Tony-Winner Alex Newell To Appear At 92NY In May

The 92nd Street Y, New York will present An Evening with Alex Newell, showcasing the Tony Award winner in a special solo concert performance. The evening includes such numbers as “Independently Owned” from Shucked and “Mama Will Provide” from Once on This Island. An Evening with Alex Newell is on Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 pm and tickets are available here.

A Tony Award winner, Newell is a trailblazing actor and singer known for their powerhouse vocals and dynamic stage presence. Raised in Lynn, Massachusetts, by a single mother after their father's passing, Newell developed a love for performance through school and church choirs. Their breakthrough came in 2011 as a runner-up on The Glee Project, which led to their role as Wade "Unique" Adams on Glee. Unique, one of television's first prominent transgender characters, was a groundbreaking representation of gender identity in mainstream media—a role for which Newell is still beloved today.

After Glee, Newell pursued a music career, releasing their debut EP, Power, in 2016, featuring dance and electronic influences. They also collaborated with artists like Clean Bandit and The Knocks. However, theater soon became a defining part of their career. In 2017, Newell made their Broadway debut as Asaka in the Tony Award-winning revival of Once on This Island, delivering a show-stopping rendition of Mama Will Provide. Their performance earned them nominations for a Grammy Award and a Drama League Award.

In 2020, Newell once again gained acclaim for their television work, starring as Mo, a genderfluid DJ and neighbor to the title character, in NBC's Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Their performance was widely praised, earning them a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. They later reprised the role in the 2021 film Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas.

Their biggest theatrical success came in 2023 when they starred as Lulu in the Broadway musical comedy Shucked. Their commanding performance earned them the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, making history as one of the first openly non-binary actors to win a Tony. That same year, they won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical and garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.

In 2024, Newell took on the role of the Leading Player in the Pippin 50th Anniversary Concert, which was recorded at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane and began streaming in 2025. Their other notable theater credits include off-Broadway productions and concert performances showcasing their vocal prowess and stage presence.

Newell will next appear in the Paul Feig-directed Another Simple Favor, the highly anticipated sequel to A Simple Favor, premiering on Amazon Prime Video on May 1, 2025. The film, starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, will introduce Newell in a new role alongside the returning cast and newcomers Allison Janney and Elizabeth Perkins.