Bill Porter to play Sunday concert at Heinz Hall
Grammy, Emmy, and two-time Tony winner Billy Porter brings passion and joy to Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh with his first-ever career-spanning pop music concert tour on Sunday, May 28.
“The Black Mona Lisa Tour: Volume 1” includes a full band, backed by a video installation, fronted by Porter telling his life story through song. The 90-minute show will feature his chart-topping hits “Love Is on the Way” and “Love Yourself,” a tinge of Broadway, a nod to Pose, and stunning performances of future pop classics from his forthcoming new album, “Black Mona Lisa.”
“ItĢƵ really the first time that I’ve been able to fully express myself and who I am through my music,” said Porter. “ItĢƵ like my magnum opus. ItĢƵ everything to me. You’ll really get a glimpse into who I am even deeper with this music.”
Porter is a singer, songwriter, actor, author, director and producer whose music career began in 1997 with the release of his self-titled debut album which generated the Top 10 single “Show Me.” Another song, “Love Is on the Way” was featured in the movie “First Wives Club.” In 2019, Porter scored his first #1 on the Billboard U.S. Dance Club chart with “Love Yourself.”
Porter is a veteran of the theater and has multiple credits including performances in “Miss Saigon,” “Angels in America,” and “Grease.” In 2013, he was awarded his first Tony for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Lola in the Broadway production “Kinky Boots.” That role also won him the Drama Desk award and the Outer Critics Circle award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. “Kinky Boots” also brought him a Best Musical Theater Album Grammy for the Official Soundtrack.
Porter also starred in all three seasons of the FX drama series “Pose,” for which he was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and in 2019 won an Emmy award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. He became the first openly gay man to be nominated and win in any lead acting category at the Primetime Emmys. His other television credits include “Law and Order,” “American Horror Story: Apocalypse,” “Saturday Night Live,” “The Simpsons,” and “The Twilight Zone.”
While the show is not with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, tickets for the 7:30 p.m. performance can be purchased through pittsburghsymphony.org/.