BILLY DAWSON
ABOUT
"Billy Dawson is impeccable as the extroverted and groovy host of The Corny Collins Show -- his voice clear as a bell and his character clearly made for television in a way that made me think of Elizabeth Banks' portrayal of Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games. When I watched scenes from the 2007 Hairspray movie, I found myself thinking Dawson should have been cast in the role."
-Melissa Rooney, Triangle Theatre Review
Billy (They/He) is an artist that has been wowing audiences across the globe. Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, after school they moved to Chicago and began working with companies like Paramount Theatre, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Porchlight Music Theatre, BoHo Theatre, Light Opera Works, Music Theatre Works, and Brown Paper Box Co. He has also sung in numerous concerts and cabarets with companies like Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Harbor Country Opera, Chicago Artists Chorale. They made their international debut performing at Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan. In addition to performing on stage, Billy has been an On-Air Personality for The CW, and co-hosted their own radio show on 103.9 Sunny FM! Selected stage credits include Hairspray (Corny Collins - National Tour), Hunchback of Notre Dame (Quasimodo - Chicago Premiere), Sing! On Tour (Johnny), Jekyll & Hyde (Dr Jekyll/Mr. Hyde), Cabaret (Emcee), The Last Five Years (Jamie), The Light in the Piazza (Fabrizio), A New Brain (Gordon), and A Little Night Music (Carl Magnus).
They can currently be seen as Corny Collins in the North American Tour of the smash hit musical, Hairspray!
In his free time, Billy enjoys listening to music, spending time with friends and family, sipping on a fresh cup of coffee. Their dream duet partners are Audra McDonald, Shoshana Bean, Sarah Vaughan, and Kurt Elling. His binge-watching favorites include; Rings of Power, Marvel, The Crown, Will & Grace, The Golden Girls, Schitt's Creek, and RuPaul's Drag Race because his mother raised him right.
"Billy Dawson, who proves to be a Broadway caliber performer from start to finish."
-Alan Bresloff, Around The Town Chicago
"Mr. Dawson has truly left his mark on the musical stage with this role and will, without doubt, soon become Chicago’s newest leading man."
-Colin Douglas, Chicago Theatre Review
"Handsome, wily Billy Dawson is stunning and extremely funny..."
-Colin Douglas, Chicago Theatre Review
"...panache and charm, as well as a good amount of tongue-in-cheek attitude."
- Christopher Kidder-Mostrom, New City Stage
"This is not an easy part to play. It is not a "make-up role." A change in hairstyle and Dawson's powerful acting are all that separate Jekyll from Hyde. It is a performance that could so easily go awry, but Dawson makes Jekyll's fantastical struggles and his slow self-destruction utterly believable and riveting."
-Stephen Penhollow, WhatzUp
"Dawson's booming operatic vocals never flag..."
-Catey Sullivan, Chicago Sun-Times