Lee Summers

Early life and career

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Summers' first professional job was as a performer on the Showboat at Opryland USA while enrolled at Tennessee State University. An opportunity to tour singing the role of "Porgy" in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess prompted Summers to drop out of TSU during his senior year. After the tour, Summers moved to New York (1980) where, on his first night in Manhattan, he'd meet choreographer Michael Peters (Dreamgirls, Beat It). After a couple years performing in numerous Off and Off-Off Broadway shows, Summers made his Broadway debut in the original production of Dreamgirls.

In 1986, Summers suffered a near fatal car accident, from which the prognosis was to possibly never dance again and/or to limp for the rest of his life. On his journey to a full recovery, his voice as a stage writer emerged, which led to his creating and performing in what would become the Off Broadway hit, From My Hometown. Fully recovered, Summers later reprised his role for the Dreamgirls 20th Anniversary Benefit Concert with Lillias White, Billy Porter, Audra McDonald, Norm Lewis and Heather Headley. Later, at the invitation of Broadway vocal arranger Chapman Roberts (Five Guys Named Moe), Summers performed at Carnegie Hall.

Writing led to Summers joining the Dramatists Guild of America, and his work or incarnations of, have been produced and presented On and Off-Broadway, at numerous regional theatres such as the The Milwaukee Repertory, where Summers collaborated with Kevin Ramsey to premiere their original tap-dance musical, If These Shoes Could Talk, which starred Harold Nicholas, of the legendary Nicholas Brothers, in his farewell stage performance.

Other venues and regional theatres where Summers' works have been produced include The Arkansas Repertory Theatre, The Ensemble Theatre, Karamu Theatre, The Phoenix Theatre, The Meadow Brook Theatre, The Madison Theatre at Molloy College, Theaterworks in Palo Alto, California, The Triad Theatre, New World Stages, AMAS Musical Theatre, Crossroads Theatre, RACCA's Seaport Salon, The Kirk Theatre, Gramercy Theatre, Radio City Music Hall's workshop spaces, The Kennedy Center and many others.

Other notable projects in development include Summers as librettist, co-lyricist and co-composer (with Timothy Graphenreed) for Yo' Alice (Adaptation of Alice in Wonderland) which was conceived by Maurice Hines. Summers also collaborated with Hines on Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song for which Summers is book writer. Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song premiered at New Jersey's Crossroads Theatre in 2004 and in 2014, was produced by Metro Stage Theatre in Alexandria, VA starring Freda Payne (Hit record: Band of Gold) directed by Maurice Hines.

Summers' funk musical, The Funkentine Rapture, was selected for the 2005 National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival (NAMT) starring Tony Award Winner Billy Porter and presented in workshop at Theatreworks (Silicon Valley), directed by Robert Kelly. The Funkentine Rapture will be presented in concert at 54 Below in June, 2017, starring Tony Award Winner, James Monroe Iglehart.

Summers made his producing debut in 2003—partnering with Amas Musical theatre and Ben Blake for the developmental production of From My Hometown. The production transferred commercially to the Gramercy Theatre in 2004 with Summers as Lead Producer.

As a director, Summers has worked in venues ranging from New York’s Urban Stages, AMAS Musical Theatre, The John Houseman Theatre, New World Stages, The Triad Theatre, Flushing Town Hall, The Milwaukee Repertory Theater, The Cell Theatre, Harlem Repertory Theatre, The Pearl Theatre Company to name a few. Summers directed the world Premiere of Acappella The Musical for the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) garnering three "Excellence Awards" in 2015.

Summers was co-chairperson of the 2016 AUDELCO Awards; a Judge for the 2016 NYMF Excellence Awards and co-producer/former cast member of the Dreamgirls Original Company 35h Anniversary at Michael Bennett's 890 Broadway. In 2016 Summers also celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the Just A Piano Concert Series, which has presented countless artists benefiting numerous charities, such as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Actors Fund of America, MusiCares and others.

Summers studied Theatre Arts and Communications at Tennessee State University; vocal technique at (Fisk University) and upon his eventual return to academia, Summers earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dramatic Writing from SUNY Empire State College and an MFA in musical theatre writing from New York University/Tisch School of the Arts.

Librettist

Lyricist

Composer

Playwright

Producer

Television and film actor

Stage actor and singer

Awards and competitions

Summers' works have received critical acclaim along with such honors as The New Professional Theatre's "Our Voices Award" (1996) eight AUDELCO Award nominations including “Best Musical” (2003), selection and presentation in the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's Festival of New Musicals(2005), TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, California (2005), a developmental workshop at Radio City Musical Hall (1999), developmental support from the Shubert Organization (2003), a [[Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla]] Theatre Foundation Commendation for his body of work in American Musical Theater (2003), New York's Bistro Award(2010) and four Michigan 2012 Wilde Award nominations and a recent win for Best Ensemble (2012).