Its location, as well as its focus on producing large-scale shows, makes...
(Milburn, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
) production of Godspell
Godspell
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
in 2006. He was set to join the latter for a 2008 Broadway transfer, but the project was cancelled.
In 2007, Henry appeared in the ensemble of the Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
In the Heights
In the Heights
In the Heights is a musical with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story explores three days in the characters' lives in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights....
, re-joining the cast for the show's Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production. For In the Heights, the entire cast won a Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
, and Henry and the ensemble won an ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus from Actors' Equity Association
Actors' Equity Association
The Actors' Equity Association , commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. However, performers appearing on live stage productions without a book or...
.
Henry starred in Serenade, which played off-Broadway from December 9, 2007, to December 15, 2007. Henry then appeared in the first Sex and the City film in 2008, subsequently playing the Tin Man
Tin Woodman
The Tin Woodman, sometimes referred to as the Tin Man or the Tin Woodsman , is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum...
in The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
at the New York City Center
New York City Center
New York City Center is a 2,750-seat Moorish Revival theater located at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan, New York City. It is one block south of Carnegie Hall...
in 2009.
On September 23, 2008, Henry performed in a concert performance titled Party Worth Crashing in New York City. In June 2009, Henry contributed original music to the off-Broadway musical Shafrika, The White Girl at the Vineyard Theatre
Vineyard Theatre
The Vineyard Theatre is an Off-Broadway non-profit theatre company, located at 108 East 15th Street in Manhattan, New York City, near Union Square. Its first production was in 1981...
.
From March 24, 2010 to July 20, 2010 he played "Favorite Son" in the original Broadway cast of the Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
American Idiot
American Idiot (musical)
American Idiot is a one-act, through-sung stage musical. The show is an adaptation of punk rock band Green Day's concept album of the same name. Additional Green Day songs were interpolated from other sources, including 21st Century Breakdown, American Idiot b-sides, and an unreleased song called...
.
Henry then joined the Broadway cast of The Scottsboro Boys
The Scottsboro Boys (musical)
The Scottsboro Boys is a musical with a book by David Thompson, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Based on the Scottsboro Boys trial, the musical is one of the last collaborations between Kander and Ebb prior to the latter's death...
, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman
Susan Stroman
Susan Stroman is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director, and performer. She has won the Tony Award for both her choreography and direction, notably for the stage musical The Producers.-Early years:...
with a score by John Kander
John Kander
John Harold Kander is the American composer of a number of musicals as part of the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb.-Life and career:Kander was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Bernice and Harold S. Kander...
and Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera....
. He portrayed Haywood Patterson
Haywood Patterson
Haywood Patterson was one of the Scottsboro Boys . He was accused of raping Victoria Price and Ruby Bates...
, for which he achieved critical praise. 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." Charles Isherwood in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
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." Despite these positive reviews, The Scottsboro Boys closed within a month. For his performance, Henry was nominated for the 2011 Tony Award
65th Tony Awards
The 65th Annual Tony Awards was held on June 12, 2011 to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2010–2011 season. They were held at the Beacon Theatre, ending a fourteen-year tradition of holding the ceremony at Radio City Music Hall. The Awards ceremony was broadcast live on CBS...
for Best Actor in a Musical
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival...
, but lost to Norbert Leo Butz
Norbert Leo Butz
Norbert Leo Butz is an American actor best known for his work in Broadway theatre.-Personal life:Butz was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Elaine and Norbert Butz...
in Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me if You Can (musical)
Catch Me If You Can is a musical with a libretto by Terrence McNally and a theatrical score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. It follows the story of con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr...
.
Henry, along with Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu Reivers , known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor, model, dancer, producer, and singer-songwriter. He performed in the High School Musical film series, the Discovery Kids drama series Flight 29 Down, and the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In!...
and Andrea Burns
Andrea Burns
Andréa Burns in Miami Beach, Florida, She is an American actress, singer and songwriter, primarily featured in theatre, recordings and television. She is married to Director Performer Peter Flynn, whom she met while touring in West Side Story...
, was featured on "Dare to Go Beyond: The Album", by the group R.Evolución Latina. It was released on December 13, 2010, produced by Luis Salgado. Henry has also appeared on the television series Kings
Kings (U.S. TV series)
Kings is an American television drama series which aired on NBC. The series' narrative is loosely based on the Biblical story of King David, but set in a kingdom that culturally and technologically resembles the present-day United States....
and Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
, as well as the 2010
2010 in film
The year 2010 saw many new films released worldwide. 2010 saw a dramatic increase and prominence in the use of 3D-technology in filmmaking and film releases after the success of Avatar in the format, with releases such as Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Jackass 3D, all animated films and...
short film Once Upon a Time in Australia.
On January 16, 2011, Henry, Laura Osnes
Laura Osnes
Laura Ann Osnes is an American stage actress, and the winner of the role of "Sandy" on the televised Grease: You're the One that I Want! competition. She played Sandy in the 2007 Broadway run of Grease, which opened August 19, 2007, starring alongside the other winner, Max Crumm, who played the...
, and Natalie Weiss were featured performers in Kait Kerrigan
Kait Kerrigan
Kait Kerrigan is an American playwright and musical theater lyricist and book writer.-Biography:Kait Kerrigan is a playwright and a lyricist and composer of musicals. Originally from Kingston, Pennsylvania, she graduated from Wyoming Valley West Senior High School in Plymouth, Pennsylvania in...
and Brian Lowdermilk
Brian Lowdermilk
Brian Lowdermilk is an American musical theater composer and lyricist.-Biography:Brian Lowdermilk is a composer and lyricist of musicals. He is also a music director, arranger, vocal coach, and pianist....
's You Made This Tour concert at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. 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.
Henry performed in the 92nd Street Y
92nd Street Y
92nd Street Y is a multifaceted cultural institution and community center located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, at the corner of E. 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Its full name is 92nd Street Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association...
's Lyrics & Lyricists event, honoring Burton Lane
Burton Lane
Burton Lane was an American composer and lyricist. His most popular and successful work is the musical Finian's Rainbow, "the score for which Lane will always be most remembered."-Biography:...
, on February 14, 2011. On March 2, 2011, He performed with The Scottsboro Boyss original Broadway cast in Stro!, a gala celebration honoring Susan Stroman.
From March 15, 2011 until the show's closing on April 24, 2011 he returned to the role of "Favorite Son" in American Idiot.
Henry also 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."
On April 10, 2011, he returned to the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
to perform in their Broadway Unplugged concert. In addition, Henry and the cast of The Scottsboro Boys performed in the May 16, 2011, performance of Broadway Sensation in New York City.
Henry performed the role of Jake in the American Repertory Theatre
American Repertory Theatre
The American Repertory Theater is a professional not-for-profit theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to neglected works of the past; and to established classical texts...
's production of Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
, which began previews August 17, 2011, at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. It officially opened on August 31 and ran through September 30, 2011. It is now expected to begin performances on Broadway on December 17, 2011, at the Richard Rogers Theatre.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association , commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. However, performers appearing on live stage productions without a book or... ) |
||||
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category... |
||||
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... |
||||