EDMOND—Tony award-winning Broadway singer and actor Brian Stokes Mitchell returned to Armstrong Auditorium on March 11, singing show tunes from his new album, Simply Broadway, for a crowd of 512. The baritone, who has been one of the “central leading men of Broadway theater” for over two decades, performed fresh versions of songs from classic shows like Camelot, Porgyand Bess,Les Misérables and Sunday in the Park With George.

Mitchell first performed at the auditorium in 2011. “He loved it here and he was excited to come back,” said Armstrong International Cultural Foundation concert manager Ryan Malone. The day before his 2011 concert, Stokes also taught a master class, open to the public, where he recalled his music career and outlined keys to success as a performer. The next evening he performed a variety of classic songs, accompanied by a small jazz ensemble. This year, his powerful baritone was accompanied solely by pianist Tedd Firth.

Mitchell opened the show by saying he likes to “play,” not work, and invited concertgoers to “play” with him as he became the character of each song. He had the audience participate in some of his songs, repeating lines after him and singing the last line of the final number, “What a Wonderful World.”

The concert attracted numerous first-time concertgoers to the auditorium. One older couple drove more than 700 miles to see Mitchell perform. “We drove all the way from Birmingham, Alabama. He’s our favorite performer,” the husband said.

Another concertgoer said the experience was “just superb,” and another called the show a “home run.”

Mitchell has been nominated for the Tony Award four times, winning best actor in 2000, and has performed on television for the past 30 years, as well as in film. He has been invited to perform at the White House for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and sang at the 2009 funeral of Senator Edward Kennedy.

Mitchell performed on Broadway in New York City for years, which meant he worked in the evenings and returned home around mid-morning every day. He said that when his now 10-year-old son started school, he realized those work hours prevented them from spending any quality time together, since his son went to school when Stokes returned home, and returned from school when Stokes went to work.  He decided to quit performing for Broadway in order to spend that time with his son.

The 2013-2014 Armstrong Auditorium concert series continues on March 18 with Israeli-American pianist Menahem Pressler.