News on your favorite shows, specials & more!
Lillias White Headshot

Lillias White

Birth Place: Brooklyn, NY, USA

Get Lillias White Email Alerts

Be the first to get news, photos, videos & more.

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


Photos: Highlights from Lillias White's DIVINE SASS Album Release Concert
by Rebecca Kaplan - Mar 27, 2025

See photos from Lillias White's latest concert, celebrating the release of Lillias White – Divine Sass: A Tribute to Sarah Vaughan. The show plays nightly 3/27 through 3/29.
André De Shields, Lillias White and More to Reopen the Laurie Beechman Theatre
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 27, 2025

Tom D’Angora and Michael D'Angora, producers and owners of the West Bank Café, will present the official Renaissance Gala, marking the reopening of the Laurie Beechman Theatre. Learn more and see how to attend.
HAMILTEN: A DECADE OF LEGACY Comes to The Green Room 42 in April
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 26, 2025

The Green Room 42 will present HamilTen: A Decade of Legacy, a spectacular 10th-anniversary tribute to Hamilton, celebrating the music, the legacy, and the revolution that redefined Broadway.
GOTTA SING With Kenneth Gartman Comes To The Green Room 42 This Month
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 25, 2025

The Green Room 42 will present “Gotta Sing with Kenneth Gartman” on Saturday, March 29th at 1:00 pm. Host and Music Director Kenneth Gartman shines a light on some of NYC's best musical theatre talent each month in a cabaret series - Gotta Sing.
Videos You Missed This Week: PURPOSE, OPERATION MINCEMEAT, and More
by Sidney Paterra - Mar 21, 2025

It's been a busy week on (and off) Broadway! 2025 has officially arrived and the second half of the 2024-25 Broadway season is very much underway. Catch up on all the latest from the week ending March 21, 2025 with videos from Purpose, Operation Mincemeat, and more!
Lillias White, Noel MacNeal and More to Perform at 54 Below Next Week
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 21, 2025

Next week, 54 BELOW will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Noel MacNeal, Lillias White, and more. See the full lineup and learn more!
BroadwayWorld Cabaret Upcoming Show Roundup " Mar. 21 to Mar. 27, 2024
by Rebecca Kaplan - Mar 21, 2025

Looking for a fun show to see this week? We have you covered with jazz, cabaret, comedy, and more! NYC has so many incredible events, but here are a few top picks to consider this week.
Review: JENN COLELLA Back In The Basement With Broadway At 54 Below
by Stephen Mosher - Mar 19, 2025

Whether on Broadway or in the cabaret, Jenn Colella is one of our best. This week at 54 Below it's Broadway AND cabaret.
Coming Up at 54 Below: Exclusive Previews from Jenn Colella, Lillias White & More
by Joey Mervis - Mar 17, 2025

Broadway's best performers are getting ready to hit the stage at NYC's premiere cabaret destination, 54 Below. Enjoy previews from some of this month's performers, including Jenn Colella ('I Could Have Danced All Night'), Charles Busch ('Bill'), and Lillias White ('I'm Getting Along Right').
Review: Lillias White: DIVINE SASS, A TRIBUTE TO SARAH VAUGHAN
by Steve Murray - Mar 9, 2025

What did our critic think of LILLIAS WHITE: DIVINE SASS, A TRIBUTE TO SARAH VAUGHAN at Feinstein's At The Nikko?
Jenn Colella, Norbert Leo Butz, and More to Perform at 54 Below in March
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 28, 2025

Next month, 54 BELOW, Broadway’s Supper Club & Private Event Destination, will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Jenn Colella, Norbert Leo Butz, and more. See the full March programming here!
Rachel Green Comes to The Green Room 42
by Stephi Wild - Feb 27, 2025

The Green Room 42 will present Rachel Green in I've Gotta Be Me. Rachel Green takes you on a funny, sexy and whimsical journey through her life via storytelling, standup comedy, singing and violin.
Lillias White Returns to Catalina Jazz Club
by Stephi Wild - Feb 25, 2025

Direct from her critically acclaimed run in the smash hit Hadestown on Broadway, Tony Award-winner Lillias White will return by popular demand to Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood.
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.

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?

Lillias White has won several prestigious awards, including Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical at the Drama Desk Awards for The Life, Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for The Life, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical at the Tony Awards for The Life. Additionally, she received an Obie Award for Performance in Romance in Hard Times.

Get Lillias White Email Alerts

Be the first to get news, photos, videos & more.

Videos