Giving Thanks: Leslie Odom Jr. & Nicolette Robinson on the Importance of Billy Porter and Aida

On November 16, Broadway.com presented the Arthur Miller Foundation Honors, the annual event that shines a spotlight on the importance of arts education in the public school system. Hosted by Broadway’s Sasha Hutchings (Hamilton, Oklahoma!), the virtual gala featured stories and songs from an array of Broadway performers, who honored inspiring teachers from their past and reflected on the state of theater and education in 2020.

In this clip from the show, Hamilton Tony winner Leslie Odom Jr. and his wife, actress Nicolette Robinson, reminisce about their own school experiences and the teachers who impacted them the most. For Robinson, it was Douglass Griffin, who brought "commitment and expertise and passion" to her high school's arts program, while Odom thanks his fifth grade social studies teacher Francis Turner for helping him "get in touch" with his voice for the first time. The couple also shares how a chance encounter at Aida and Billy Porter's portrayal of Teen Angel in Grease changed their perception of Broadway.

To honor the legacy of the great American playwright Arthur Miller, and his New York City public school education, the Arthur Miller Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality theater education to public school students by supporting public school theater teachers. To watch more of the 2020 Arthur Miller Foundation Honors, or to donate, please visit http://www.amfhonorsorg.