Chilina Kennedy

Chilina Kennedy
Born1978 (age 45–46)[1]
Oromocto, New Brunswick
EducationSheridan College
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Years active2000–present
Children1
Websitewww.chilinakennedy.com

Chilina Kennedy is a Canadian musical theatre actress and singer. She is best known for having starred as Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, having played the role for over 1,200 performances.[2] On Broadway, Kennedy played Mary Magdalene in the 2012 revival of Jesus Christ Superstar and originated the role of Annie Lewis in Paradise Square. Kennedy also starred as Dina in the first North American tour of The Band's Visit.

Personal life

Born in Oromocto, New Brunswick, Kennedy's father was an officer in the Canadian Forces.[1] Growing up, she moved frequently and lived across Canada, England, and Australia before they settled in Kingston, Ontario during her high school years.[1]

Kennedy attended Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, where she performed in musicals including Anne of Green Gables and Bye Bye Birdie.[3][4] She later graduated from the musical theatre program at Sheridan College.[1]

In 2003, Kennedy married Fenner Stewart, but they divorced after a decade together.[1] Kennedy was also married to Jacob James, with whom they share a son, Henry.[4]

Career

Musical theatre

In 2000, Kennedy had her first professional role when she starred as Anne Shirley in the annual production of Anne of Green Gables at the Charlottetown Festival in Prince Edward Island.[4] She reprised her role in the 2001 production. After this, Kennedy joined the first national tour of Mamma Mia!, initially as a member of the ensemble before later starring as Sophie Sheridan.[5]

In 2005, Kennedy made her Stratford Festival debut when she played Agnes in a production of Gypsy. Also with Stratford Festival, Kennedy starred as Maria in West Side Storyand as Eva Perón in Evita. She also played Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me, Kate with Stratford Festival.

In 2011, Kennedy starred as Mary Magdalene in the Stratford Festival production of Jesus Christ Superstar.[6] The musical then had a pre-Broadway engagement at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego.[6] Kennedy made her Broadway debut in 2012 when she reprised her role of Mary Magdalene in the revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, where it played at the Neil Simon Theatre.[6]

Kennedy played Phoebe D'Ysquith in the world premiere production of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.[7] The musical premiered at Hartford Stage in October 2012, before also playing at the Old Globe Theatre.

In March 2015, Kennedy began starring in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical as Carole King, replacing Jessie Mueller.[8] Kennedy left the Broadway production of Beautiful to reprise her role of Carole King in a limited engagement production of the show which played at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto between June 27 and September 3, 2017.[9] After that production closed, she then returned to the Broadway production until leaving in 2018. Kennedy then returned to the Broadway production on January 3, 2019.[10] After taking a hiatus to temporarily join the national tour to play Carole King at the Toronto tour stop, she rejoined the Broadway cast before playing her final show on June 9, 2019.[11]

Kennedy starred as Dina in the North American tour of The Band's Visit, opposite Sasson Gabai.[12]

In 2021, Kennedy starred as Annie Lewis in Paradise Square, which had a pre-Broadway engagement at the Nederlander Theatre in Chicago. She reprised her role when the production transferred to Broadway, where it played at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.[13]

Kennedy starred as Billie Jean King in Love All, a play about the life of King. The play premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse.[14] Kennedy also starred as Cindy in the off-Broadway production of A Sign of the Times.[15]

In 2024, Kennedy played Myrtle Wilson in The Great Gatsby while Sara Chase temporarily left the show on medical leave.[16]

Eclipse Theatre Company

In 2018, Kennedy founded Eclipse Theatre Company, with the aim of presenting new and re-imagined musicals in Toronto.[17] Some of the company's early productions included Kiss of the Spider Woman and Sunday in the Park with George, to positive reviews.[18]

Kennedy has been writing the music and lyrics for an original musical called Wild About You, which is about a woman who has to put together the pieces of her life as best as she can with her limited memory.[2] A concept album was released in 2023, with songs performed by Katharine McPhee, Alex Newell, Jenn Colella, Lea Salonga, Paul Alexander Nolan, Jessie Mueller, Joaquina Kalukango, and Kennedy.[2] A concert staging was performed at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in England, with a cast that included Rachel Tucker, Eric McCormack, Tori Allen-Martin, and Oliver Tompsett.[19] Subsequently, industry presentations and workshops in October 2024, which included Jessica Vosk in the lead role, were held in New York.[20]

Music

In 2015, Kennedy released her debut album entitled, What You Find in a Bottle. The album consists of thirteen songs that she wrote over the previous decade.[21]

