As New York City commemorated Pride, Kyle Taylor Parker kicked off the weekend of celebration with a set from his recent album Broadway Soul, Vol. 2 at Feinstein's/54 Below June 25. Not only did the the evening mark Parker’s solo show debut at the midtown supper club, it was also the first time the Kinky Boots alum was able to perform with other musicians and for an audience, as the album was recorded remotely in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I like to think of my concerts as a conversation between me and the audience, a creative space to catch-up, compare notes and battle wounds, and reflect on where we all are these days, individually and collectively,” Parker explained in a statement. “After more than a year of not being able to connect in the way we're all accustomed, there was so much to share and celebrate. Being in front of a live audience on stage at 54 Below for the first time—and at the start of Pride weekend in NYC—was electrifying. I am full of new ideas, new music, and a renewed sense of hope."
Released in February 2021, Broadway Soul Vol. 2 is a concept album telling a sentimental and hopeful love story through Broadway classics re-imagined with an R&B twist, filtered through the prospective of a queer artist of color. With a host of guest stars including Drag Race's Jackie Cox and Wicked's Shoshana Bean, the album features songs from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, South Pacific, A Chorus Line, The Wiz, Follies, The Music Man, and more. Produced by Broadway records, it is available on digital platforms as well as CD and vinyl.
