Kerry Jane Ellis (born 6 May 1979) is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in
musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in
Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at
Laine Theatre Arts
Laine Theatre Arts, sometimes referred to as Laines, is an independent performing arts college, based in the town of Epsom in Surrey, England. The college was founded in 1974 by former professional dancer and dance teacher Betty Laine OBE, and ...
from the age of 16.
Ellis made her first professional stage appearance in 1998 and went on to make her
West End debut in the 2001 revival of ''
My Fair Lady
''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...
'' as an understudy for the role of
Eliza Doolittle
Eliza Doolittle is a fictional character and the protagonist in George Bernard Shaw's play '' Pygmalion'' (1913) and its 1956 musical adaptation, ''My Fair Lady''.
Eliza (from Lisson Grove, London) is a Cockney flower woman, who comes to Prof ...
. In 2002, she landed the role of Meat in the original London cast of ''
We Will Rock You
"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded by British rock band Queen for their 1977 album ''News of the World''. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it number 330 of " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and it placed at num ...
'' and has subsequently played lead roles in musicals ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...
'', ''
Wicked
Wicked may refer to:
Books
* Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe
* '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name
* ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...
'' (in the West End and on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
), ''
Oliver!
''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens.
It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...
'' and ''
Cats
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
'' as well as appearing in national tours and concert productions of musicals like ''
Miss Saigon
''Miss Saigon'' is a stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madame Butterfly'', and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed rom ...
'', ''
Chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
'', ''
The War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...
'', ''
RENT
Rent may refer to:
Economics
*Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property
*Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production
*Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...
'', and ''
Anything Goes
''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap ant ...
''. Ellis, who has received several awards and nominations for her performances, has become recognised as the First Lady of West End musicals. She has also worked sporadically in film and television.
After meeting
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
guitarist
Brian May
Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Fredd ...
in 2002, Ellis expanded her repertoire as a solo artist. She has released four studio albums ''
Anthems
An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short s ...
'' (2010), which reached number 15 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, the self-titled ''
Kerry Ellis
Kerry Jane Ellis (born 6 May 1979) is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at La ...
'' (2014), ''Golden Days'' (2017) and ''Feels Like Home'' (2020) as well as an extended play ''
Wicked in Rock
''Wicked in Rock'' is an EP by actress and singer Kerry Ellis. It was arranged, produced and accompanied on guitar by Brian May and features Taylor Hawkins on drums. A 60+ piece orchestra, conducted by Steve Sidwell, was also used. The album ha ...
'' (2008) and a live album ''
Acoustic by Candlelight
''Acoustic by Candlelight: Live on the Born Free tour'' is the first live album by actress and singer Kerry Ellis and rock musician Brian May, released on 17 June 2013. The 15-track album consists of material from live shows of the first leg of ...
'' (2013). Ellis also appears as a featured artist on several other albums. Ellis has performed in concerts across the world in addition to headlining solo concert tours like
Anthems: The Tour and
The Born Free Tour
The Born Free Tour is the second headlining concert tour by English stage actress and singer Kerry Ellis with Brian May. The original 2012 tour comprised 11 dates in and around the home counties of England, beginning on 5 November 2012 at the Ape ...
.
In addition to her musical work, Ellis involves herself in charity work for the
Born Free Foundation
The Born Free Foundation is an international wildlife charity that campaigns to "Keep Wildlife in the Wild". It protects wild animals in their natural habitat, campaigns against the keeping of wild animals in captivity and rescues wild animals in ...
with May and is the patron of several arts organisations. In 2019, Ellis received an honorary fellowship from the
University of Suffolk
The University of Suffolk is a public university situated in Suffolk and Norfolk, England. The modern university was established in 2007 as University Campus Suffolk (UCS), the institution was founded as a unique collaboration between the Univer ...
.
Early life and training
Kerry Jane Ellis was born on 6 May 1979 in
Haughley
Haughley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk, about two miles from Stowmarket in the Mid Suffolk District. The village is located miles northwest of the town of Stowmarket, overlooking the Gipping valley, next to the ...
,
near
Stowmarket
Stowmarket ( ) is a market town in Suffolk, England,OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket
Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton A2 edition. Publishing Date:2008. on the busy A14 road (Great Britain), A14 trunk ...
, in Suffolk, the daughter of Sandra Ann Reed and Terry John Ellis. Describing herself as a hyperactive young girl, she attended dance classes at the Ann Holland School of Theatre Dance and performed in local shows and pantomimes whilst also enjoying swimming and horse-riding.
Her first stage role was in ''
The Wizard of Oz'' at the
Wolsey Theatre
The New Wolsey Theatre is an award-winning producing theatre with a café & bar in Ipswich, Suffolk. It is a midsized regional theatre, having a seating capacity of 400.
History
It replaced The Arts Theatre, the town's much loved and respecte ...
in nearby Ipswich where she played a
Munchkin
A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. They first appear in the classic children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city in O ...
at the age of 9.
[ After a successful audition, she also spent the summer of 1990 with the ]National Youth Music Theatre
The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) is an arts organisation in the United Kingdom providing pre-professional education and musical theatre stage experience for young people. Based in London, it is constituted as a private limited company (orig ...
(NYMT).[
When her parents took her to see the West End production of '']Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...
'' for her thirteenth birthday, "that's when I knew I wanted to be on the stage."[ Although she had not discovered her vocal ability until she was at college and had started working, Ellis cites her early influences as ]Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...
, Elaine Paige
Elaine Jill Paige (née Bickerstaff; born 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, making her first professiona ...
and Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
; their music she would sing in her bedroom much to the disturbance of her older brother Andrew, now a keen fisherman
A fisher or fisherman is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish.
Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishers may be professional or recreati ...
