Greenville native Phillip Boykin makes a lasting impression on and off the Broadway stage.
Phillip Boykin is a force—a towering figure with a presence so powerful, it stays with you long after he has left the stage. The actor, who is also an acclaimed vocalist, is a commanding thespian whose on-stage transformations leave audiences captivated. He’s a Greenville native and a theater veteran with a lengthy list of accolades, including a Grammy Award nomination for the Tony Award-winning CD Once on This Island. He has also received nominations for a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, and an Outer Critic’s Circle Award, and won the 2012 Theater World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut for his starring role in in the Broadway revival of Porgy and Bess.
Though Boykin’s resonant bass-baritone voice has become renowned in the theater realm, the 55-year-old recalls a time when his siblings would beg their mother to make him stop singing. He says he was dubbed “the little tone-deaf boy” by family and friends. Although he found passion in singing, he says that due to his low voice, he sometimes couldn’t match the higher pitch of the music.
Fortunately, he didn’t let the negative reviews derail his dream. He went to Greenville High School and studied music and drama under the leadership of Marjorie Bennett, and then auditioned for the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities and was accepted. One day, as he stood in the choir stand at Mountainview Church in Greenville, he recalls writing a note to the pastor: “We see that Phillip Boykin is here. Please have him sing a solo.” (Yes, he wrote the note.) The pastor obliged, and young Phillip sang the gospel song “Please Be Patient With Me,” which was written by gospel legend James Cleveland. That day was a turning point for Boykin. The congregation was blown away and erupted with applause and praise. Boykin had matured and was able to match the pitch of the song, with skill to spare.
Clark Nesbitt, one of the founders of the Youth Repertory Theater at Greenville’s historic Phillis Wheatley Center, where Boykin spent time after school, described him as a young man with immense talent and a great deal of perseverance. Boykin credits the Phillis Wheatley Center as being vital to his upbringing. “If it wasn’t for the Phillis Wheatley Center, I never would have received the leadership I needed,” he says. It was there that he met the late Dwight Woods, who, along with Nesbitt, founded the Youth Repertory Theater. Woods took Boykin under his wing, providing mentorship, guidance, and training in theater arts.
Meanwhile, Boykin’s home life was challenging. He grew up in what he describes as the poorest part of Greenville, and his mother was often ill, spending time in and out of the hospital. “One of the reasons I wanted to perform and what gave me the passion to persevere was the desire I had to take care of my mother and try to lift my family out of poverty,” Boykin says.
One of ten siblings, Boykin was the only one to finish high school. Devastation hit the family when his youngest brother was murdered by one of his older brothers. Eventually, the decision was made that Boykin would move in with Dwight Woods, who Boykin calls Dad. “Dwight Woods answered the call to be a father to many of us. He would pick us up and take us to rehearsals and was always there to help us through whatever obstacles we were facing. He would also check in with my professors when I was away at college. It was at his house that I saw an album cover featuring Leontyne Price and William Warfield as Porgy and Bess. I thought to myself, if they could do it, I can do it,” he says.
Decades later, Boykin made his Broadway debut in Porgy and Bess at the Richard Rogers Theatre in New York City. He is currently playing the role of King Hades, to rave reviews, in the Broadway production of Hadestown.
“Make a deposit into your dream bank account every day,” Boykin says when asked about advice for young people. “Take music or dance lessons, learn a new song, do something that will feed the artist in you. Be patient and believe in the power of faith.”
Facts about Phillip Boykin
- Began his vocal and theater training at the Phillis Wheatley Repertory Theater for Youth in Greenville
- Released You Believed in Me, an album recorded live at The Peace Center
- Founder, company manager, and artistic director of the NY Gospel Brothers
- Has a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford
- Studied opera at South Carolina State University
- Made his New York City Opera debut in the Stephen Schwartz opera Seance On A Wet Afternoon
On Screen
In addition to his acclaimed work on Broadway, Phillip Boykin has made screen appearances as well. Here are a few movies where you can spot him.
- Freedom, 2104, starring Cuba Gooding Jr.
- Top Five, 2014, starring Chris Rock
- Easter Mysteries, 2016, a musical depicting the resurrection of Christ
