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Lillias White

Birth Place: Brooklyn, NY, USA

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BIO

Lillias White is a Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award winner for her performance in The Life. She has appeared on Broadway in Barnum, Dreamgirls, Cats, Carrie, Once on this Island, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Fela! (Tony Award nomination) and most recently in Chicago in the Fall of 2021 as Matron “Mama” Morton having first appeared in the Broadway production in 2006. Other Off-Broadway and Regional credits include the musical Black No More in Winter 2022, the Public Theater’s Romance in Hard Times for which she won the Obie Award, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (directed by Phylicia Rashad) for which she won the NAACP Award, and the Carnegie Hall Concert version of South Pacific which was also broadcast on PBS’ “Great Performances.” She received the Daytime Emmy Award for her role as Lillian Edwards in “Sesame Street” and is beloved by audiences for voicing the lead muse Calliope in Disney’s animated feature Hercules. Her most recent television appearances include the Baz Luhrmann-directed Netflix series “The Get Down,” as well as “Russian Doll” and “Search Party.” She has appeared in cabarets and concert halls around the world. Her first solo studio album Get Yourself Some Happy! is available now at lilliaswhite.com and on all streaming platforms.

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

[Off-Broadway]
World Premiere Production, 2022

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 2019
Hermes [Replacement]

[Milburn, NJ (Regional)]
East Coast Premiere at Paper Mill Playhouse, 2018
Bea

[Chicago]
Chicago Pre-Broadway Production, 2015
Bea

[Off-Broadway]
Primary Stages Production, 0
Performer

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 2009
Funmilayo

[Off-Broadway]
Original Off-Broadway Production, 2009
Performer [Replacement]

[Off-Broadway]
Off-Broadway Concert, 2005
Bloody Mary

[Off-Broadway]
Encores! Concert, 2005
Missy

[Broadway]
Actors' Fund Concert, 2004
Other Roles

Performer

[Los Angeles]
World Premiere, 2003
Featured Performer

[Off-Broadway]
2002
Velma

[Broadway]
Actors' Fund Concert, 2002
Fanny Brice

[Broadway]
Reunion Concert, 2002
Special Guest

[Broadway]
New York Concert, 2001
Effie Melody White

[Off-Broadway]
1998
Dinah Washington [Replacement]

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1997
Sonja

[Broadway]
Broadway Revival, 1996
Matron “Mama” Morton [Replacement]

Matron "Mama" Morton [Replacement]

[Broadway]
Broadway Revival, 1995
Miss Jones

[Broadway]
Broadway Transfer, 1990
Asaka [Replacement]

[Off-Broadway]
Showcase, 1990
Sonja

Sonja

[Off-Broadway]
Original Off-Broadway Production, 1989
Hennie

Performer

Hennie

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1988
Miss Gardner (Standby)

[Broadway]
Return Engagement [Broadway], 1987
Effie Melody White

[Regional (US)]
World Premiere, 1986
Performer

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1982
Performer

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1982
Grizabella [Replacement]

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1981
Effie Melody White (Understudy) [Replacement]

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1980
Joice Heth [Replacement]

[Regional (US)]
Regional Revival, 1988
Performer


Movies

Me and Him
[ 1988 ] Dancing Secretary
Bleeding Hearts
[ 1994 ] Neighbor Woman
North
[ 1994 ] Operator
Hercules
[ 1997 ] Calliope
Anastasia
[ 1997 ] Ensemble and Character Vocals
Gloria
[ 1999 ] Transit Cop #1
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
[ 2000 ] Shopper
Interview with the Assassin
[ 2002 ] Nurse
Pieces of April
[ 2003 ] Evette
Game 6
[ 2005 ] Toyota Moseby
Then She Found Me
[ 2007 ] Sheila
Nasty Baby
[ 2015 ] Cecilia
The Chaperone
[ 2018 ] Singer
Melinda
[ 2018 ] Madam Magda
The Drummer
[ 2020 ] Roberta