. She has explained that fellow musical theatre actress Ruthie Henshall
Valentine Ruth Henshall (born 7 March 1967), known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End d ...
inspired her growing up: " enshallwas a success story from Suffolk … I think I identified with her because it was an actual story that I saw happen and was achievable. She was only a couple of years ahead of me and I could relate to her."
Whilst attending Stowmarket High School, she completed work experience
Work may refer to:
* Work (human activity), intentional activity people perform to support themselves, others, or the community
** Manual labour, physical work done by humans
** House work, housework, or homemaking
** Working animal, an animal tr ...
with Starmakers, a company of holiday entertainers, at Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton-on-Sea
Hopton-on-Sea is a village, civil parish and seaside resort on the coast of East Anglia in the county of Norfolk. The village is south of Great Yarmouth, north-west of Lowestoft and near the UK's most easterly point, Lowestoft Ness.
The vill ...
. She also spent the summers of 1995 and 1997 with the company to earn money by singing many of their cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
shows. Having left school at 16, Ellis turned to Laine Theatre Arts
Laine Theatre Arts, sometimes referred to as Laines, is an independent performing arts college, based in the town of Epsom in Surrey, England. The college was founded in 1974 by former professional dancer and dance teacher Betty Laine OBE, and ...
, an independent performing arts college, where she spent three years to gain a national diploma in musical theatre. "It was an incredible three years where I learnt a great deal about myself, the industry and came away feeling part of something special," she remembers. Ellis was also in the same year as fellow musical theatre actress Louise Dearman
Louise Dearman (born 13 March 1979) is a British actress and singer, perhaps best known for playing Glinda and Elphaba in the West End production of the musical '' Wicked.'' Notably, she is the only actress to have played both witches in any prod ...
. By the time she graduated in 1998, Ellis had appeared in a number of professional pantomimes for E&B productions including ''Dick Whittington'' (1995) and ''Aladdin'' (1996) across theatres in the UK as well as performing the title role in ''Cinderella'' (1997) at the Cliffs Pavilion
Cliffs Pavilion is a theatre and concert venue on Station Road in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England, a town within the city of Southend-on-Sea. It seats 1,630 and offers an assortment of variety acts.
Building
Work began on the original Cliff ...
in Southend-on-Sea.[
]
Career
Career beginnings and ''My Fair Lady'' (1998–2002)
Following her graduation, Ellis became first understudy
In theater, an understudy, referred to in opera as cover or covering, is a performer who learns the lines and blocking or choreography of a regular actor, actress, or other performer in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to ap ...
to Marti Webb
Marti Webb (born 13 December 1943) is an English actress and singer, who appeared on stage in '' Evita'', before starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's one-woman show '' Tell Me on a Sunday'' in 1980. This included her biggest hit single, " Take T ...
in a UK concert tour of ''The Magic of the Musicals'' in 1998, required on several occasions in Webb's absence, yet took a hiatus in 1999 to board cruise ship MS ''Voyager of the Seas'', employed as lead vocalist in the ship's entertainment staff. After nine months traveling across the Caribbean, she left the ship in Los Angeles, spent three months travelling across the US until her visa ran out, and then returned to understudy in the UK concert tour. By November 1999, she had made her first television appearance on '' Children in Need'' for their special ''Pudsey the Musical'' and was featured in a jingle
A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually t ...
for Capital FM. Following this, she appeared as the title role in a Gary Griffin-directed workshop production titled ''Helen of Troy'' and played the role of Mary in '' Merrily We Roll Along'' at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre is a theatre located in Guildford, Surrey, England. Named after the actress Yvonne Arnaud, it presents a series of locally produced and national touring productions, including opera, ballet and pantomime. The theatre ...
.
By late 2000, she had settled in her first property, a two-bedroom Brockley
Brockley is a district and an wards of the United Kingdom, electoral ward of south London, England, in the London Borough of Lewisham south-east of Charing Cross.
History
The name Brockley is derived from "Broca's woodland clearing", a wood ...
maisonette, and joined the original cast of Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...
's London revival of ''My Fair Lady
''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...
'', appointed swing and second of two understudies to Martine McCutcheon
Martine Kimberley Sherrie McCutcheon (formerly Ponting, born 14 May 1976) is an English actress and singer. She began appearing in television commercials at an early age and made her television debut in the children's television drama '' Bluebir ...
in the role of Eliza Doolittle
Eliza Doolittle is a fictional character and the protagonist in George Bernard Shaw's play '' Pygmalion'' (1913) and its 1956 musical adaptation, ''My Fair Lady''.
Eliza (from Lisson Grove, London) is a Cockney flower woman, who comes to Prof ...
after being scouted by agent Jonathan Greatorex. The musical initially played at the Lyttelton Theatre at the Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...
from 6 March 2001 to 20 June 2001 but later transferred to Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...
with shows beginning 21 July 2001. Due to the illnesses of both McCutcheon and first understudy Alexandra Jay during the production's run at both theatres, Ellis starred as Eliza Doolittle opposite Jonathan Pryce
Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor who is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards. In 2021 he wa ...
and Dennis Waterman
Dennis Waterman (24 February 1948 – 8 May 2022) was an English actor and singer. He was best known for his tough-guy leading roles in television series including ''The Sweeney'', ''Minder'' and ''New Tricks'', singing the theme tunes of the ...
; her West End debut saw her taking on the lead role with only three hours preparation.
"Kerry adbeen in rehearsals throughout the run but she didn't find out until late afternoon that she was going on. She was scared and excited but enjoyed it," said agent Greatorex with first understudy Jay adding, "She was fantastic. She probably showed me up" while Ellis concluded, "I was nervous but once I was on stage the nerves disappeared and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience." She played Eliza Doolittle on a total of five occasions and departed from the company in July 2002. "I have particularly fond memories of this, my first West End show, and the experience I gained from the cast and creatives was fantastic," she reflected. She also stated, "It was a great step up for me. It was important not just in the type of show it was but also in getting my face known."
