“When I sing, I sing from the spirit of love that lives inside of me.”
Andrew is now firmly planted on Broadway, a cast member in “The Lion King” since 2021, and yes, king. “Sometimes I get to play Mufasa!” he shared with an adoring audience during the 31st annual Sedona International Film Festival (SIFF) on March 1.
“Getting to play the role of Mufasa is nothing short of a thrilling experience. We all can thank the late James Earl Jones for that! I enjoy every aspect of the role. The makeup and costumes are regal and royal and they elevate you to the status of king. The mask pieces and the puppetry of it all is the pure genius of Julie Taymor. One of my favorite numbers in the show is the opening sequence of ‘The Circle of Life.’ Coming up on Pride Rock and seeing the entirety of the stage and the entire 1,700-seat Minskoff [Theatre] is a moment I never get tired of!”
Andrew saw “The Lion King” on Broadway for the first time in 2008 as a sophomore in college. From that moment on, he was obsessed. “I knew that someday, somehow, I would be in that show.” Thirteen years later, his dream became his reality.
Thinking back to that kid who couldn’t get enough of the Disney film, Andrew says, “I would tell young Ezekiel that there is a place for him. Keep dreaming. Keep believing. Protect and nurture that gift inside of you. Let love lead you.”
By nurturing his passion for music and love for singing, Andrew moved to New York City and landed his first big role as the beast in “Beauty and the Beast” in 2018. “That was a phenomenal and breathtaking experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.” That was also when he knew he was on the right path.
Bringing Broadway to Sedona
“When I first heard Ezekiel Andrew perform as Big Jim in ‘Big River’ in 2018 [at the Utah Shakespeare Festival] and then again in ‘Ragtime,’ I vowed that one day I would bring him here to Sedona for a performance. And we made that happen this year!” said longtime SIFF Executive Director Patrick Schweiss. “And, he brought along very talented friends, Garrett Taylor and Samantha Stevens, for an absolutely astounding performance.”
In “From Broadway with Love,” Andrew, along with musician, voice teacher and performer Garrett Taylor, who for 16 years has been a frequent guest in the orchestra pit of “Wicked” on Broadway and British singer and dancer Samantha Stevens, who recently finished playing Lily St. Regis on the national tour of “Annie,” had the packed Sedona Performing Arts Center clapping, “spreading the news” from “New York, New York” and singing about the female deer from “The Sound of Music” in “Do-Re-Mi.”
“‘From Broadway with Love’ was an overarching highlight for sure, just a magical experience!” said Schweiss, noting his favorite show tune of the evening was Andrew’s “Music of the Night” from “The Phantom of the Opera.”
“There is no feeling that quite compares to giving a performance where you know you gave your all and the audience received you and loved you for it,” said Andrew. “Whenever I enter a performance, I am immediately thinking of how I can engage the audience and invite them into the experience with me. It’s like a dance and I don’t like dancing alone – ‘Come with me and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination’ – I truly thank God for the gift of song and for the platform that I’ve been given to use it.”
Stories and Stars
Throughout the nine-day festival from Saturday, Feb. 22 through Sunday, March 2,
more than 150 films were shown, including “Sweetwater,” the story of Harlem Globetrotters phenom Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton who overcame a lifetime of barriers and a barrage of discrimination to make history as the first African American to sign an NBA contract.
“My greatest satisfaction is seeing the audience enjoy and appreciate our films,” said Schweiss, “and watching our filmmakers glow as they get to see their work on the big screen in front of our incredible patrons!”
The festival included appearances from costume designer Bob Mackie, comedian Vicki Lawrence and actor Jeremy Piven, promoting his film, “The Performance.” Actress Diane Baker received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The television and film star’s career spans 50 years, including roles in “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “Silence of the Lambs.”
Opening Hearts
For Andrew, the arts have a way of healing the hardened heart and bringing people together. “In our darkest times, it is the arts that speak,” said the Broadway performer, who grew up singing gospel music in his father’s church choir.
“I feel like this country and the world is full of hate, division, strife, lack of empathy, and how do I say, closed hearts. And I feel that as an artist, I must find a way to use my art to counter all of the hate and ugliness that seems all too common right now,” said Andrew. “When I sing, I sing from the spirit of love that lives inside of me. And maybe, just maybe, when others hear me sing, they feel this love, making the music I share a transformative experience for them. It seems almost impossible to shift the tide, but I’m going to keep dreaming anyway – because my dream came true, you all!” QCBN
By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN
Photo courtesy of Brennan Spark: As a boy, Ezekiel Andrew dreamed of performing on the big stage. Now, shown here performing with the Transcendence Theater Company in Sonoma, California last year, he reflects on what he would say to his younger self. “I would tell young Ezekiel that there is a place for him. Keep dreaming. Keep believing. Protect and nurture that gift inside of you. Let love lead you.”
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