Emily Skinner (born June 29, 1970), also known as Emily Scott Skinner, is a Tony-nominated American actress and singer. She has played leading roles in 11 Broadway productions including ''

New York, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

'', '' Prince of Broadway'', '' The Cher Show'', '' Side Show'', '' Jekyll & Hyde'', '' James Joyce's The Dead'', ''

The Full Monty ''The Full Monty'' is a 1997 comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy. The film is set ...

'', '' Dinner at Eight'', ''

Billy Elliot ''Billy Elliot'' is a 2000 British coming-of-age Comedy film, comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Lee Hall (playwright), Lee Hall. Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the fi ...

'', as well as the Actor's Fund Broadway concerts of ''

Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...

'' and '' The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas''. She has sung on concert stages around the world and on numerous recordings.

Biography

Born in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, Skinner later attended college at

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...

. She moved to New York in 1992 and originated roles in various workshops, including Frank Wildhorn's '' Jekyll & Hyde'', Stephen Schwartz's show ''Snapshots'', Polly Pen's ''The Night Governess'' and the Marvin Hamlisch/Craig Carnelia/Nora Ephron musical ''Imaginary Friends''. She created the role of "Emily" (young Scrooge's love interest) in the 1994 Alan Menken/Lynn Ahrens musical adaptation of ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'' at the Paramount Theatre at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

. In 1997, Skinner joined the original Broadway cast of ''Jekyll & Hyde'' as an ensemble member and

understudy In theatre, 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 ...

for the leads of Emma and Lucy. During previews,

Linda Eder Linda Eder (; born February 3, 1961) is an American singer and actress. She originated the role of Lucy Harris in the Broadway musical '' Jekyll & Hyde'', for which she was nominated for the Drama Desk Award. Biography Eder was born in Tucso ...

, who played Lucy, developed laryngitis, and Skinner sang some of Lucy's songs from backstage, while Eder acted and sang some songs onstage. Other Broadway credits include ''Side Show'' (1997), '' James Joyce's The Dead'' (1999; with

Christopher Walken Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Christopher Walken on stage and screen, His work on stage and screen has earned him List of awards and nominations received by Christopher Walken, accolades includin ...

), ''

'' (2001) and '' Dinner at Eight'', where she was nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award. She appeared in the ''

Encores! Encores! is a Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, Tony-honored concert series dedicated to reviving United States, American Musical theatre, musicals, usually with their original orchestrations. Presented by New York City Center since 1994, E ...

'' concert stagings of the Gershwin musical ''

Pardon My English ''Pardon My English'' is a musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Morrie Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Set in 1933 Dresden, the farcical plot satirizes the Prohibition era. Production history Producers Ale ...

'', '' A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'', ''Fiorello'' and ''No Strings'', all at

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...

. She also performed at the Broadway Actor's Fund benefit concert performances of ''

'' in September 2001 and '' The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas''. Skinner's role as one half of a pair of

conjoined twins Conjoined twins, popularly referred to as Siamese twins, are twins joined '' in utero''. It is a very rare phenomenon, estimated to occur in anywhere between one in 50,000 births to one in 200,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in south ...

in ''Side Show'' earned her critical acclaim and a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

nomination shared with co-star

Alice Ripley Alice Ripley (born December 14, 1963) is an American actress, singer, songwriter and mixed media artist. She is known, in particular, for her various roles on Broadway in musicals, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning '' Next to Normal'' (2009 T ...

. It was the first time in Tony history that two performers were co-nominated as a team for the Best Actress award. ''Variety'' noted that "If Ripley and Skinner should win, it would be the first time since 1975 that a pair of actors shared a single Tony. That year John Kani and Winston Ntshona, two South African actors, won a nod for the Athol Fugard double bill ''Sizwe Banzi Is Dead'' and ''The Island''." (Other joint nominations for the Tony include Donal Donnelly and Patrick Bedford for ''Philadelphia, Here I Come!'' in 1966; the children playing the seven Von Trapp children were nominated for best featured actress in a musical in 1960.) Skinner has appeared

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

in numerous productions and workshops at The WPA Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Roundabout Theatre,

Manhattan Theater Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Lynne Meadow has been the company’s Artistic Director and visionary since 1972. Barry Grove joined the company in 19 ...

