LIMTF’S 2024 MASTERCLASS GUEST ARTIST:

Mykal Kilgore

A born and raised Floridian, Mykal moved to Nashville, TN as a hopeful singer and songwriter after attending Florida State University.  Eventually, his voice caught the attention of Tony® and GRAMMY® Award winner, Billy Porter during an audition. Porter’s careful mentorship opened lanes for Kilgore to move to New York City and to enter the Broadway world. To date, his credits include Motown the Musical, The Book of Mormon, and Hair. Mykal has consistently chosen roles that elevate the positive representation of people of color, including THE WIZ LIVE! (NBC) and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LIVE IN CONCERT (NBC). Most recently, he appeared in SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, Stephen Sondheim’s INTO THE WOODS, and The MUNY’s SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE.

Mykal Kilgore’s artistry cuts through traditional barriers and represents the hope of Gospel, the soul of R&B, and the vulnerability of Country.  The singer/songwriter’s debut album, A Man Born Black was released in 2019 and was an exploration of faith, loss, the stumble and spills on the way to maturity, and the beauty of hope and love. 

“The Man In The Barbershop” is the first single from Kilgore since his GRAMMY-nominated single “Let Me Go,” from his A Man Born Black album. There, at the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, Kilgore made history as the first openly gay artist to receive a nomination in the “Best Traditional R&B Performance” category. “The Man In The Barbershop” was produced by Jamison Ross, Cory Irvin, and John Michael Rouchell and Executive Produced by David S. Hargrett.

This past summer at LIMTF, in addition to a masterclass with the students, Mykal also performed in our revue, including both the opening and closing numbers from SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD alongside our full advanced company. Mykal performed in SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD at New York City Center’s Encores! series in 2018. We are absolutely thrilled to have had him join us to celebrate the work of Jason Robert Brown.