Lamar Richardson ’15

Last year was a big one for actor and Broadway producer Lamar Richardson ’15; he nabbed a 2023 Tony nomination for co-producing New York, New York and co-produced the mega hit Merrily We Roll Along [Editor’s note: Richardson took home two 2024 Tony Awards on June 16: Best Revival of a Play for Appropriate and Best Revival of a Musical for Merrily.]

Richardson also has a packed schedule this year, having co-produced this spring’s highly anticipated revival of The Wiz (starring Wayne Brady in the title role) and a new musical slated for release later this year, Smash, based on the TV show of the same name. And he’ll make his feature film debut this summer in The Fabulous Four, a comedy starring Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

At the College, Richardson was active in the Black Theatre Ensemble (he credits performing in Adrienne Kennedy’s Funnyhouse of a Negro for igniting his passion for theater); after graduation he began making minor television appearances and working in regional theater.

“There’s nothing like the instant gratification of performing in front of a live audience and getting their visceral, authentic reaction,” he says. “I love that theater is a place for everyone to come into one cohesive space and to have a mirror turned on society.”

That passion led Richardson to explore a new career in 2020: Broadway producer. He has now worked on five productions, landing a string of hits right away. “To have gotten that recognition right out of the gate is just really humbling,” he says. “It’s opened the door to so many more opportunities.” Working as a performer and as a producer has given Richardson a wide-ranging perspective on the industry: “Media and art as a whole is important; it exposes us to different cultures, backgrounds and experiences,” he says. “I think there’s great value in all of it.”

— Anne-Ryan Sirju JRN’09