, and the

York Theatre The York Theatre Company is an Off-Broadway theatre company based on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Established in 1969, The York is the only theater in New York City, and one of the few in the world, whose two-fold missio ...

. She was nominated for a 2017 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, for her portrayal of Rosemary in ''

Picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors (Al fresco dining, ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event su ...

'' with The Transport Group. She has directed and performed in a number of concerts in the "Broadway By the Year" series at the Town Hall in New York City. For example, in June 2003 she appeared in ''Broadway By the Year 1925''; in March 2013 she was in ''The Broadway Musicals of 1961''; and in February 2015, she performed in ''The Broadway Musicals of 1916–1940''. She sang the roles of Andrea/Archangel Michael at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

in the American premiere of '' Jerry Springer: The Opera'' (with

Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor and film producer, known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running associatio ...

) in 2008. Handpicked by Oscar-winning director Stephen Daldry, she was the first American selected to play the role of Billy's dance teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson in ''

'', first in Chicago, starting in March 2010, and before going on to play the same role in the Broadway production in October 2010 until it closed two years later. She reprised her role in

The Muny The St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre (commonly known as The Muny) is an amphitheater located in St. Louis, Missouri. The theatre seats 11,000 people with about 1,500 free seats in the last nine rows that are available on a first come, first s ...

(St. Louis) production in June 2014. She appeared in '' Prince of Broadway'' at the revue's premiere production in Tokyo and Osaka in October 2015 through December 2015. The musical consists of works by the director Hal Prince. She appeared in the Broadway run at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre which ran from August to October 2017 and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance. She appeared in '' The Cher Show'' as Georgia Holt, Cher's mother, in the pre-Broadway tryout at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago June 12 – July 15 and in the Broadway run at the

Neil Simon Theatre The Neil Simon Theatre, originally the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 250 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1927, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp ...

which began previews November 1, 2018, with an opening date of December 3. Skinner remained in the role until the closing performance on August 8, 2019. Skinner recently starred as Madame Veltri in the Broadway world premiere of ''

''. The production occupied the St. James Theatre with the first preview on March 24. It officially opened on April 26, 2023. Skinner remained in the role until the closing performance on July 30, 2023, having played 33 previews and 110 regular performances. Skinner appeared in her eleventh Broadway production in the dual role of Ava Belmont/ Phoebe Burn in

Shaina Taub Shaina Taub is an American actress, singer, musician, and Tony Award-winning composer. Early life Taub was born in Waitsfield, Vermont and attended the theater camp Stagedoor Manor. Taub's interest in social justice started at a young age. At 16 ...

's '' Suffs''. ;Recordings and concerts Skinner and Ripley have collaborated on four recordings: ''Duets'', ''Unsuspecting Hearts'', ''Raw at Town Hall'', and "Unattached". Skinner also recorded a self-titled solo album, which was released in 2001. She has sung with orchestras around the world, including the New York Pops at

, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony and the Virginia Symphony. She was the original Ursula in ''

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...