Theatre credits

Year Production Role Theatre Category Ref.
2000 Anne of Green Gables Anne Shirley Regional: Charlottetown Festival [4]
2001
2001-2003 Mamma Mia! Ensemble First National Tour [5]
2003-2004 Sophie Sheridan
2005 Gypsy Agnes Festival Theatre Stratford Festival
Major Barbara Ensemble
2006 Lord of the Rings Ensemble Princess of Wales Theatre World premiere: Toronto
2007 Mack and Mabel Ensemble Festival Theatre Shaw Festival
Summer and Smoke Nellie Ewell
2008 Wonderful Town Eileen Sherwood
The President Lydia Royal George Theatre
2009 West Side Story Maria Festival Theatre Stratford Festival [1]
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Philia Avon Theatre [1]
2010 Kiss Me, Kate Lois Lane / Bianca Festival Theatre
Evita Eva Perón Avon Theatre
2010-2011 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Philia Canon Theatre Mirvish Productions [1]
2011 Jesus Christ Superstar Mary Magdalene Avon Theatre Stratford Festival [6]
La Jolla Playhouse Pre-Broadway engagement
2012 Neil Simon Theatre Broadway
2012 A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder Phoebe D'Ysquith Hartford Stage World premiere production [7]
2012-2013 Old Globe Theatre
2013 The Little Mermaid Angel Elgin Theatre Regional: Ross Petty Productions
2015-2017 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Carole King Stephen Sondheim Theatre Broadway (replacement) [8]
2017 Ed Mirvish Theatre [9]
2017-2018 Stephen Sondheim Theatre Broadway (replacement)
2018 This Ain't No Disco Binky Linda Gross Theatre Off-Broadway
2019 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Carole King Stephen Sondheim Theatre Broadway (replacement) [10]
Princess of Wales Theatre First National Tour (temporary replacement) [11]
Stephen Sondheim Theatre Broadway (replacement)
2019 The Band's Visit Dina First National Tour [12]
2021 Paradise Square Annie Lewis Nederlander Theatre Pre-Broadway engagement [13]
2022 Ethel Barrymore Theatre Broadway
2023 Love All Billie Jean King La Jolla Playhouse [14]
2024 A Sign of the Times Cindy New World Stages Off-Broadway [15]
The Last Timbit Michelle Elgin Theatre
The Great Gatsby Myrtle Wilson Broadway Theatre Broadway (temporary replacement) [16]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Ouzounian, Richard (17 December 2010). "Chilina Kennedy: The army brat who became a star". Toronto Star. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Brunner, Jeryl (2 October 2024). "This Broadway Star Continues To Stretch Her Creative Wings In Big Ways". Forbes. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  3. ^ Hendra, Peter (7 July 2017). "Life is Beautiful for former KCVI student". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Spaner, Whitney (29 March 2015). "Chilina Kennedy and Jacob James — High School Sweethearts With Some Stops Along The Way". Playbill. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b Levitt, Hayley (14 February 2024). "Chilina Kennedy Makes Joy the Medium and the Message in A Sign of the Times". Broadway Buzz. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d Hetrick, Adam (1 March 2012). ""Heaven On Their Minds": Rock Hit Jesus Christ Superstar Resurrected on Broadway March 1". Playbill. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b Blank, Matthew (11 March 2013). "Jefferson Mays, Ken Barnett, Lisa O'Hare and Chilina Kennedy in Gentleman's Guide Musical". Playbill. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  8. ^ a b Gans, Andrew (20 January 2015). "Chilina Kennedy to Succeed Jessie Mueller in Broadway's Beautiful; Jessica Keenan Wynn Will Also Join Cast". Playbill. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  9. ^ a b Gans, Andrew (27 June 2017). "Beautiful Begins in Toronto June 27 With a Broadway Carole King". Playbill. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  10. ^ a b Fujishima, Kenji (11 December 2018). "Chilina Kennedy to Return to Beautiful: The Carole King Musical". Theatermania. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  11. ^ a b Gans, Andrew (16 March 2019). "Chilina Kennedy Will Return to Toronto for Encore Engagement of Beautiful—The Carole King Musical". Playbill. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  12. ^ a b Gilbert, Ryan (16 September 2019). "The Band's Visit Tour's Chilina Kennedy Opens Up About Taking the Tony-Winning Musical on the Road". Broadway Buzz. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  13. ^ a b Brunner, Raven (14 February 2022). "Cast Complete for Broadway's Paradise Square Musical, Starring Joaquina Kalukango, Chilina Kennedy, John Dossett, More". Playbill. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  14. ^ a b Stewart, Zachary (20 April 2023). "Chilina Kennedy to Play Billie Jean King in Love All". TheaterMania. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  15. ^ a b Evans, Greg (18 December 2023). "Chilina Kennedy, Crystal Lucas-Perry Cast In 'A Sign Of The Times' Musical With Songs Of Petula Clark, Lesley Gore & Dusty Springfield". Deadline. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  16. ^ a b Gans, Andrew (15 July 2024). "Chilina Kennedy Begins Limited Engagement in Broadway's The Great Gatsby July 15". Playbill. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  17. ^ Nestruck, J. Kelly (21 May 2018). "Broadway star Chilina Kennedy launches new musical theatre company in Toronto". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  18. ^ Nestruck, J. Kelly (4 March 2020). "This Sunday in the Park with George features musical-theatre MVPs - and a cameo by the DVP". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  19. ^ Millward, Tom (26 January 2024). "Rachel Tucker and Tori Allen-Martin join cast of new musical Wild About You in the West End". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  20. ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (25 September 2024). "Chilina Kennedy Musical Wild About You Sets NYC Workshop and Industry Presentation". Playbill. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  21. ^ "Beautiful's New Carole King, Chilina Kennedy, on Her Debut Album What You Find in a Bottle". TheaterMania. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2024.