One of Broadway’s brightest stars is bringing her voice to New Jersey.

LaChanze, who won a Tony Award for her performance in “The Color Purple,” will be performing at the Berrie Center for the Performing and Visual Arts at Ramapo College with her band.

She says that this will be different than performing as a character.

“When I drop into a character, I am fearless. I can go from zero to 100 and really indulge myself because I’m living the body of another character,” says LaChanze. “As myself, I feel much more vulnerable and exposed and it can be where I’m the most nervous, honestly.”

She also says she enjoys “the engagement and exchange with the audience in that space.”

LaChanze will be performing songs from Broadway shows in which she has appeared, as well as other audience favorites.

“I also do songs that I would never be cast in, like “The Bridges of Madison County.” I’m doing “Another Life,” Jason Robert Brown’s brilliant song that he wrote. And a few other staples that we all know,” LaChanze says.

LaChanze won the Tony Award in 2006 for playing Celie in Broadway's “The Color Purple.” It is among an extensive list of theatre credits, but she is taking on a different role on Broadway - that of a producer. Her first project is the revival of the play “Top Dog Underdog,” now in previews.

“I just feel there are so many stories, and so many slices of life that our audiences can connect with that are not being represented. So one of my missions is to make sure we're talking stories that are vibrant, particularly of our American cannon of playwrights,” LaChanze says. “There are so many in musicals that don't get the light of day."

LaChanze’s concert will be held on Oct. 8. More information can be found on the Berrie Center’s website.