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Tony Award Winner Brian Stokes Mitchell Performs On The Couch

NEW YORK (WLNY) -- Brian Stokes Mitchell is a Tony Award winner and an icon of stage and song.

His new album, Simply Broadway, features him singing some hits from the Great White Way.

But he's also using his voice to help others. He's just began a special tour to benefit The Actors Fund.

"It's a great human services charity," Stokes said on The Couch. "It's not just for actors, even though it's called that. It's 130-years-old, and it's for anybody that's made their living in show business. We're there for them."

"We've helped more than 500 people [affected by Sandy]," Stokes said.

His new album is inspired by an a 1960s album by Tony Bennett and pianist Bill Evans, in which they play standards from the American songbook.

"I thought that would be a great thing to do with Broadway standards," he said.

"What was fun about doing the album, is that it gave me the chance to play a lot of roles that I've never gotten to play," he said.

"I approach the songs and the characters as if I were playing them, and that's kind of the approach of the album.

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