TV Shows

Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake
Lillian
Sesame Street
[ 1990-1994 ] Lillian, Singer, Rhonda
NYPD Blue
Lila Edmonds
Law & Order
[ 1990-1996 ] Susan Monroe, Ms. Purvis, Streetwalker
Hercules
Calliope
Pryor Offenses
Grandma Irene
The Jury
Teresa Scott
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Xavier
Gotham
Choir Member
Person of Interest
Hon. R. Reginald
The Get Down
[ 2016-2017 ] Fat Annie
Search Party
Wilma
Russian Doll
[ 2019-2022 ] Dr. Zaveri
Grotesquerie
Glorious McKall

Awards and Nominations

The Lortels - 2015 - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical

Lillias WhiteTexas in Paris

Tony Awards - 2010 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Lillias White, Fela!


winner
Drama Desk Awards - 1997 - Outstanding Featured Actress - Musical

Lillias White, The Life


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 1997 - Best Featured Actress - Musical

Lillias White The Life


winner
Tony Awards - 1997 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Lillias White, The Life


winner
Obie Awards - 1990 - Performance

Lillias White, Romance in Hard Times

Videos

News


HERMAN SINGS HERMAN Comes To The Green Room 42 In March
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 18, 2025

The Green Room 42 will present Michelle Beth Herman in Before the Parade Passes By: Herman Sings Herman on March 2nd, 2025. Featuring beloved songs from Mame, Hello, Dolly!, La Cage aux Folles, Mack and Mabel, and more.
Student Blog: Back-to-School: Discovery & New Opportunities
by Student Blogger: Gloria Lopez - Feb 17, 2025

2025, while proceeding achingly slowly and all-too-quickly all at once, is in full swing. It is proving to be a year of discovery and new opportunities. In the coming months, I am going to continue doing that work. I hope to slowly find my footing and gain more confidence. I want to continue finding my voice, both metaphorically and literally, and developing this craft which I hope to one day be able to call mine.
Chris Isaacson Brings BROADWAY COMES TO HOLLYWOOD to the Catalina Jazz Club
by Stephi Wild - Feb 14, 2025

Chris Isaacson Presents will bring Broadway Comes to Hollywood to Catalina Jazz Club. The lineup begins with Tony Award-winners John Cameron Mitchell, Lillias White, and more.
Ben Vereen, Christine Pedi, and Tony Yazbeck to Join York Theatre Spring Gala
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 12, 2025

The York Theatre will present their Spring Gala, a special one-night-only concert featuring Ben Vereen, Christine Pedi, and Tony Yazbeck. Learn more about the event and see how to purchase tickets.
Julie Benko, Lillias White, The Skivvies, and More Set For Good Theater's 2025-26 Season
by Stephi Wild - Feb 12, 2025

Good Theater has announced its 2025-26 season, marking its return to live performances at the newly renovated Stevens Square Theater on the former McAuley High School campus. Learn more about the lineup here!
CONSTELLATIONS by Nick Payne Set for Rubicon Theatre Company Beginning This Month
by Blair Ingenthron - Feb 8, 2025

Rubicon Theatre will continue its 2024/2025 Dare to Dream Season with the Central Coast premiere of CONSTELLATIONS, a romantic drama by Award-winning playwright Nick Payne.
Bligh Voth and Joel de Candio to Present THE SONDHEIM SESSIONS at The Green Room 42
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 6, 2025

Bligh Voth and Joel de Candio, along with pianist Nolan Bonvouloir, will bring back THE SONDHEIM SESSIONS for one more night at The Green Rom 42. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets.
Cult Classics Cabaret Set for The Green Room 42
by Blair Ingenthron - Feb 1, 2025

The Green Room 42 will present “Celebrating Musicals Too Bold for the Mainstream” where up-and-coming talents tackle cult classics this month. Learn more about the performance here!
92NY and the American Songbook Association to Collaborate on Scholarships for Cabaret Students
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 30, 2025

The 92nd Street Y, New York has revealed that the American Songbook Association will sponsor scholarships for students ages 16 and up to participate in 92NY’s series of Cabaret Workshops and its Summer Cabaret Conference. Learn more!
Video: HADESTOWN Star Hailey Kilgore Sings 'Wait for Me (Reprise)'
by Blair Ingenthron - Jan 25, 2025

