Nathaniel Stampley

Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Currently: Imparting fatherly wisdom as Mufasa in the Broadway production of Disney's The Lion King.

Born to Sing: The son of a minister and a music teacher, Stampley says, "I've been singing before congregations and audiences my whole life." Young Nate did his first musical roles in high school, then faced a big choice upon entering the University of Wisconsin as a voice major: Should he pursue opera or theater? A string of musicals in his hometown and, later, in Chicago sealed the decision. "When I moved to Chicago, I had only six weeks of work lined up," he says now, "but I had faith that I could find more, and my family was very supportive. My career is dedicated to my mother, who's a singer and musician but couldn't pursue something like Broadway because she had six children. I'm having the career she couldn't have."

Can You Feel the Love? "The Lion King will forever hold a dear place in my heart because it's where I met my wife," Stampley says with a smile. Dancer Lanette Costas joined the show's first national tour alongside Stampley after performing with the Ailey II company. "We got to be good friends and then started dating and eventually got engaged," he says. "It was like a fairytale story." The couple's August 2004 wedding at the historic El Convento Hotel in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, made the Sunday Styles section of The New York Times. "I'm forever blessed that I met my soul mate and partner in life on the road," he says, "but I could have met her on the street and it would have happened. She's an amazing woman." Aww!

I Just Can't Wait to be King: Stampley is only the third actor to play Mufasa during The Lion King's 10-year Broadway run, following original star Samuel E. Wright and Alton Fitzgerald White. "I'm humbled by that," the friendly and modest actor says. But he had plenty of prep before taking his place atop Pride Rock at the Minskoff Theatre: Stampley spent a year and a half on the first national tour, then starred in the London production for a year and did six more months on the road last year. He finally met the show's Tony-winning director, Julie Taymor, last fall. "I'm definitely one of the younger guys that's been cast in this role," he notes, "and she urged me to keep the energy I bring, and not to play it older—to be a mature yet young father."

Purple Reign: After his London run in The Lion King, Stampley made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of The Color Purple, playing Sofia's boyfriend Buster and the African chief and understudying Harpo. When Disney beckoned for a second round on the road, he hesitated. "My wife and I wanted to start a family and we had just bought a home in New Jersey," he says, "but [Mufasa] was a principal role with scenes and songs and an opportunity to express myself more than I was able to do in an ensemble." As luck would have it, Stampley was tapped to become Broadway's Mufasa when Alton Fitzgerald White jumped to The Color Purple to play Mister. "It's purely divine," Stampley says of the casting shuffle, "and I'm so grateful to be here as The Lion King gets ready for the 10th anniversary."

Father's Day: Talk about good timing: Stampley's bride joined him on tour last summer, stepping in for a dancer on leave, and by the time they came home last fall, Lanette was expecting their first child. Baby daughter Ayana was born on June 9. "It's an African name meaning 'beautiful flower,'" the proud new dad explains. "We wanted something that would celebrate her African-American heritage, and we think the name is befitting of our beautiful princess." Not surprisingly, real-life fatherhood has given Stampley a new appreciation for his character: "I realize that you don't own your child, you're simply guiding her so that when you're not around anymore, you've taught her to be a great human being and a contributor to society. The Lion King is about all the essential things—life and death and love and loss. It speaks to our humanity."