LEVI KREIS Embrace What Makes You Different
Caitie McMekin
J
b y To m D e T i t t a
Just a stone’s throw from the rural Appalachian town where he grew up, actor-singer Levi Kreis captivated an SETC keynote audience in Knoxville with the story of the long and winding road he has followed, from teenage gospel singer and self-taught child prodigy pianist to Tony Award-winning Broadway actor and widely acclaimed composer. The message he shared at the 2019 SETC Convention articulated the discoveries he made along the way.
Above: Levi Kreis performs “Not While I’m Around” from Sweeney Todd, the song that sparked his love for musical theatre, during his Thursday SETC keynote.
“Own your corner of the world,” he advised his SETC audience. “What makes you different makes you a
commodity.” Choosing the Road
In Oliver Springs, TN, Levi Kreis’ corner of the world when he was a child, Sunday mornings meant load-
ing up the family station wagon and heading off to church. A few too many people piled into the ‘88 Buick Century for his grandmother’s tastes, and she didn’t hesitate to let the others know: “It’s so crowded in here, you can’t cuss a cat without getting hair in your mouth.”
30 x Southern Theatre x Spring 2019
After church, he fondly recalls having three generations of family gather around the kitchen table for Sunday
