East Oak Lane native Leslie Odom, Jr. returns home with latest concert tour at the Miller Theater
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- East Oak Lane's Leslie Odom Jr. is bringing his latest concert tour home on Wednesday.
The vocalist, songwriter, actor, and New York Times bestselling author returns for An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr. at the Miller Theater.
We chatted about what makes these homecomings extra special.
"I haven't changed," Odom Jr. says. "My eyes are still my eyes, and they were given to me at home. They were given to me on the streets of Philadelphia. If it was good enough for Philadelphia, it was good enough for anybody."
Odom Jr.'s new show features some of his favorite things from the last 10 years, which have truly been blockbuster.
"This is just a real celebration of where I've been and how far I've come," he says. "I owe so much of that to Philadelphia."
"An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr." will feature songs from all five of his albums.
The first one, he says, has a very grassroots connection to home.
"My very first album was a Kickstarter record," he says. "So many people from Philadelphia donated $10, $15 bucks to help me make that record 10 years ago."
That was fresh off his Broadway debut in the award winning smash hit "Hamilton." Odom Jr. portrayal of Aaron Burr earned him both a Tony Award and a Grammy Award.
In 2020, he was nominated for two Oscars for the film "One Night in Miami."
This year has also been a big one. He was just named one of TIME100's "Most Influential People of 2024."
"I'm flabbergasted," he says. "I'm still taking that in."
Last year, Odom Jr. returned to Broadway with "Purlie Victorious" and he earned a spot on Philadelphia's Walk of Fame.
"I was so moved by it," he says. "It was very special."
He says every moment, every role, every song inspired this new show.
"We've come a long way," he says, "and this tour is a celebration."
"An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr. " is this Wednesday, May 1 at the Miller Theater.
For tickets and more information, visit EnsembleArtsPhilly.org.
