Music lovers inside Kean University’s Enlow Recital Hall in Hillside, NJ, this Sunday, September 13, 2026 afternoon are feeling good as they ready themselves for the first of two sold-out Get Up! Stand Up! performances by Broadway’s Joshua Henry.
In 2026, Henry won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for Ragtime. Other theatrical credits include Broadway roles in Into the Woods, Waitress, and Carousel, in addition to playing Aaron Burr in Hamilton in Chicago and on the musical’s first U.S. tour.
Beyond starring in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Academy Award-nominated film, tick, tick… BOOM!, this fall, Henry will appear in the new Off-Broadway show, The Conversation, which he created with his co-star, Julia Harriman. Henry’s latest musical recording is Joshua Henry: Live at Lincoln Center, a live acoustic album.
The lights dim and Kean Stage manager Steve Cochran welcomes the crowd announcing, “Get up! Stand up! Joshua Henry!” as guitarist Jordan Peters, keyboardist Christopher McCarthy, bassist Kyle Miles, and drummer Jaylen Petinaud take the stage.
The band plays a funky tune as Henry, 41, makes his entrance crying, “If you feel good, let me hear you say ‘yeah’!” before he sings in his smooth, clear voice, “Summertime and the livin’ is easy,” on a funky version of “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess.
The crowd cheers and Henry asks, “Anyone like Broadway?” as he slips into “Feeling Good” from The Roar of the Greasepaint — The Smell of the Crowd. After singing, “Birds flying high/You know how I feel,” Henry gets the audience clapping along and echo singing, “Oh, oh,” before vocalizing high and free to the crowd’s delight on this swinging arrangement.
Henry talks about his personal history as a fan of “soul, R&B, and gospel” prior to launching into a soulful arrangement of Marvin Gaye’s Motown classic, “Heard It Through the Grapevine,” which has music lovers clapping along, enchanted by his spellbinding voice and personality.
After explaining, “The name of this show is Get Up! Stand Up! so I want to leave you all with something special,” Henry offers up an 18-minute “History of Soul” medley of songs from the ‘60s to the 2000s which starts off with Percy Sledge’’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” and continues with Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman,” Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and “Let’s Get It On,” Prince’s “Kiss,” Boyz II Men’s “Water Runs Dry,” and John Legend’s “Ordinary People.” Concluding with James Brown’s “Get Up Offa that Thing,” Henry provides tips to audience members on ways to become an effective soul singer and gives several concertgoers an opportunity to be heard on the mic.
Following a rockin’ rendition of Earth Wind and Fire’s “Shining Star,” Henry confesses that his favorite role is that of Aaron Burr in Hamilton. Here, he dedicates an emotional version of “Dear Theodosia” to his sons who are in the audience this afternoon.
Continuing with Hamilton’s “The Room Where It Happened,” Henry connects with audience members who complete the song’s lyric phrases for him. Afterwards, he talks about his Jamaican roots prior to performing Hamilton’s “Wait For It,” where the arrangement builds in intensity as Henry cries, “I am the one thing in life I can control!” to avid cheers and applause.
Henry asks, “Everyone feel good?” as he steps into “No One is Alone” on an arrangement which features Jaylen Petinaud’s shimmering cymbals, a Jordan Peters electric guitar solo, Christopher McCarthy’s cascading keyboard, and Henry crying, “No one is alone!” on this powerful tune from Into the Woods.
Henry reveals that when he first arrived in New York City he had a song playing in his head. Accompanying himself on guitar on The Drifters’ “On Broadway,” Henry changes the lyric, “I won’t quit ’til I’m a star,” to “I didn’t quit, now I’m a star!” as concertgoers clap and cheer.
Recalling playing the Tin Man in The Wiz, Henry vocally ad libs as he bends his guitar strings on “What Would I Do If I Could Feel,” and follows up with “You Matter to Me’ where the audience echoes “You matter” on this tender song with a message from Waitress.
