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, Lillias won an Obie Award for her role in an off-Broadway musical called Romance in Hard Times. Off-Broadway shows are smaller than Broadway ones. Later, in 1997, she won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. These awards were for her part as Sonja in the musical The Life. She was nominated for a Tony Award again in 2010 for her work in Fela!.

White is also well-known for her voice acting. She played Calliope in the Disney movie Hercules (1997). She also voiced Calliope in the animated TV series. She appeared as Evette in the movie Pieces of April (2003). You might also know her as Fat Annie in the Netflix series The Get Down. She has performed in many concerts and TV specials too.

Lillias White's Career Highlights

Broadway and Theatre Roles

Lillias White grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She first performed on Broadway in 1981 in a show called Barnum. She was an understudy for the role of Effie in the original 1981 musical Dreamgirls. An understudy learns a role and performs it if the main actor can't. She later played Effie in the 1987 revival of Dreamgirls. For that role, she won the Drama League Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

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

For her role in The Life, she won several big awards. These included the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award. She played a character named Sonja.

Off-Broadway, Lillias White has performed in several productions. She was in Romance in Hard Times (1989), for which she won an Obie Award. She also played singer Dinah Washington in Dinah Was (1998). In 2002, she was part of the musical Crowns. For this show, she and the cast won an AUDELCO Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. In 2014, she appeared in the play While I Yet Live. In 2015, she starred in the musical Texas in Paris.

In 2015, Lillias White also performed in a new musical called Gotta Dance. This show started in Chicago.

In August 2022, it was announced that Lillias White would play the role of Hermes in the Broadway musical Hadestown. She started on September 13, 2022. She was the first woman ever to play this role. Her last performance in this run was on March 17, 2024. However, she returned to the role for a short time on October 22, 2024.

A Misunderstanding During a Show

During a performance of Hadestown on October 12, 2022, a misunderstanding happened. Lillias White spoke to an audience member from the stage. She thought the person was recording the show, which is not allowed. However, the audience member was actually using a special device. This device showed captions to help her understand the musical because she had hearing difficulties.

The theatre and the show's producers quickly apologized for the mistake. They also promised to make sure their shows are welcoming for everyone, including people with disabilities. They offered the audience member a free ticket to another show. Lillias White did not comment on the incident herself. The audience member later asked people on social media to stop bothering Lillias White.

Concerts and Cabaret Performances

Lillias White has performed in many concerts to help raise money for charity. These include benefit concerts for Dreamgirls in 2001, Funny Girl in 2002, and Hair in 2004. She also performed in a concert version of South Pacific. This performance was shown on PBS in 2006.

She has sung with the Brooklyn Philharmonic orchestra. She also performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 2004. She has her own one-woman show called From Brooklyn to Broadway. She has performed this show in many places, including the Kennedy Center.

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

Television and Film Appearances

Lillias White has appeared on many TV shows. She had a regular role on Sesame Street. She also appeared on Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and NYPD Blue.

In movies, she is known for her voice work in Disney's Hercules. She also voiced a character in Anastasia. Her other movie roles include appearances in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Game 6, Pieces of April, and Then She Found Me.

Personal Life

Lillias White was raised in the Catholic faith. She has two children, a son named Mwambu and a daughter named Jamilah.

Awards and Nominations

Lillias White has won many awards for her acting and singing. Here are some of them:

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games