Genderqueer Glee star Alex Newell slays Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks performance
Genderqueer star Alex Newell slayed their Macy’s fireworks 2024 performance. (NBC)
Glee star Alex Newell, who identifies as genderqueer and uses all pronouns, is being widely praised on social media for absolutely slaying their Macy’s 4th of July fireworks 2024 performance.
Newell, who is also a history-making Tony Award winner, was one of the shining stars of Macy’s annual fireworks show, which celebrates America’s Independence Day.
They took to the stage by New York City’s Hudson River, as approximately 60,000 fireworks lit up the night sky behind them, and belted out an astonishing rendition of Ray Charles’ “America the Beautiful” and Sara Bareilles’ “Brave”.
Following their four-minute performance, social media was alight with praise for the TV and theatre star.
“Alex Newell is now on the list of people that I’d listen to sing the phone book. Amazing,” wrote one new-found fan.
“Alex Newell was the best part of the show,” a second declared, as a third praised their “beautiful” voice.
Who is Alex Newell? Their gender identity, pronouns and history-making Tony Awards win explained
Newell rose to fame playing trans student Unique Adams in series three to six of Ryan Murphy’s camp classic Glee, and went on to become a huge Broadway star with roles in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Once on This Island.
Yet it was Alex Newell’s turn in 2022 musical Shucked that made headlines last year, after Newell – alongside Some Like It Hot performer J. Harrison Ghee, who also uses all pronouns – became the first ever non-binary actor to win a Tony Award for their performance.
They won in the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical category, and then went on to be nominated for a Grammy award for their contribution to the Shucked musical album.
“I should not be up here, as a queer, non-binary, fat, Black little baby from Massachusetts. And to anyone who thinks they can’t do it, I’m going to look you dead in your face that you can do anything you put your mind to,” they cried as they collected their Tony Award back in June last year.
Newell came out as gender nonconforming back in 2017, and in 2020 explained that they related to their role as Mo in NBC comedy drama Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, who is also genderfluid.
Alongside the Glee star, Macy’s fireworks display also saw performances from Newell’s co-worker and lesbian country music star Brandy Clark, who wrote the music and lyrics for Shucked.