''We Will Rock You'', ''Miss Saigon'' and ''Les Misérables'' (2002–2006)
During her run in ''My Fair Lady'', Queen guitarist Brian May
Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Fredd ...
and music director Mike Dixon came to see the production. The first time, they saw Ellis perform in the ensemble; they returned for a second time at a performance where she was understudying the role of Eliza Doolittle and anonymously encouraged her to audition for the debut of their jukebox musical
A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known popular music songs, rather than original music.
Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while others confine themselves to songs perfo ...
''We Will Rock You
"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded by British rock band Queen for their 1977 album ''News of the World''. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it number 330 of " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and it placed at num ...
''. Ellis admitted at the time she had no idea it was May who was watching her; she found out at a later date. After seven auditions, she landed the role of Meat and got to sing the solo song " No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)".
She began performances on 14 May 2002 and was also involved in television appearances with the cast on '' Parkinson'' and at ''Party at the Palace
The Party at the Palace was a British pop/rock music concert held at Buckingham Palace Garden in London on 3 June 2002. The event was in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II held over the Golden Jubilee Weekend. It was the ...
''. Ellis, who ended her run as Meat on 17 April 2004, is also featured on the original London cast recording of ''We Will Rock You''. She stated that working with May, Elton and Roger Taylor Roger Taylor may refer to:
*Roger Taylor (Queen drummer) (born 1949), drummer for Queen
*Roger Taylor (Duran Duran drummer) (born 1960), drummer for Duran Duran
*Roger Taylor (author), author of epic fantasy Hawklan series
*Roger Taylor (college pr ...
was "a great step forward" in her professional career; calling her journey "breath-taking."
Particularly interested in working with her musically, May partnered with Ellis during her time in ''We Will Rock You'' to lay the foundations of her musical career. "From the moment I first heard Kerry sing, I was entranced, and felt the conviction that I would one day make an album for her. That conviction never left me," he professed. In 2002, they recorded an orchestral version of the song "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)". It was digitally released three years later. Whilst still in the production, Ellis also performed in one-off intimate gigs at London venues.
After leaving the show, she performed in a concert version of ''Jesus Christ Superstar
''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...
'' as the female lead, Mary Magdalene, at Porchester Castle
Portchester Castle is a medieval fortress that was developed within the walls of the Roman Saxon Shore fort of Portus Adurni at Portchester, to the east of Fareham in Hampshire.
The keep was probably built in the late 11th century as a ba ...
in June 2004 alongside other West End performers and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an English orchestra, founded in 1893 and originally based in Bournemouth. With a remit to serve the South and South West of England, the BSO is administratively based in the adjacent town of Poole, s ...
. She also played Eva Cassidy
Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2, 1963 – November 2, 1996) was an American singer and guitarist known for her interpretations of jazz, folk, and blues music, sung with a powerful, emotive soprano voice. In 1992, she released her first album ...
in a 2004 workshop production of ''Way Beyond Blue'', a Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is a British theatre director. He has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed dramas f ...
-directed and Imogen Stubbs
Imogen Stubbs (born 20 February 1961) is an English actress and writer.
Her first leading part was in '' Privileged'' (1982), followed by ''A Summer Story'' (1988).
Her first play, ''We Happy Few'', was produced in 2004. In 2008 she joined '' ...
-written piece, in addition to being cast as Ellen in a UK tour of ''Miss Saigon
''Miss Saigon'' is a stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madame Butterfly'', and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed rom ...
''. She went into rehearsals for ''Miss Saigon'' at Sadler's Wells Theatre
Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-seat ...
in Islington
Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...
before performances commenced on 14 June 2004 at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
. A BBC critic opined, "Although not on stage much, the brief moments with llis'Ellen are emotional and compassionate as well as vocally beautiful."
Following this, Ellis got the role of Fantine
Fantine (French pronunciation: ) is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. She is a young '' grisette'' in Paris who becomes pregnant by a rich student. After he abandons her, she is forced to look after their chil ...
in the West End production of ''Les Misérables''. Ellis started rehearsals while still touring with ''Miss Saigon'', and rehearsed for four weeks with the company before beginning the role of Fantine on 27 June 2005 at the Queen's Theatre alongside John Owen-Jones
John Owen-Jones (born 5 May 1971) is a Welsh musical theatre actor and singer, best known for his portrayals of Jean Valjean in Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg's ''Les Misérables'' and of the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''The ...
, Shonagh Daly
Shonagh Daly (born 1980 in Castletroy, Co. Limerick) is an Irish singer and musical performer
Performances
'Discovered' by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Shonagh sang at the inaugural gala for George W. Bush on 18 January 2001 which was also attended by ...
, Shaun Escoffery
Shaun Escoffery is a British soul and R&B singer and actor.
His first major release was the single "Space Rider", released by Oyster Music in March 2001. It was played regularly by the BBC Radio 1 DJ Trevor Nelson and the Dreem Teem. It peak ...
and Hayden Tee
Hayden Tee is a New Zealand actor, singer, and makeup artist. He has played varied roles in musical theatre, concert and cabaret. He is based in the United States but has also performed in New Zealand, the UK, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia.
...
. Ellis played Fantine for almost a year and ended her time with the company on 24 June 2006. Theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...
professed that Ellis made an "outstanding" Fantine in addition to admitting his pleasure at seeing Ellis' career grow through roles in three of his productions and naming her a "great talent."
''Wicked'', Broadway, ''Chess'' and other performances (2006–2009)
In July 2006, Ellis joined the original London cast of the musical ''Wicked
Wicked may refer to:
Books
* Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe
* '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name
* ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...