Confessing, “I’m feeling sentimental because my family is here,” Henry surprises both the crowd and himself with an impromptu rendition of “Bring Him Home” from Les Misérables. Long legato vocal lines stretch from Henry to the audience on this tour de force performance where he visibly chokes up while singing yet still elicits an enthusiastic standing ovation.
The audience also stands and cheers in appreciation after Henry concludes this afternoon’s show with a soulful interpretation of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come.”
For an encore, Henry delivers on a bluesy 12/8 rendition of “Tomorrow” from Annie where the audience rises yet again and Henry responds, “You’re the best!” prior to exiting the stage.
As concertgoers make their way out of the auditorium, several comment on today’s program by Joshua Henry. Remarks Ray from Chatham, “I thought it was a wonderful show! This was the first time I’ve seen Joshua Henry outside of Broadway and he did not disappoint!” Ray’s daughter Hana agrees, explaining, “I saw Joshua twice in Ragtime and both times he was phenomenal, but it was so cool to see him outside of a Broadway environment; he was really fantastic!”
Alexis from Wynnewood, PA, declares, “I love Joshua Henry; he’s incredible! I’ve seen him many times on Broadway — including four times in Ragtime — but it was amazing getting to see him in a concert setting which was so up-close and personal and when he sang to his family, he gave me goosebumps!”
Margie from Princeton Junction, insists, “I thought Joshua was fantastic today! I’ve seen him several times on Broadway but never in concert. This was so different because you get to experience his personality. He’s so emotional and I love how he can turn on the emotion yet still sing. I was mainly expecting him to do Broadway material today, but I really loved the soul music he did, but he could sing the phone book and I’d still cry.”
Michelle from Belleville exclaims, “I was absolutely blown away! I was expecting him to do some of his Broadway numbers, which he did, and I was moved to tears. I was completely impressed with every song he sang, and at the end he even did my favorite, ‘Tomorrow.’” Michelle’s friend “Queen Bee” from Montclair agrees, adding, “I participated in the show when Joshua wanted me to sing on the mic even though I could barely get a single note out because I was in such awe!”
Patricia from Union recalls, “I first heard Joshua when I saw him perform in the Thanksgiving Day parade. I was so blown away I went to see him in Ragtime and when I heard he was going to be in my home town today, I had to be here. When he did ‘Bring Him Home’ today, I was moved to tears; it was the greatest version of that song I’ve ever heard.”
Lastly, Julie from Westchester, NY, exclaims, “I’m obsessed with Joshua Henry! He was fantastic today! There’s nothing like his voice — it’s incredibly soulful and it moved me to tears. He’s a gifted artist; whether he’s singing Broadway or soul music, he’s one remarkable performer!”
Following the audience’s departure, Joshua Henry comments backstage about his performance today at Kean University. With regards to Kean’s intimate Enlow Hall, Henry insists, “It’s a beautiful theater! The sound was incredible during my loud electric set but also when I got really intimate playing the acoustic guitar. As I was performing, I felt the space was so alive and it captured all of my dynamics,” before concluding, “It’s a special room to play!”
With regards to performing in a concert setting vs. a Broadway show, Henry reveals, “I’m so glad the audience today got to see me outside of a costume and a character, which I’m so dedicated to on Broadway.” Acknowledging, “This is my favorite way in which to perform,” Henry explains, “I’ve forever loved being in musicals and plays but when you get to be yourself you can try new things, and this afternoon was one of those times when I decided I wanted to try something completely new. I did that on ‘Bring Him Home,’ but having my family here, I started thinking about my kids and my father and it just wrecked me!” He concludes by suggesting, “Every stage performer wants to sound good, but truth and feeling, I think, is even more important, so having a special moment in that space was something I’m very glad I was able to do for the audience today!”
To learn more about Joshua Henry, please go to joshuahenry.com, and to find out about his upcoming Off-Broadway production, The Conversation, please click on theconversationmusical.com. For information on great upcoming events at Kean Stage — including The Stylistics on October 3, Monty Alexander on November 22, The Swingles on December 18, and Megan Hilty on April 11, 2027 — please click on keanstage.com.
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