'' demo recordings and workshop, though she was replaced by

Sherie Rene Scott Sherie Rene Scott (born February 8, 1967)Some sources give 1969, but Scott herself, at thOfficial Sherie Rene Scott Myspace Pageand at Lovece, Frank"Sherie Rene Scott is caught up in the 'Rapture'", ''Newsday'', May 6, 2010, gives 1967 is an Ame ...

for the resulting Broadway production. She is a featured vocalist on the cast albums for ''A Christmas Carol'', ''Side Show'', ''The Full Monty'', and ''Prince of Broadway''. Skinner debuted her cabaret act, ''A Broad with a Broad, Broad Mind'', in July 2021 at 54 Below to great acclaim and continues to present this program, now entitled ''Broadway, Her Way'', at venues across the world. The program includes songs and anecdotes from her storied career that highlight Skinner's versatility as a singing actress and run the gamut from comedic to heartrending to uplifting. ;Regional theatre and tours At the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

she appeared in '' Merrily We Roll Along'' and ''

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

'' during the 2002 Sondheim Celebration, played Agnes Gooch in ''

Mame MAME (formerly an acronym of Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is a free and open-source emulator designed to emulate the hardware of arcade games, video game consoles, old computers and other systems in software on modern personal computers and ...

'' (2006), starred in their production of ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a 1955 American three-act play by Tennessee Williams. The play, an adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", was written between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his ...

'' (2004), and has performed in concert there in the Barbara Cook Spotlight Series twice. She toured the U.S. in 2004 and 2005 in the Disney revue '' On the Record''. Elsewhere, she has appeared regionally in leading roles at The Long Wharf Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, Alliance Theatre, Old Globe (in San Diego), Ford's Theatre, St. Louis MUNY, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Bucks County Playhouse, Hangar Theatre, Virginia Repertory Theatre, and numerous others. Skinner has performed at the Signature Theatre,

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

, in the U.S. premiere of ''

The Witches of Eastwick ''The Witches of Eastwick'' is a 1984 novel by American writer John Updike. A sequel, '' The Widows of Eastwick'', was published in 2008. Plot The story, set in the fictional Rhode Island town of Eastwick in the early 1970s, follows the witc ...

'' in 2007, and in the new musical '' Ace'' in 2008. She played the title role in '' Dirty Blonde'' at the Hangar Theatre,

Ithaca, New York Ithaca () is a city in and the county seat of Tompkins County, New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, Ithaca is the largest community in the Ithaca metrop ...

, in June 2009, and was in the same play at Signature Theatre later that year. She then went on to play Mrs. Lovett in a well-received production of ''Sweeney Todd'' at the Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma in 2009. as well as Ursula in ''The Little Mermaid''. In November 2012 she originated the starring role of Adelaide, a diva mouse, in ''The Great American Mousical'' directed by

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

based on her book, at the Norma Terris Theatre at Goodspeed Musicals in Chester, Connecticut. She created the role of Monique McCandless in the

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumentation ...

, T-Bone Burnett "Southern Gothic" musical '' Ghost Brothers of Darkland County'' at both the Alliance Theatre in 2012 and on a national 21-city tour, starting in Bloomington, Indiana in October 2013, which consisted of storytelling, music, and singing. In 2015, she played the roles of Charlotte in ''A Little Night Music'' at the

American Conservatory Theater The American Conservatory Theater (ACT) is a nonprofit theater company in San Francisco, California, United States, that offers both classical and contemporary theater productions. It also has an attached acting school. History The American ...

, San Francisco and Sandra in ''

Big Fish ''Big Fish'' is a 2003 American fantasy drama film directed by Tim Burton. It is based on the 1998 novel '' Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions'' by Daniel Wallace. The film stars Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange ...

'' at the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma in July 2015. In November 2019, Skinner participated in The Sundance Institute's first all-woman developmental lab retreat for what would become '' Suffs''. Her Stepmother was lauded as a scene stealer in the COVID-delayed (originally scheduled for 2019) world premiere of the Broadway-bound

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

musical, '' Once Upon a One More Time'', in December 2021. She appeared as Matron Mama Morton in The Muny's 2022 production of ''

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

'' and received accolades for her turn as Desiree Armfelt in Barrington Stage Company's '' A Little Night Music''. In April 2025, Boston's Huntington Theatre announced that Skinner would lead the cast of '' The Light in the Piazza''.

