Michel Warren Bell, the actor, vocal soloist and opera great often likened to the legendary Paul Robeson, will discuss his experience as "Joe," the African American character in the Tony Award winning 1994 Broadway musical Show Boat at 3:30 p.m. today in HUB-Robeson Center's Heritage Hall.

The free event is open to the public and coincides with weeklong campus celebrations, forums and guest speakers in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.

According to Amy Vashaw, director of education for the Center for the Performing Arts, Bell will explain the historical and cultural magnitude of Show Boat.

The touring version of Show Boat will grace Eisenhower Auditorium tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.

Revived numerous times on stage and camera, the epic musical, by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II and based on the novel by Edna Ferber, marked a turning point in American theater.

"Show Boat marks the first time in musical theatre history where narrative and song flow seamlessly throughout the play," Vashaw said. "The songs actually serve as a through line to propel the plot."

That epic plot, spanning nearly four decades from post-reconstruction 1887 to 1927, is saturated in social issues, including interracial marriages and friendships, alcohol and drug abuse, gambling addictions and career opportunities.

Beyond the plot, however, the show is charged with a social significance that stands alone. Bell was nominated for a Tony for best musical actor in Hal Prince's revival. As Joe, Bell inherited the role originally immortalized by Robeson and the musical's most recognized song, "Ol' Man River." Bell may discuss the significance of the Mississippi melody's lyrics, rewritten by Robeson to replace racial terms with social defiance. Bell will conclude his visit with the legendary song.

Susan Stockton, the new director of the Center for the Performing Arts, witnessed Bell's rendition of "Ol' Man River" in 1994. According to Vashaw, the memory still gives Stockton chills. When she saw this season's schedule, which includes tomorrow's revival of Show Boat, she immediately set out to book Bell. His authority on racial issues and revered musical experience warrant a spotlight in King's remembrance events.

In addition, Vashaw said Bell might address Show Boat's historical accuracy, its contemporary value in light of today's African-American art forms and audiences, and his frequent comparisons to Robeson.

"He's seen as the torch bearer for Robeson's style," Vashaw said. Bell starred in Artist with Conscience: A Portrait of Paul Robeson, a one-man show tailored specifically for Bell that aired on PBS.

Robeson, namesake for Penn State's Paul Robeson Cultural Center in the HUB, was the son of a former slave who matured into an activist for human rights and racial equality, star athlete, articulate orator, member of the Cap and Skull Honor Societies at Rutgers University, lawyer, and performing artist. The wake of his accomplishments continues to catalyze respect and social reform.

According to Peter Wray, public relations director of the CPA, Bell is a former member of The Fifth Dimension, portrayed "Porgy" from George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, participated in the America's Millennium celebration in Washington D.C. and worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. His most recent role was in the Broadway musical The Civil War, which opened in April 1999.

Audience members may ask questions, collect autographs and photos and enjoy free refreshments at the reception following the lecture.

Tickets for Show Boat tomorrow night are still available at $20 for students and $35 general admission. For performance information, call 863-8205.