'' at the Apollo Victoria Theatre
The Apollo Victoria Theatre is a West End theatre on Wilton Road in the Westminster district of London, across from London Victoria Station. (The theatre also has an entrance on Vauxhall Bridge Road.) Opened in 1930 as a cinema and variety t ...
to play Elphaba
Elphaba Thropp is a fictional character in '' Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'' by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway and West End adaptations, ''Wicked''.
In the original 1900 L. Frank Baum book ''The Wonde ...
. Ellis had been contracted to serve as a temporary standby to Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on the Broadway stage and having achieved mainstream success across stage, film and music, Menzel has garnered the honorif ...
, the original Elphaba, for three months from first performances in September 2006, before taking over to play the lead role full time in January 2007. During Menzel's run, Ellis played Elphaba on nine occasions in Menzel's absence; some fans turned up at the theatre expressly hoping to witness Ellis. Ellis also made numerous appearances at concerts and events, singing songs from the musical, including West End Live in Leicester Square
Leicester Square ( ) is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, which was named after the recently built Leicester House, itself named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester ...
, Walk for Life in Hyde Park
Hyde Park may refer to:
Places
England
* Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London
* Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds
* Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield
* Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester
Austra ...
, Kids Week in Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
, and the annual Gay Pride Festival
A pride parade (also known as pride march, pride event, or pride festival) is an outdoor event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, legal rights, and pride. The events ...
in Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson commemo ...
, in addition to making an appearance on lunchtime television chat show ''Loose Women
''Loose Women'' (previously known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about ...
''. She continued the role at the Apollo Victoria Theatre until 7 June 2008. For her portrayal, Ellis won the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Takeover in a Role in and a nomination for Favourite Theatre Actress at the Lastminute.com People's Choice Theatre Awards.
Following her time in ''Wicked'' in London, Ellis then transferred to the Broadway production of the show at the Gershwin Theatre
The Gershwin Theatre (originally the Uris Theatre) is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 222 West 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street, on the second floor of the Paramount Plaza office building, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New ...
with performances starting on 17 June 2008. She replaced stage actress Stephanie J. Block, making her the first ''Wicked'' actress to transfer from the West End to Broadway. Playing alongside Kendra Kassebaum
Kendra Kassebaum (born May 12, 1973) is an American theatre actress, who has performed in many different musicals (both Broadway and non-Broadway), and is perhaps best remembered for playing the role of Glinda in the first national tour, Broadway, ...
as Glinda
Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Coun ...
and Aaron Tveit
Aaron Kyle Tveit (; born October 21, 1983) is an American actor.
Tveit originated the lead role of Christian the composer in the stage adaptation of ''Moulin Rouge!'' on Broadway, a performance for which he won the 2020 Tony Award for Best Acto ...
as Fiyero for her five-month run, Ellis won the Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Female Breakthrough Performance in 2009. Ellis also got involved in the musical's 5th anniversary celebrations by switching on the lights of the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the st ...
with composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as ''Godspell'' (1971), ''Pippin'' (1972), and ''Wicked'' (20 ...
. Ellis also performed at Broadway on Broadway
The Broadway League, formerly the League of American Theatres and Producers and League of New York Theatres and Producers, is the national trade association for the Broadway theatre industry based in New York, New York. Its members include thea ...
in Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
, recorded a song titled "Behind these Walls" for Scott Alan's album ''Keys'' and released her first extended play ''Wicked in Rock
''Wicked in Rock'' is an EP by actress and singer Kerry Ellis. It was arranged, produced and accompanied on guitar by Brian May and features Taylor Hawkins on drums. A 60+ piece orchestra, conducted by Steve Sidwell, was also used. The album ha ...
'' (2008) during her time in New York. Produced by Brian May and Steve Sidwell, the EP comprises three tracks: new orchestrations of " Defying Gravity" and " I'm Not that Girl" from ''Wicked'' and Queen song "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)" that she and May recorded six years earlier. Ellis left the Broadway company on 9 November 2008 and was replaced by Marcie Dodd
Marcie Dodd (born March 10, 1978) is an American musical theatre actress, who is best known for playing Elphaba and Nessarose in various U.S. companies of the smash-hit musical ''Wicked''.
Early life and career
Dodd was born in Yuba City, Ca ...
. She refers to the transfer from West End to Broadway theatre as "a real honour nda joy"; adding that performing on Broadway was "a dream come true."
Ellis returned to the West End production of ''Wicked'' on 1 December 2008 and spent a further five months as Elphaba where, ultimately, she ended her time with the musical. She played her last performance as Elphaba on 9 May 2009 and was succeeded by Alexia Khadime
Alexia Khadime (born 9 June 1983) is a British actress and mezzo-soprano, known for her roles in musical theatre and television.
Career Theatre
Khadime made her first appearance on the stage in 1999, when she appeared in "Cinderella" at the Ha ...
two days later. Upon departure, Ellis had been billed as lead for a total of 116 weeks (omitting absence) in both the London and Broadway companies, making her the longest-serving British actress in the role of Elphaba (until Rachel Tucker
Rachel Kelly Tucker (born 29 May 1981) is a Northern Irish West End and Broadway actress, best known for her portrayal of Elphaba in the hit musical '' Wicked''. She most recently starred in Come from Away on Broadway, having originated the role ...
later succeeded this feat in June 2012). Furthermore, Ellis and Dianne Pilkington
Dianne Lesley Pilkington (born 7 June 1975) is an English theatre actress and singer.
Personal life
Pilkington was born in Wigan. She trained at the Guildford School of Acting, graduating in 1997 with the Principal's Award.
Pilkington marrie ...
(who played as Glinda alongside her) were the show's longest serving leads. In 2013, she was named the favourite West End Elphaba in a Whatsonstage.com poll asking the public to vote for their favourite actress who had played the role in London.