Work (selected)

* 1994–95: ''

'' as Emily, notable for: "A Place Called Home"; Off-Broadway *1995: ''Wantabanaland'' as Marilyn, Off-Broadway *1997: '' Jekyll & Hyde'' as u/s Emma, u/s Lucy (performed), Broadway *1997–98: '' Side Show'' as Daisy Hilton, Broadway (Tony Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical ith Alice Ripley *1999–2000: '' James Joyce's The Dead'' as Mary Jane Morkan, Off-Broadway and Broadway transfer *2000–02: ''

'' as Vicki Nichols, World Premiere and Broadway transfer *2001: ''

'' as one of "The Sweethearts", Broadway concert *2002: ''Company'' as Jenny, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC *2002: ''Merrily We Roll Along'' as Gussie, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC *2002–03: ''Dinner at Eight'' as Kitty Packard, Broadway revival *2003: '' My Life with Albertine'', Playwrights Horizons *2004: ''

'', Kennedy Center *2004: '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (New Production) as Mag,

, St. Louis, World Premiere *2004: '' On the Record'', World Premiere / National Tour *2006: '' The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' as Mona Stangley, Broadway concert *2007: ''

'' as Alexandra, Signature Theatre, Arlington, Virginia, United States Premiere *2008: '' Ace'', Signature Theatre *2009: '' Dirty Blonde'' at Hangar Theatre, Signature Theater *2009: ''

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–1847). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet St ...

'', Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma *2010: ''

'' as Mrs. Wilkinson (Replacement), Oriental Theatre Chicago, Illinois and Broadway *2010: ''Ten Stories Tall'' (film) as Claire *2012: '' Ghost Brothers of Darkland County'' as Monique, Alliance Theater, Atlanta, Georgia *2012: ''The Great American Mousical'', Goodspeed Theatre *2013: '' Fiorello!'', City Center Encores *2013: '' Ghost Brothers of Darkland County'', National Tour *2014: ''Inventing Mary Martin'', York Theatre *2014: ''

'', The MUNY St Louis *2014: ''

'', Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma *2014: '' A Little Night Music'', Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma *2014: '' Do I Hear a Waltz?'', 42nd Street Moon Theatre *2014: ''

'' as Mame, Virginia Repertory Theatre, Richmond, VirginiaWren, Celia
"Emily Skinner returns to Richmond theater in ''Mame''"
''Richmond-Times Dispatch''November 22, 2014 *2015: '' A Little Night Music'' as Countess Charlotte Malcolm,

, San Francisco, California *2015: '' Prince of Broadway'', International Tour, World Premiere Production *2016: '' 42nd Street'', The MUNY *2016: '' Follies'' as Phyllis, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri *2016: ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

'' as The Witch, Theatre Under The Stars (Houston) *2017: ''

'' as Rosemary, The Transport Group, Off-Broadway *2017: ''

'' as Ursula,

, St. Louis, Revival Adaptation *2017: '' Prince of Broadway'', Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway *2017: ''

Man of La Mancha ''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay '' I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervan ...

'', Off Broadway, Transport Group Concert Production *2018–19: '' The Cher Show'' as Georgia Holt, Oriental Theatre, Chicago and Broadway transfer *2021: ''

'', St Louis MUNY *2021: '' Once Upon a One More Time'' as Stepmother,

Shakespeare Theatre Company The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a Regional theater in the United States, regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the William Shakespeare, Shakespeare canon, but its seasons inc ...

, World Premiere (initially scheduled to premiere October 2019 in Chicago) *2022: ''

'' as Matron Mama Morton,

, St. Louis *2022: '' A Little Night Music'' as Desiree Armfeldt, Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield, Massachusetts *2023: ''

'' as Madame Veltri, Broadway *2024: '' Suffs'' as Alva Belmont/Phoebe Burn, Broadway

References

External links

*
Internet Broadway Database

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skinner, Emily 1970 births American musical theatre actresses Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni Living people Actresses from Richmond, Virginia Singers from Virginia 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women singers