Tony and Grammy award-winning actress Renée Elise Goldsberry, perhaps best known for her role as Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway smash hit Hamilton, will deliver the keynote address at Northeastern’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, “A Tribute to the Dream,” on Tuesday, Jan. 17. She’ll also lead a master class for students in the Department of Theatre as part of the department’s NU Broadway series.

Goldsberry, who earned a bachelor’s degree in theater from Carnegie Mellon University and a master’s degree in vocal jazz performance from the University of Southern California, has starred in numerous hit Broadway shows. She played Nettie Harris in the original Broadway cast of The Color Purple, Mimi Márquez in Rent, and Nala in The Lion King.

As an actress and a person, she transcends categories and boundaries.
—Scott Edmiston, chair of Northeastern’s Department of Theatre

Goldsberry has also experienced success on the small screen. She was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Evangeline Williamson on ABC’s One Life to Live and has also appeared in CBS’ The Good Wife.

Scott Edmiston, chair of Northeastern’s Department of Theatre, described Goldsberry as a role model for the university’s students.

“As an actress and a person, she transcends categories and boundaries,” Edmiston said. “I’m thrilled that our students will also have an opportunity to learn more about her commitment to social justice and racial and gender equality. She’s not only a major talent, she also personifies the ideal of the artist-as-citizen.”

Goldsberry will also perform a song in addition to delivering the keynote address at next month’s celebration of King’s life and legacy.

Her visit to campus will also include a master class for the most recent installment of NU Broadway, a series that “showcases a new generation of theater artists who are reshaping New York theater,” Edmiston explained.

The series began this fall with a visit by Tony Award nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel, who directed the Broadway production of Hand to God.