Ellis cited the role of Elphaba as the "most challenging hat she hadever undertaken" stating that it was "a massive journey" to go on at every performance and admits that ''Wicked'' "changed erlife" in terms of boosting her recognition within the entertainment industry. Ellis also represented the musical at the annual ''Royal Variety Performance
The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...
'' in 2008 where she performed her rock version of the ''Wicked'' song "Defying Gravity" alongside Brian May on guitar at the London Palladium
The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...
.
Whilst still involved in ''Wicked'', Ellis also performed alongside Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal, Josh Groban, Clarke Peters, Marti Pellow and David Bedella in a two-day limited engagement of Chess in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 12 and 13 May 2008. She played the role of Svetlana and upon reflection, stated that to star at the Royal Albert Hall, work with an "amazing" company and sing alongside those particular cast members "was a dream come true." This concert version was later released on DVD and CD and screened on US network television.
Following her departure from ''Wicked'', she recorded material with Brian May for her debut album and performed at various live events including her first set of solo musical showcase concerts entitled Kerry Ellis Sings the Great British Songbook at the Shaw Theatre
The Shaw Theatre is a theatre in Somers Town, in the London Borough of Camden. It is a part of the Pullman London St Pancras hotel, located off Euston Road.
St Pancras library
Before being refurbished in 1998, the Shaw Theatre originally ope ...
on Euston Road
Euston Road is a road in Central London that runs from Marylebone Road to King's Cross. The route is part of the London Inner Ring Road and forms part of the London congestion charge zone boundary. It is named after Euston Hall, the family ...
in London. She performed on four dates in late June 2009 with the inclusion of Brian May in each night's encore. Of the concerts, Ellis commented, "It's finally something that I can do as me, as opposed to being in a show as a character. It's lovely to be able to sing songs that I really want to sing or which I wouldn't normally get to sing." The showcase paid tribute to some of Ellis' favourite British composers and lyricists including Take That
Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singe ...
, Duffy, Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...
and Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
. Of her "eclectic set" with "velvety rich distinctive vocals," a critic professed, "Ellis is as sexy as any other female pop star out there today and she sings like a true diva," and concluded, "She may have left Oz for good but there is no place like home and for Kerry Ellis that home is most definitely the stage."
Ellis also performed on tours celebrating the music of Queen in 2009, including the Symphonic Queen Spectacular across cities in the UK and Champions of Rock across cities in Sweden. She also performed with John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in '' Doctor Who'' and ''Torchwood'', and as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrow ...
at the 2009 Henley Festival
The Henley Festival of Music and the Arts is held, at Henley on Thames, each July, on the Berkshire bank of the River Thames, at the same spot and using adapted facilities from the Henley Royal Regatta, which is held the week before.
The main s ...
(which was later broadcast on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
's '' Friday Night is Music Night''), at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
and at Thank You for the Music – a special concert in Hyde Park celebrating the music of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (of ABBA) in September 2009 – where she delivered the first UK performance of "You Have to Be There", a song from the pair's musical '' Kristina från Duvemåla''. Ellis also performed alongside other musicians at the Royal Albert Hall in November at Women of Rock, a performance dedicated to breast cancer research, and also appeared as a featured artist on a version of " Somebody to Love" on Only Men Aloud!
Only Men Aloud is a male voice choir from Wales. The choir came to national prominence in the UK when they won the ''Last Choir Standing'' competition run by BBC television during 2008.
Overview
The choir was formed by Tim Rhys-Evans, a classic ...
's second studio album '' Band of Brothers'' (2009); she later performed this song live with the choir at one of their concerts in December 2009 at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
''Oliver!'', ''Anthems'', tour and other ventures (2010–2011)
Her return to the stage for the first time almost a year, Ellis replaced Jodie Prenger
Jodie Prenger (born 12 June 1979) is an English actress and singer, best known as the winner of BBC television series '' I'd Do Anything'' on 31 May 2008 and the second series of ''The Biggest Loser'' in 2006. In 2022, she began portraying the ...
in the role of Nancy in Cameron Mackintosh's London revival of ''Oliver!
''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens.
It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...
'' at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Ironically, Ellis had appeared in the BBC talent show '' I'd Do Anything'' (2009), mentoring potential Nancys (including Jodie Prenger) in the fore-running to the opening of this London revival. She also mentored potential candidates in '' Over the Rainbow'' (2010), BBC's subsequent talent show that searched for a Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of its ...
for the 2011 musical adaptation of ''The Wizard of Oz''. Ellis first played Nancy on 29 March 2010 to positive reviews, starring alongside Griff Rhys Jones
Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith. Rhys Jones came to national attention in the 1980s for h ...
(and later Russ Abbot
Russ Abbot (born Russell Allan Roberts; 18 September 1947) is an English musician, comedian and actor. Born in Chester, he first came to public notice during the 1970s as the singer and drummer with British comedy showband the Black Abbots, la ...
) as Fagin
Fagin is a fictional character and the secondary antagonist in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist''. In the preface to the novel, he is described as a "receiver of stolen goods". He is the leader of a group of children (the Artful Dod ...
and Steven Hartley
Steven Hartley (born 12 August 1960, in Shipley) is an English actor who has appeared in television, film, and theatre.
Early life
Hartley grew up in Yorkshire. He was a successful amateur boxer for York and Yorkshire in the late 1970s and ...
as Bill Sikes
William "Bill" Sikes is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. Sikes is a malicious criminal in Fagin's gang, and a vicious robber and murderer. Throughout much of the novel Sikes i ...
