Kerry Ellis Releases ANTHEMS, Featuring Brian May 9/21

Broadway is about to get a little bit grittier with the release of Kerry Ellis' debut album, Anthems in stores September 21st on Decca. The album is a collaboration between Ellis and Queen's original guitarist, Brian May, who "talent-spotted" her in the 2000 West End revival of My Fair Lady. He immediately recruited her to originate the role of Meat in Queen's own musical We Will Rock You, where they began discussing further how they might continue to work together. This connection led to the creation of a unique collaboration that is tailored to showcase Kerry's powerful vocals with the help of Brian May's unmatched musical talent.

After her debut in My Fair Lady and subsequent leading role in We Will Rock You, Ellis went on to further establish herself as key talent in the global theatrical community. Her credits include the roles of Ellen in the UK tour of Miss Saigon, Fantine in Les Misérables and finally Elphaba in the West End and Broadway productions of Wicked - the first British actress to ever take on the role. In addition to being featured in many concerts and workshops, she can currently be seen in the London revival of Oliver as Nancy through January 2011.

May comments; "From the moment I first heard Kerry sing, I was entranced, and felt the conviction that I would one day make her album. The conviction never left me. The hard thing was to find the right medium to harness that amazing voice - the material and arrangements had to be worthy, and a musical style evolved to capture her unique magic."

Infused with the distinctive sound of May's legendary guitar-playing and a full orchestra, Anthems is a large-scale production that showcases Ellis' impressive range and vocal abilities. Brian May elaborates further, calling the project "a kind of Anthemic-Orchestral-Rock-Musical Theater Fusion." With a track listing that boasts new arrangements of songs from Wicked (Defying Gravity, I'm Not That Girl) and classic music by Queen (Save Me, No One But You), Anthems is sure to transcend genres and establish Kerry Ellis as not only an unforgettable stage actress, but also as a recording artist who is redefining musical boundaries.

Photo credit: Carrie Dunn