Lillias White facts for kids

Lillias White (born July 21, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She is famous for her amazing performances in Broadway musicals. Broadway shows are big, professional plays and musicals in New York City.

In 1989, she won an Obie Award for her role in the musical Romance in Hard Times. This show was performed Off-Broadway, which means it was in a smaller theater than Broadway. Later, in 1997, she won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. This is one of the highest honors in theater! She also won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for playing Sonja in The Life. She was nominated for another Tony Award in 2010 for her part in Fela!.

Lillias White is also known for her voice acting as Calliope in the Disney movie Hercules (1997). She also voiced Calliope in the animated TV series. You might have seen her as Evette in the movie Pieces of April (2003) or as Fat Annie in the Netflix series The Get Down. She has performed in concerts with famous groups like the Boston Pops Orchestra and at Carnegie Hall.

Lillias White's Amazing Career

Starting on Stage: Theatre Roles

Lillias White grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She started her Broadway career in 1981 in a show called Barnum. She was also an understudy for the role of Effie in the original 1981 musical Dreamgirls. An understudy learns a role and performs if the main actor can't. She later played Effie in the 1987 revival and won an award for it.

One of her first professional jobs was playing Dorothy in a national tour of The Wiz. She has played many other roles on Broadway. These include Grizabella in Cats and Asaka in Once on This Island. She also played Miss Jones in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Later, she was Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago.

Off-Broadway, she won an Obie Award for Romance in Hard Times. She also played the singer Dinah Washington in Dinah Was. In 2002, she and her castmates won an AUDELCO Award for their great teamwork in the musical Crowns.

In 2015, Lillias White starred in a new musical called Gotta Dance. This show was directed by Jerry Mitchell.

In 2022, Lillias White made history. She became the first woman to play the role of Hermes in the Broadway musical Hadestown. She performed in this role until March 2024. She even returned to the show for a short time later that year!

Singing in Concerts and Cabaret Shows

Lillias White often performs in concerts to help raise money for good causes. She sang in concert versions of Dreamgirls and Funny Girl. She also performed in a concert version of South Pacific. This show was even broadcast on PBS!

She has sung with the Brooklyn Philharmonic orchestra. She also performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City, singing songs by Harold Arlen. Lillias White has her own one-woman show called From Brooklyn to Broadway. She has performed this show in many cities.

You can also hear her voice on the 1990 Madonna song "Rescue Me".

Appearing on TV and in Movies

Lillias White has been in many TV shows. She had a regular role on Sesame Street. She also appeared in crime dramas like Law & Order and NYPD Blue.

Her movie roles include voice acting in Disney's Hercules and Anastasia. She also appeared in movies like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Pieces of April.

Personal Life

Lillias White was raised Catholic. She has a son named Mwambu and a daughter named Jamilah.

Awards and Nominations

Lillias White has won many awards for her talent.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games