. She was the second and final actress to play Nancy in the London revival, continuing the role until the end of the show's run on 8 January 2011. Ellis was nominated for the 2010 BroadwayWorld.com UK Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical and the 2011 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Takeover in a Role but lost to Sheridan Smith
Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith OBE (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress, singer and television personality. Smith came to prominence after playing a variety of characters on sitcoms such as ''The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), ''Two Pints o ...
as Elle Woods
Elle Woods is the protagonist of Amanda Brown's 2001 novel ''Legally Blonde'' and the 2001 film of the same name as well as the 2003 sequel, '' Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde''. Woods is also the protagonist of the 2007 Broadway adapt ...
in ''Legally Blonde
''Legally Blonde'' is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Robert Luketic in his List of directorial debuts, feature-length directorial debut, and scripted by Karen McCullah, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith (writer), Kirsten Smith from ...
'' and Rachel Tucker
Rachel Kelly Tucker (born 29 May 1981) is a Northern Irish West End and Broadway actress, best known for her portrayal of Elphaba in the hit musical '' Wicked''. She most recently starred in Come from Away on Broadway, having originated the role ...
as Elphaba in ''Wicked'', respectively.
Fabricated within the space of nine months, ''Anthems
An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short s ...
'', Ellis' debut studio album, was released in mid September 2010. The album, which was produced by Brian May and recorded at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...
with a 70-piece orchestra, was described by Ellis as one that "tap into all the different areas that he has
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
been part of" in her career between the years 2000 and 2010. It includes both original songs, songs from musicals and concerts in which she has been involved as well as new arrangements of personal favourites. May stated that " erry and Ive created ..a style that defines a new form of music – a kind of anthemic-orchestral-rock-musical-theatre fusion," while Ellis remarked, "I think 'Anthems'' hasgot a touch of camp
Camp may refer to:
Outdoor accommodation and recreation
* Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site
* a temporary settlement for nomads
* Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...
to it, really. It's very grand. t has
T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is deri ...
big orchestras and big ballad-y vocals." The album peaked at number 15 on the UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
.
Promotion of the album included Ellis performing (with Brian May) on many television shows like '' Tonight's the Night'', '' The Michael Ball Show'', '' This Morning'' and ''The Alan Titchmarsh Show
''The Alan Titchmarsh Show'' is a British daytime chat show presented by Alan Titchmarsh. It was first broadcast on ITV on 3 September 2007 until 14 November 2014 and aired on weekday afternoons. The show's main focus is the "Best of British" the ...
'', as well as performing live at the BBC Radio Theatre
The BBC Radio Theatre (originally named The Concert Hall) is a theatre situated within the BBC's Broadcasting House complex. It is used for live broadcast and audio recordings.
History
Originally named The Concert Hall, the theatre was desi ...
and later, London nightclub, G-A-Y
G-A-Y is a long-running gay nightclub, based at Heaven in Charing Cross, London. It started in 1976, and for many years was based at the London Astoria.
History
G-A-Y started in 1976 in the Sundown club in the basement of the London Astoria (l ...
. The weekend prior to the album's release, Ellis was accompanied by May on guitar at BBC's Proms in the Park where she performed songs from ''Anthems'' as well as a medley of Queen songs. Joined by May once again, Ellis performed at The Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants, as well as all others in ne ...
's ''Festival of Remembrance'' at the Royal Albert Hall in the presence of the British Royal Family – including Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
.
In support of ''Anthems'', Ellis and May embarked on her first headlining concert tour of Great Britain, titled Anthems: The Tour. The tour commenced at the Royal Albert Hall on 1 May 2011 for two special charity performances (benefiting Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Blood Cancer UK, (formerly Bloodwise, Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research and the Leukaemia Research Fund) is a UK-based charity dedicated to funding research into all blood cancers including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma, as well as offering informatio ...
), titled Anthems: The Concert, where Ellis was supported by the City of London Philharmonic, The West End Chorus, performer Adam Pascal
Adam Pascal (born October 25, 1970) is an American actor, singer, and musician, known for his performance as Roger Davis in the original 1996 cast of Jonathan Larson's musical '' Rent'' on Broadway, the 2005 movie version of the musical, and the ...
and electronic string quartet Escala. Her performances at the Royal Albert Hall both sold out and later garnered her the 2012 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Solo Performance and a nomination for the 2011 BroadwayWorld.com UK Award for Theatrical Event of the Year (she lost to 25th anniversary celebrations of ''The Phantom of the Opera
''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...
''). After attending Anthems: The Concert, critic Mark Shenton
Mark Shenton (born 12 September 1962 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a London-based British arts journalist and theatre critic. Between April 2002 and December 2013 he was chief Theatre Critic for the '' Sunday Express''. He formerly wrote a da ...
of ''The Stage
''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...
'' hailed Ellis, a "small but fierce and fiery performer," as "this generation's Elaine Paige, with a similarly soaring, scorching voice." He also made reference to her cult following built from her ''Wicked'' days, labelling her "our local green goddess of song." Despite professing he prefers other contemporary musical theatre actresses, "I can't deny the power and following she clearly has." Anthems: The Tour continued at venues throughout Great Britain and finished at RAF Cranwell
Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the Royal Air Force College (RAFC), which trai ...
in July 2011 where the pair headlined a special titled Anthems in the Park. The tour was met with mostly positive reviews with critics praising the meshing of May's sound with Ellis' voice.
Previous to this, she performed in various concerts throughout 2010 including The Night of 1000 Voices – which was dedicated to the 80th birthday of composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
– at the Royal Albert Hall in May, A Weekend with the Stars where she performed "Somebody to Love" with Only Men Aloud! at the Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre ( cy, Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 an ...
