Tuesday, June 18, 2013

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Brian Stokes Mitchell

Artist:Brian Stokes Mitchell
Song:The Impossible Dream
Album:Man Of La Mancha: The New Broadway Cast Recording




Brian Stokes Mitchell was a TV actor in the 80s who turned to Broadway musicals in the 90s. He has been nominated for four Tony awards including a nomination for playing Don Quixote in the 2002 revival of Man Of La Mancha. He won a Tony in 1999 for Kiss Me, Kate. He was born Oct. 31, 1957 in Seattle. His father was an engineer for the US Navy so the family moved a lot. Mitchell performed in musicals while attending high school in San Diego. He moved to Los Angeles in the 70s and got his first big break in the 1979 mini-series Roots: The Next Generation. Then he played Dr. Justin "Jackpot" Jackson on the TV series Trapper John M.D. from 1979-86. He also had a recurring role on the sitcom the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Mitchell also does a lot of voiceovers for animated cartoons. That's a very lucrative business. He first appeared on Broadway in the 1988 show Mail. His first Tony nomination was for the 1998 musical Ragtime. Then he won a Tony for the 1999 revival of Kiss Me, Kate and he was nominated for the 2001 show King Hedley II and then Man Of La Mancha in 2002. The musical Man Of La Mancha was based on the 1959 teleplay I, Don Quixote. The music was written by Mitch Leigh and the musical was first performed on Broadway in 1965 starring Richard Kiley. It was turned into a film starring Peter O'Toole in 1972. Mitchell starred in the 2002 revival with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Ernie Sabella. The show ran for about a year so it was successful. The original cast recording is available as a budget CD. The Impossible Dream is the best known song from the show but it was never a hit single. Jim Nabors sang it on the Gomer Pyle sitcom in the 60s. Man Of La Mancha was Mitchell's last long run on Broadway though he has appeared in some short runs. He has recorded two CDs. His latest CD Simply Broadway was released on his own label Oct. 2012. And he played one of Rachel's dads on the TV series Glee. This year he has been doing concerts to promote his CD. Here's Brian Stokes Mitchell with Mary Elizabeth Matstantonio performing The Impossible Dream on the 2003 Tony Awards broadcast.

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