BRIGHT LIGHTS,BIG CITY arts
Grady Bowman gives his regards to Broadway | By Kelly Twedell P
eeking out from underneath Grady Bowman’s sleeve are the initials “LGM” tattooed onto his wrist. It’s a fitting tribute. The initials are in honor of Grady’s godfather, Leonard Grady McLeod, who urged him into theater and passed away in 2000. They are also emblematic of the native son who
hasn’t forgotten the local art community that catapulted him all the way to Broadway. In 2008 and 2009 Grady danced in “Billy Elliot” on Broadway,
a show that went on to win 10 Tony Awards, including one for “Best Musical.” He says it was his favorite role to date. “I will probably never do a show that was so well done. It
was the show that I am the most proud of being part of, though it was rough on the body.” He said “Billy Elliot” was one of the projects he wanted to do the most and he knew it was a special show from the start.
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