, and at an event celebrating the 80th anniversary of the birth of composer Lionel Bart
Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was a British writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's "Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical '' Oliver!'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his work ...
at the Hackney Empire
Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by ''The Guardian'' as ‘the most beautiful theatre in Lon ...
where she sang the ''Oliver!'' song " As Long as He Needs Me". The last two performances were later broadcast in December on British television channel S4C and on BBC Radio 2 respectively. She also lent her voice to a version of the song "Wind Beneath My Wings "Wind Beneath My Wings" (sometimes titled "The Wind Beneath My Wings" and "Hero") is a song written in 1982 by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley.
The song was first recorded by Kamahl in 1982 for a country and western album he was recording. Kamahl ta ...
" that features the Central Band of the Royal Air Force
The Central Band of the Royal Air Force is an RAF regular band and is part of Royal Air Force Music Services. The motto of the band is ''Aere Invicti'' (Latin for "Invincible with the Brass").
History
The Central Band of the RAF was formed in ...
on their album ''Reach for the Skies'' and appears on a version of the song " Come What May" with Alfie Boe
Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe (born 29 September 1973) is an English tenor and actor, notably performing in musical theatre.
He is best known for his performances as Jean Valjean in the musical ''Les Misérables'' at the Queen's Theatre in Lo ...
on his album '' Bring Him Home''. Among other participants from the London theatre community, Ellis additionally lent her voice to "inspirational" videos that were released upon to video-sharing website YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
for the "It Gets Better
It or IT may refer to:
* It (pronoun), in English
* Information technology
Arts and media Film and television
* ''It'' (1927 film), a film starring Clara Bow
* ''It! The Terror from Beyond Space'', a 1958 science fiction film
* ''It!'' (1967 f ...
" campaign – a project created by columnist Dan Savage
Daniel Keenan Savage (born October 7, 1964) is an American author, media pundit, journalist, and LGBT community activist. He writes ''Savage Love'', an internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column. In 2010, Savage and his husba ...
in response to school bullying and a rash of suicides among young LGBT people aiming to "provide hope to youth struggling with their identity." With John Partridge, Ellis also presented the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical at the 2010 Laurence Olivier Awards.
She also continued to perform in various concerts throughout 2011, including her return to the leisure resort where she first started working, Potters Leisure Resort, to perform in the One Night Musicals Spectacular, which saw Ellis in combination with "musical variety from Potters Theatre Company and other leading West End singers" in February. In March, she duetted with performer Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", "I Write the Songs", " Can ...
on the ''Finian's Rainbow
''Finian's Rainbow'' is a musical with a book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane, produced by Lee Sabinson. The original 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances, while a film version was re ...
'' song "Look to the Rainbow" at the 2011 Laurence Olivier Awards in addition to returning to London nightclub G-A-Y, performing "Love It When You Call
"Love It When You Call" is the fourth single from English rock band the Feeling's 2006 debut album, '' Twelve Stops and Home''. The song was released on 20 November 2006 and peaked at No. 18 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's fourth to ...
", "I Know Him So Well
"I Know Him So Well" is a duet from the concept album and subsequent musical ''Chess'' by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It was originally sung by Elaine Paige (as Florence) and Barbara Dickson (as Svetlana). In this duet, two wom ...
", "Diamonds are Forever" and the remixed version of her rock version of the song "Defying Gravity".
April saw Ellis became a patron – alongside Bonnie Langford
Bonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford (born 22 July 1964) is an English actress, dancer and singer. She came to prominence as a child star in the 1970s, when she had a notable role in the TV series ''Just William''. In the 1980s, she played c ...
– to Guildford
Guildford ()
is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...
's Performance Preparation Academy (PPA). The school now offers annual scholarships in both Ellis' and Langford's names. In May, she judged in the 2011 Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year competition in addition to performing "Cabaret" and "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody
"Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" is a popular song written by Jean Schwartz, with lyrics by Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young. The song was introduced by Al Jolson in the Broadway musical '' Sinbad'' and published in 1918.
Probably the best- ...
" at the Mermaid Theatre
The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre encompassing the site of Puddle Dock and Curriers' Alley at Blackfriars in the City of London, and the first built in the City since the time of Shakespeare. It was, importantly, also one of the first new thea ...
as part of the BBC Radio 2 special ''Friday Night is Music Night'' in a special concert celebrating the music of the BBC's radio programme ''Desert Island Discs
''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942.
Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usu ...
'' and appearing at gay nightclub Cruz 101 to perform "Love It When You Call", "Somebody to Love" and the remixed version of her rock version of the song "Defying Gravity" in celebration of the club's 19th birthday.
With Brian May, she accepted an invitation to fly a training sortie
A sortie (from the French word meaning ''exit'' or from Latin root ''surgere'' meaning to "rise up") is a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops, from a strongpoint. The term originated in siege warfare. ...
with the Red Arrows
The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Waddington. The team was formed in late 1964 as an all-RAF team, replacing a number of unofficial teams ...
on 16 June: Ellis on Red 1 with Squadron Leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...
Ben Murphy (the leader of the Red Arrows) while May flew on Red 7 with Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...
Ben Plank. The same month, the pair performed "Born Free
''Born Free'' is a 1966 British drama film starring the real-life couple Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Joy and George Adamson, another real-life couple who raised Elsa the Lioness, an orphaned lion cub, to adulthood, and released her in ...
" at the 2011 Born Free Foundation
The Born Free Foundation is an international wildlife charity that campaigns to "Keep Wildlife in the Wild". It protects wild animals in their natural habitat, campaigns against the keeping of wild animals in captivity and rescues wild animals in ...
Gala Dinner at the Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 188 ...
to celebrate the 80th birthday of its founder Virginia McKenna
Dame Virginia Anne McKenna, (born 7 June 1931) is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner. She is best known for the films ''A Town Like Alice'' (1956), '' Carve Her Name with Pride'' (1958), ''Born Free'' (1966), and ...
and teamed up again to perform at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual motorsports festival featuring modern and historic motor racing vehicles taking part in a hillclimbing, hill climb and other events, held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England, in l ...
in July.
