Homegrown Actor Makes Moves From Baltimore to Broadway

By Candyce Burke
Special to the AFRO

It is always refreshing to hear news about people from Baltimore engaging in positive activities and chasing their dreams. East Baltimore native Kevin Curtis is doing just that. Curtis will make his debut on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, March 7, in the highly acclaimed musical “Moulin Rouge!”

“I started auditioning for ‘Moulin Rouge! about three years ago. I was auditioning for the workshops and didn’t get it,” Curtis said, “This time I was like I don’t care what they want! I’m just going to go have fun and that worked.”

“Moulin Rouge!” is a love story set in a Paris cabaret at the turn of the 20th century. Curtis plays Baby Doll, one of the club’s female impersonators in the musical.

The actor said success did not happen for him overnight. He spent years doing regional theater in shows like “A Chorus Line,” which ironically is a musical about dancers auditioning to be in a Broadway show. 

“I’ve worked at some of the top regional theatres around the country. You name it, I’ve been there,” Curtis said. 

He was introduced to theater in middle school at Loch Raven Technical Academy. He was also involved in the band and the chorus. “Loch Raven had a really strong arts program. I really came of age as a young actor there because it was such a supportive environment,” Curtis said. 

After leaving middle school, he went on to Parkville High School, but later decided to apply to Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA), where he could fully indulge in theater and get a more in-depth education. Those who knew him at BSA said he was a standout performer even then.  

Nancy Krebs, who taught musical theater, was one of his mentors. “He was always smiling, laughing and enjoying himself,” Krebs said. “He was a hard worker, had a wonderful gift for singing, and was always a good student in my classes.” 

In the next five years, Curtis would like to be the face you see when you turn on your TV. “I want to be a series regular on a television show. I’m so inspired because there’s so many shows out there that I’m seeing myself on,” Curtis said. “I feel like Black stories are finally being told.”

He has covered a lot of ground in his career with roles in the groundbreaking series “Pose.”  He has also had parts in the films, “Take Care,” “Loulou,” and “Newlyweeds.” 

“I owe a lot to Baltimore,” Curtis said. “I think being from a city like Baltimore also gives you a thick skin. You have to really be able to roll with the punches when you are a kid in Baltimore. I think moving to New York City with that spunk behind me allowed me to really roll with what this industry had to throw at me.”

 Curtis sees himself as an example to young people who are chasing a dream. 

“Be yourself, don’t forget where you came from, and be nice to everybody! People like to work with nice people,” Curtis said. “Always bring Baltimore into the room with you because that’s what people want to see. People want to see your individuality. People want to see where you came from and people want to see your point of view.”