Watch Hailey Kilgore celebrate her return to Broadway in Hadestown by singing 'Wait for Me (Reprise)' with a glass of champagne in hand in the video here!
Rubicon Theatre Company WINTERFEST To Feature Works By August Wilson and William Shakespeare
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 17, 2025

RUBICON THEATRE has announced a three-play WinterFest as part of the company's 2024/2025 “Dare to Dream” season. The first two plays in the festival celebrate a new collaboration between RUBICON THEATRE COMPANY and THE ACTING COMPANY (TAC) of New York. 
Mark Mackillop Will Host Salon Starring Lillias White, Marilyn Maye, Sydney James Harcourt, and More
by Stephi Wild - Jan 16, 2025

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS top solo fundraiser, Mark MacKillop will host a salon and cocktail party fundraiser for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS next month.
Photos: Hailey Kilgore, Carlos Valdes, and Tom Hewitt in HADESTOWN Rehearsals
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 13, 2025

Get a first look at photos of the newest leads of Hadestown - Hailey Kilgore, Carlos Valdes, and Tom Hewitt in rehearsals for Hadestown on Broadway!
Daniel Breaker & Merle Dandridge Will Join HADESTOWN on Broadway
by Joshua Wright - Jan 9, 2025

Tony Award nominee Daniel Breaker and BAFTA winner and SAG Award and Grammy Award nominee Merle Dandridge will join the cast of the Tony® and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical, Hadestown, on Broadway beginning Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
THE SONDHEIM SESSIONS Comes To The Green Room 42
by Stephi Wild - Jan 9, 2025

The Green Room 42 will present Bligh Voth, Joel de Candio, and Nolan Bonvouloir in 'The Sondheim Sessions'. The popular NYC Sondheim series returns following successful shows in 2023 and 2024.
Ali Ewoldt to Join WOMEN OF THE WINGS at The Green Room 42
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 7, 2025

Ali Ewoldt will join Women of The Wings Volume 7 at The Green Room 42. Previous cast and creative announcements include Jordan Eagle, and more. Learn how to purchase tickets.
KIMBERLY AKIMBO, THE WIZ And More Come To The Smith Center In 2025
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 3, 2025

From fresh Broadway musicals and legendary headliners to insightful speakers and jazz masters, The Smith Center's 2025 calendar offers diverse options for everyone. Get full details for the season below!
Feature: 14 of the Best Cabaret Shows to See in 2025
by Rebecca Kaplan - Dec 24, 2024

Let's toast the New Year by looking ahead to some of the most anticipated shows of the next 6 months. We put together 14 shows we're looking forward to seeing next year, that are likely to sell out well in advance.
Photos: Hozier Visits HADESTOWN on Broadway
by Bruce Glikas - Dec 23, 2024

Last night, Grammy Award nominee, Hozier, attended Hadestown on Broadway. See photos here! Learn more about the current cast of Hadestown and see how to purchase tickets.
A Pitch-Perfect Tribute to Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS Executive Director Tom Viola
by Richard Jay-Alexander - Dec 17, 2024

It was a room full of love last night, at New York City’s Edison Ballroom, where decades worth of Broadway royalty, Industry professionals and multiple award winners came to honor the legacy of Tom Viola, as he prepares to retire at the end of this year from his 36 year run as Executive Director of BROADWAY CARES / EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has Lillias White been in?

Lillias White has appeared on Broadway in 16 shows.

How many West End shows has Lillias White been in?

Lillias White has not appeared in the West End.

What awards has Lillias White been nominated for?

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical (The Lortels) for Texas in Paris, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Fela!, Outstanding Featured Actress - Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for The Life, Best Featured Actress - Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for The Life , Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for The Life and Performance (Obie Awards) for Romance in Hard Times.

What awards has Lillias White won?

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for The Life, Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for The Life, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for The Life, and Performance (Obie Awards) for Romance in Hard Times.

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