Kimilee Bryant

Infobox actor
name = Kimilee Bryant


caption =
birthdate = June 22
birthplace = Berea, South Carolina

Kimilee Karyn Bryant (born June 22 1969) is an American actress, singer and former Miss South Carolina. [ [http://www.kimileebryant.com/Pictures/scnews.jpgArticle about Bryant's competition in the "Miss America" pageant and her interest in opera] ] Bryant is best known for playing the role of Christine Daae in the Broadway and other productions of "The Phantom of the Opera", and later the role of Carlotta in the same musical. She has played many roles in U. S. regional theatres and opera.

Biography

Early years

Bryant grew up in Berea near Greenville, South Carolina. She attended Travelers Rest High School and Converse College, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree, and then the Manhattan School of Music, where she earned a Master's Degree in vocal performance in 1992 and studied with Mignon Dunn. [ [http://www.fineartscenter.net/Bryant.html Information from Fineartscenter.net] ] Bryant also studied voice at Greenville's Fine Arts Center and the South Carolina Governor's School of the Arts. She studied dance at Broadway Dance Center and acting with Terry Schreiber at the T. Schreiber Studio in New York City. Bryant was a regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions winner (1998). [ [http://www.operaet.com/V.4/kimlee.htm Profile of Bryant at operaet.com] ]

Concerts, Broadway and Off-Broadway

Bryant debuted as soloist with The National Chorale at Avery Fisher Hall. She was also a soloist in a staged production of Handel's "Messiah" at Lincoln Center and at The Utrecht Early Music Festival in Holland (2000), among other concert engagements.

Bryant played Christine Daae in the Broadway (1994-95; 1998), Toronto (1999), Swiss (in German) and U.S. National Tour (1996-98) productions of "The Phantom of the Opera". The Sacramento, California "Stage and Theatre News" wrote of her performance as Christine, "Bryant has that young, innocent look about her that makes her perfect for this role, as well as having one of the most lovely voices to ever grace a Sacramento stage." [ [http://www.sacnews.net/sacstage/opera.html Review of Bryant's performance in "Phantom" in national tour] ] She played Carlotta in the third national tour of "Phantom" (2005-06; part of 2008). In 2006-07, Bryant covered the roles Majella and Queen Elizabeth I and performed as swing in "The Pirate Queen" on Broadway. [ [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=82785 Information about Bryant's broadway performances] ] In the summer of 2008, Bryant played the Page in the Broadway production of "Phantom", while understudying the role of Carlotta and performing that role several times. [ [http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=82785 Kimilee Bryant,] IBDB database. Retrieved on July 14, 2008] She is scheduled to return to the national tour as Carlotta in August 2008.

With the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players in New York City, she has played roles since 1993, [ [http://nygasp.org/about/the_company Profile at NYGASP.org] ] including Josephine in "H.M.S. Pinafore" (2001), Aline in "The Sorcerer" (2001), Phyllis in "Iolanthe", Josephine in "Pinafore" (2002-03) [ [http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/music/classical/reviews/5596/ New York Magazine review of "Pinafore"] ] and Elsie in "The Yeomen of the Guard" (2003) at Symphony Space, and Mabel in "The Pirates of Penzance" (2003), Casilda in "The Gondoliers" (2003) and the title role in "Princess Ida" (2008) at City Center. [ [http://www.curtainup.com/princessida.html Review of Bryant as "Princess Ida"] ]

She also appeared in the Encores! presentation of "Bye, Bye Birdie" (2004). She played Stage Manager in "Our Town" (2000) and played Betty in John Guare's "Landscape of the Body", both at Gloria Maddox Theatre, directed by Terry Schreiber (2004). [http://www.kimileebryant.com/critics.html Reviews of Bryant's roles] ]

Regional theatre and opera

With Portland Opera, Bryant performed as Frasquita in "Carmen", singing Micaela for the previews. There she also sang Gretel in "Hansel and Gretel", Antonia in "Man of La Mancha", Pamina and Second Lady in "An American Magic Flute", Adele in "Die Fledermaus" and Alice in "Through the Opera Glass". She also sang Zerlina in "Don Giovanni" with The Boheme Opera of New Jersey (2005) and has appeared with Opera Longview (Texas, 2003) as Susanna in "Le Nozze di Figaro", The National Opera Association as Polly in "The Beggar's Opera", John Brownlee Opera Association as Bianca in "The Taming of the Shrew", [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE4DC1531F930A25757C0A967958260 "New York Times" review of "Taming of the Shrew"] ] the Brevard Music Center Opera, Aspen Opera, Greenville Symphony, Spartanburg Symphony, Piedmont Opera, Opera East Texas, and Opera Ontario. [ [http://www.geocities.com/phantomonbroadway/act_bio/b.htm Profile of Bryant at the PhantomonBroadway bio site] ] She sang the role of Mabel in "Pirates" for The Sacramento Music Circus (2004) [ [http://www.sacnews.net/sacstage/pirates.html Review of Sacramento "Pirates"] ] and with a number of other companies.

Bryant's regional theatre roles have included Sally in "Talley's Folly" (1999; Warehouse Theatre), Sharon in "Master Class" (2000; Warehouse Theatre), Marian in "The Music Man" (2000; Muhlenberg Summer Theatre), Maria in "West Side Story" (Rockwell Productions), Eliza in "My Fair Lady" (The Farmhouse), Laurey in "Oklahoma!" (Town N’ Country Theatre), [ [http://www.kimileebryant.com/Pictures/oknewsgreer.jpgReview of "Oklahoma!"] ] Maisie in "The Boy Friend", Julie in "Carousel" (Greenville Little Theatre), and Hope in "Anything Goes" (Yorktown Regional Theatre). She also starred in Riverside Theatre's (Florida) production of "Showtune" (2004).

Cabaret, film and television

Bryant performs in her own one-woman show, "My Life's Journey Through Song", [ [http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071216/ENT01/71215007/-1/rss&template=printart Review of Bryant's one-woman show] ] and often performs with the concert group "Broadway Sings!" [ [http://www.broadwaysings.com/ Broadway Sings! website] ] Her film and TV credits include "The Manchurian Candidate" (Teacher, 2003), "7th Heaven" (Julia's Mom 2002), and "Law & Order" (Reporter, season one).

References

External links

* [http://www.broadwayworld.com/bios/viewstar.cfm?starid=875 Broadway World summary of Bryant's roles]
* [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=82785 Bryant's IBDB entry]
* [http://www.kimileebryant.com/biography.html Bryant's official website]
* [http://www.theatre-musical.com/phantom/bryant.html Bryant as Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera" national tour]
* [http://www.misssouthcarolina.com/former.php?action=details&id=29 Bryant's profile at misssouthcarolina.com]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/07/arts/music/07ida.html "New York Times" review of Bryant in "Princess Ida"]
* [http://www.kimileebryant.com/photos.html Numerous photos of Bryant in costume]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbgDS3DZX8 1998 Youtube clip of Bryant singing "All I Ask of You" with Gary Mauer]
* [http://www.broadwayworld.com/galleryperson.cfm?personid=17821 Broadwayworld photo and links for Bryant]
* [http://www.kimileebryant.com/files/TVRes_may1207.pdf Resume of Bryant's credits to 2007]