"It's rare that you see a show where every single member of the cast is vocally flawless. Rare, but not impossible. Danielle Steers (Zahara) may have one of my favourite voices. Her chest filled, Cher-like sound is glorious, especially when matched with

Billy Lewis Jr.'s angelic, exquisitely balanced belt as Jagwire". - Broadway World | Toronto (Oct 2017)

 

"Giovanni Spano as Ledoux and Billy Lewis Jr. as Jagwire had enormous stage presence and I often found myself drawn to what they were doing on stage at any given moment. Their voices, along with Danielle Steers as Zahara, were top notch — the audience just couldn’t get enough of these three, in addition to the performers in the lead roles (Polec, Bennington, Fowler and Sexton). As each one broke into song, the audience either fell into a hushed awe or broke out into cheers". - Tribute.ca (Oct 2017)

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Secondary characters Zahara (Danielle Steers) and Jagwire (Billy Lewis Jr.) sing an astonishingly powerful rendition of “Two out of Three Ain’t Bad.” - Toronto Star (Oct 2017)

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"Jesus is portrayed with great simplicity and conviction by Billy Lewis, Jr. He is a loving and gentle Jesus with his disciples but firm with the money changers in the temple. His voice echoes his calmness, raising to great heights and forceful when angered. Lewis is a wonder".  -  Colorado Theater Review (Jesus Christ Superstar, Arvada Center)  2017

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 "Billy Lewis brings a fine balance of human ego and divine wisdom to the title role, with pure vocals that play perfectly off his historic betrayer". - Huffington Post 

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 "Lewis brings killer rock vocals to the role, infused with the kind of passionate pathos you crave from his ballads. He makes Jesus relatably mortal, keeping his struggle evident and profound". Broadway World - Denver

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"Lewis does a heavenly job of bringing Jesus to life. He creates a man that is omnipotent, but still nervous of the road ahead. Lewis’s vocals are strong, powerful and hearty, he is a perfect Jesus". -  Theater Corner MSU - (JCS Arvada Center) 2017

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"Billy Lewis Jr. (Glee) is the frontman of this group. He has genuine rock pipes and a gorgeously pure falsetto".

Theatermania.com - 2016

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"Billy Lewis Jr. (who starred in the final season of Glee) sounds like a total rock star, and his commitment is legit".

BroadwayBox.com - 2016

 

"As Melchior, the lad we most care about, Billy Lewis Jr. is galvanizing. Because the character is conflicted, he must seem sinister at one moment and angelic the next. Lewis alternates between these extremes with great skill. The actor has such charisma, one assumes only a little time will pass before he becomes a musical theater superstar".

NJ STAR LEDGER - Spring Awakening (NJ Regional Premiere)

 

"He’s an enigmatic performer with the ability to turn on the charm and sexiness"

Hypable.com

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PRESS

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Dennis DeYoung says ‘Glee’ finally got Styx’s ‘Come Sail Away’ right: ‘This song is not easy to sing’  "Billy Lewis Jr. did a great job of honoring the tune. Good one kiddo".

(via Dennis DeYoung FB)

March 28, 2015

via somethingelsereviews.com

 

Dennis DeYoung says, after years of failed attempts by others, the kids on Glee nailed it with their rousing recent rendition of Styx’s “Come Sail Away.”

“I must admit that having searched YouTube over the years listening to all sorts of folks singing ‘Come Sail Away,’ I have been reminded of this simple fact: this song is not easy to sing,” DeYoung now admits. “‘Til now, I have not heard anyone sing this song with the correct combination of hope, passion and melancholy necessary to pull it off.”

 

Glee has also previously featured Styx’s No. 3 hit “Mr. Roboto.” Likewise composed by Dennis DeYoung, that song was taken from the 1983 concept album Kilroy Was Here. “Come Sail Away,” meanwhile, was originally a No. 8 hit off Styx’s 1977 album The Grand Illusion.

 

“This tune can get corny pretty darn quick in the wrong hands,” Dennis DeYoung says of “Come Sail Away.” “I know from experience having written and sung it for the past 35 years how challenging it can be to not only execute the vocal jumps but keep some of the words I used in pitch. I can sing ‘Lady,’ ‘Babe,’ ‘Suite Madame Blue’ and almost any other song in my sleep but this puppy needs training and TLC.”

 

DeYoung made another pass at “Come Sail Away” just last year, as part of The Music of Styx: Live in Los AngelesThat project was recorded during a concert at the El Rey Theatre in March 2014, and then released a few months later via Frontiers.

 

Artist to Watch: Billy Lewis Jr.

March 27, 2015

by Deanna Romani

ASU The Blaze

 

From singing in cabarets to singing in front of television cameras, singer/songwriter Billy Lewis Jr. is a treat to any audience he attracts.

Lewis started off as a musical theatre-based actor, appearing in shows such as “Hedwig & the Angry Inch,” “Spring Awakening” and “Hair,” among others.

 

In July of 2014, he self-released his debut EP, featuring the singles “The Flood” and “Jealousy.” Most notably and most recently, he scored the role of the ditzy but lovable cheerleader Mason McCarthy in the final season of Fox’s musical dramedy, Glee.

 

Though it’s usually hard for actors with pretty big breakout roles to differentiate themselves when it comes to releasing original music, Lewis has done a really bold job in doing so. His solo career sounds completely different to anything his character would have sang on the show, the only similarity being his captivating voice.

 

Lewis doesn’t have much music out now, but he’s made it clear that he wants to be treated as a singer/songwriter in the entertainment world, not just a stage or television actor. After a quick YouTube search, you can find his live covers of “Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin and “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers, both of which he has put his own twist on while managing to stay true to the original artists.

 

He may dabble back and forth between acting and making music, but the strong passion you hear in his voice while performing makes for solid and beautifully contrasting tracks, which he has already, but I look forward to hearing more of what he has to offer.

 

'Glee's' newest New Directions are stealing the show

March 3, 2015

by Natalie Fisher

Full article: Hypable

 

 

"Mason (Billy Lewis Jr.) really got the chance to shine last week. He and his twin sister Madison, both Cheerios, were initially presented as somewhat of a cheesy joke, but while his perkiness does seem to be a genuine trait, it isn’t all there is to him. He’s wickedly handsome if you look past the mile-a-minute pep, and his relationship with his sister is a dynamic the show has never explored before".

 

"His “I Want To Break Free” solo showed some more depth of character – he’s an enigmatic performer with the ability to turn on the charm and sexiness, but as soon as he rushed offstage, he was shown to be all goofy and amazed at his own bravery, showing that he doesn’t take his stage persona too seriously. He has an inherent sweetness and his new romance with Jane is so shy, so cute, and so much less fraught than the inter-glee-club relationships of yesteryear".

 

"Billy Lewis Jr. - A Force To Be Reckoned With" (Click for full story)

February 16, 2015

by Becky Fuller

Full Interview:  4YE.CO.UK