Billy's Back On Broadway

Go ahead. Crank it up and sing along. We won’t judge.

Emmy, Grammy, and Tony award winning performer Billy Porter released his memoir Unprotected in 2021 to much fanfare. If you want to hear the voice that won all those awards, the 2014 album Billy’s Back on Broadway is a great place to start. Porter puts his own spin on songs originally sung by some of Broadway’s greatest divas, like Ethel Merman (“Everything’s coming up roses”) Liza Minnelli (“But the world goes round”) and Barbra Streisand (“Don’t rain on my parade”). He also includes some numbers traditionally sung by men, like “Luck be a lady” from Guys and Dolls and “I’ve gotta be me,” from the 1968 musical Golden Rainbow. A highlight is “I’m not my father’s son,” a number he performed many times in his role as Lola in Kinky Boots. The arrangements range from classic big band to a more smooth jazz sound. This album is available on Hoopla. Give it a listen…and I dare you not to sing along.