In August, she kicked off the 20th English Premier League for the FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier Le ...
by performing the British national anthem at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
and also became a patron to Emil Dale's School of Performing Arts in Hitchin while September saw her performing at the opening launch concert of the new Diamond Theatre in Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
and returning to London's Savoy to sing at the 65th birthday celebrations of Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the ...
. She also returned to the Shaw Theatre in London on 30 September and 1 October, accompanied by musician Craig Adams, to perform in a pair of solo concerts titled An Audience with Kerry Ellis in addition to appearing at the 40th anniversary celebratory concert of the Broadway musical ''Godspell
''Godspell'' is a musical composed by Stephen Schwartz with book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set to lyrics from traditional hymn ...
'' at the Palace Theatre, Manchester in late October. Aside her professional endeavors, Ellis married her long-term boyfriend James Townsend on 8 September 2011 following their engagement in November 2010.
''The Voice UK'', ''The War of the Worlds'' and ''RENT'' (2012–2013)
In January 2012, Ellis auditioned for the debut series of ''The Voice UK
''The Voice UK'' is a British singing competition television series. Created by John de Mol, it premiered on BBC One during the spring television cycle on 24 March 2012. Based on the original ''The Voice of Holland'', and part of ''The Voice ...
'', a reality television singing competition. The show saw Ellis giving a blind audition In a blind audition the identity of the performer is concealed from the judges so as to prevent bias. The performance takes place behind a curtain so that the judges cannot see the performer. Blind auditions have become standard in symphony orchestr ...
in front of its four coaches. She sang "Son of a Preacher Man
"Son of a Preacher Man" is a song written and composed by American songwriters John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins and recorded by British singer Dusty Springfield in September 1968 for the album ''Dusty in Memphis.''
Springfield's version was produc ...
" but it failed to progress her further after none of the coaches turned round to select her to be in their groups. Her audition aired on BBC One in March; the panel reacted with positive feedback. Tom Jones consoled her: "You seem like you've already made it," referring to her theatrical career, while Danny O'Donoghue
Daniel John Mark Luke O'Donoghue (born 3 October 1980) is an Irish singer-songwriter best known for being the frontman of the Irish rock band The Script and as a coach on the first two series of the television singing talent show ''The Voice U ...
stated, "I thought you did a really phenomenal job, I really did. I can't fault that, all I can fault is myself for not turning around. I am looking for a specific type of girl singer and you're not it but you will be for 99% of the UK I am sure." Her name later trended on social networking site Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
.
She has continued to perform, appearing at a charity concert of ''Children of Eden
''Children of Eden'' is a 1991 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Caird. The musical is based on the Book of Genesis, with Act I telling the story of Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel, while Act II deals with ...
'' alongside other West End performers at London's Prince of Wales Theatre
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...
in January which provoked Mark Shenton to label Ellis and Louise Dearman
Louise Dearman (born 13 March 1979) is a British actress and singer, perhaps best known for playing Glinda and Elphaba in the West End production of the musical '' Wicked.'' Notably, she is the only actress to have played both witches in any prod ...
as "the twin goddesses of West End musical voices." Ellis paired with Brian May and singer Irene Fornaciari at the 2012 Sanremo Music Festival on the songs "I (Who Have Nothing)
"I (Who Have Nothing)" (sometimes billed as "I Who Have Nothing") is an English language cover of the Italian song "''Uno dei Tanti''" (English: "One of Many"), with music by Carlo Donida and lyrics by Giulio "Mogol" Rapetti. The initial version ...
" and "We Will Rock You" in February. The same month, she closed the 2012 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards with May and also performed with him at the launch of Pride of Cape Town in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
in March. There, she also shot a documentary to highlight her charity work with the Born Free Foundation. After becoming patron of the Wattisham
Wattisham is a village and civil parish near to the town of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. From the 2011 Census the population of the parish was 110, according to the ONS, included in the civil parish of Hitcham, Suffolk, Hitcham.
Wattisham Air ...
Military Wives Choir, she went solo in the one-off concerts Coming Home and on the Edge towards the end of March and start of April and also led her own BBC Radio 2 ''Friday Night is Music Night'' special with guests Brian May, Ramin Karimloo
Ramin Karimloo ( fa, رامین کریملو; ; born September 19, 1978) is a Canadian actor, singer and composer recognized for his work in London's West End and Broadway theatre.
He has played the leading male roles in both of the West End's ...
and Jonathan Ansell
Jonathan Mark Ansell (born 10 March 1982) is an English singer, best known as the high tenor of the vocal group G4 (band), G4.
Early life
Influenced by his mother's tapes of Pavarotti and the Three Tenors, Ansell joined the West Sussex Boys' Cho ...
.
Other appearances saw her sit on the celebrity judging panel for West End Eurovision 2012 and perform in Scott Alan's concert at New York's Birdland in April in addition to returning to The Night of 1000 Voices at the Royal Albert Hall, judging contestants for the Craig Barbour Award at the Soho Theatre
The Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, in London, England. It produces and presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three performance spaces.
The the ...
, and playing at a Marco Bicego London jewellery exhibition in May. The same month, she flew to Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
in Italy to perform with Italian Queen tribute band Killer Queen, but returned to England to sing with Brian May at concert titled Rock Against Cancer in Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman architecture, Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-century ...
. In June, Mark Shenton listed Ellis on his article about his "favourite leading musical ladies" in West End theatre, complimenting her for bringing "a different kind of pop passion to her voice that has stood her in good stead for est Endshows." June also saw her being filmed at Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London.
The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to te ...
for the film adaptation of the musical ''Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' (2012), where she plays an uncredited wench
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