Two-time AUDELCO Award winner for “Best Director of a Musical,” Lee Summers is an American theatre, television, and film actor, singer, librettist, composer, director, educator, and producer—best known for Off-Broadway’s From My Hometown.

Summers is presently developing Broadway’s first funk musical, The Funkentine Rapture, with book (co-written by Ben Blake) and lyrics by Summers, and music by Summers. The production is directed by Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart, with musical direction by Broadway’s Lon Hoyt (Hairspray).

Summers’ From My Hometown—for which he is conceiver, co-author, and co-composer (alongside 24 classic soul hit songs)—was co-produced with Ben Blake and AMAS Musical Theatre during its 2003 developmental run, and Summers served as lead producer of the 2004 commercial transfer to the Gramercy Theatre. The show has since had ten regional productions and is now part of the Broadway Licensing Global catalog.

Summers’ Ella, First Lady of Song, conceived by Maurice Hines—with Summers as director and librettist—has had five regional productions and won the 2022 AUDELCO Award for “Best Musical,” along with four additional category awards.

In addition to his writing and producing work, Summers directed Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical for the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, and has been a guest thesis director at Berklee NYC for three consecutive years. He has also directed for numerous New York and regional theatres and universities nationwide, as well as multiple short films and virtual productions.

He made his Broadway debut in the original production of Dreamgirls, appearing alongside Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, Cleavant Derricks, Ben Harney, and Jennifer Holliday.

Summers later reprised his role in the historic Dreamgirls 20th Anniversary Benefit Concert at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts. That landmark event, which made Broadway history, featured Audra McDonald, Billy Porter, Heather Headley, Norm Lewis, and Lillias White—and was released as a live concert recording. Summers is proud to have been part of both the original Broadway cast and the legendary concert celebration.

Summers began his career as an actor at the HBCU Tennessee State University, while also singing and dancing at Opryland U.S.A. During his senior year, he met Broadway’s Bobby Hill, a star of Micki Grant’s Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope. After performing together in several campus productions, Hill encouraged Summers to pursue a career in New York City.

Since then, Summers has appeared On and Off-Broadway, in major regional theatres, and in television shows including Blue Bloods, Boardwalk Empire, New York Undercover, Law & Order, and in films such as Malcolm X, directed by Spike Lee.

Currently, Summers serves as adjunct faculty at NYU’s Steinhardt Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions. He earned his BA from SUNY Empire State College and his MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Member: AEA, SAG-AFTRA, SDC, DG.