White, Lillias 1951–

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WHITE, Lillias 1951–

(Lillians White, Lillias D. White)

PERSONAL

Born July 21, 1951, in Brooklyn, NY. Education: Graduated from City College of the City University of New York.

Addresses: Agent—Cornerstone Talent Agency, 37 West 20th St., Suite 1108, New York, NY 10011; Cunningham, Escott, Slevin & Doherty, 257 Park Ave. S., 9th Floor, New York, NY 10010.

Career: Actress, singer, and dancer. Has performed in concerts at many venues, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, both New York City, and as a guest soloist at the White House, Washington, DC; recorded with Jeffrey Osborne and Madonna; performed in radio and television advertisements.

Member: Screen Actors Guild, Actors' Equity Association.

Awards, Honors: Obie Award, best performance, 1990, for Romance in Hard Times; Antoinette Perry Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Award, and People's Choice Award, best featured actress in a musical, 1997, all for The Life; DramaLogue Award, for Dreamgirls; Emmy Award, for Sesame Street.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

Djin of Sin, Soledad Tetrad, New York Ensemble Theatre, New York City, 1975.

Tintypes, Royal Poinciana Playhouse, Palm Beach, FL, 1981.

Joice Heth, Barnum, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1981–82.

Aretha Franklin, Rock 'n' Roll! The First 5,000 Years, St. James Theatre, 1982.

Grizzabella, Cats, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1982–83.

Understudy for the role of Effie Melody White, Dreamgirls, Shubert Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 1983.

Queenie Pie, Eisenhower Theatre, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1986–87.

Effie Melody White, Dreamgirls, Ambassador Theatre, New York City, 1987.

Understudy for the role of Miss Gardner, Carrie, Virginia Theatre, New York City, 1988.

Waitin' in the Wings: The Night the Understudies Take Center Stage, Triplex Theatre, New York City, 1988.

Hennie, Romance in Hard Times, New York Shakespeare Festival, Anspacher Theatre, then Public Theatre, both New York City, 1989.

Sonja, The Life, Westbeth Theatre Center, New York City, 1990.

Asaka, Mother of the Earth, Once on This Island, Booth Theatre, New York City, 1990–91.

Back to Bacharach and David, Club 53, New York City, 1993.

"The Grass Harp," Musicals in Mufti, York Theatre Company, New York City, 1994.

Quilt-A Musical Celebration, Theatre at St. Peter's Church, New York City, 1994.

Miss Jones, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (also known as How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying!), La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego, CA, 1994–95, then Richard Rogers Theatre, New York City, 1995–96.

Sonja, The Life, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1997–98.

Dinah Washington, Dinah Was, Gramercy Theatre, New York City, 1998–99.

From Brooklyn to Broadway, Arci's Place, New York City, 2000.

Lillias White in Wonderland, Arci's Place, 2000.

All Girl Band: The Songs of David Zippel, Joe's Pub, New York City, 2000.

A Tony Celebration, Arci's Place, 2001.

Effie Melody White, Dreamgirls, Ford Center for the Performing Arts, New York City, 2001.

Funny Girl, New Amsterdam Theatre, New York City, 2002.

Once This Island, Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 2002.

Lillias White: From Shubert Alley to Jazz Alley, Feinstein's at the Regency, New York City, 2002.

Courting the Muse, White Barn Theatre, Westport, CT, 2002.

Tumpie's Dance, Theatre Building, Chicago, IL, 2002.

Nativity: A Life Story, United Palace Theatre, New York City, 2002, 2003.

Velma, Crowns, McCarter Theater Center, Princeton, NJ, 2002, then Second Stage Theatre, New York City, 2002–2003.

Purim Cabaret, Jewish Community Center, New York City, 2003.

Bubbling Brown Sugar, John Houseman Theatre, New York City, 2003.

Raisin, John Houseman Theatre, 2004.

Hair, New Amsterdam Theatre, 2004.

Missy, Purlie, City Center, New York City, 2005.

Bloody Mary, South Pacific, Carnegie Hall, New York City, 2005.

Lillias White: 21st Annual Birthday Party, Joe's Pub, 2005.

Also appeared in Antigone Africanus (with the DemiGods), Off-Broadway production; The Princess and the Black-eyed Pea, Off-Broadway production; Waiting for Godot, Off-Broadway production; Yin-Yang; Titanic.

Major Tours:

Dorothy, The Wiz, U.S. cities, 1978–79.

Effie Melody White, Dreamgirls, U.S. cities, 1984–87.

Also toured in Ain't Misbehavin'; Tintypes.

Film Appearances:

(As Lillians White) Dancing secretary, Me and Him (also known as Ich und er), Columbia, 1990.

Operator, North, Columbia, 1994.

Mother, Bleeding Hearts (also known as White Man's Burden and Fatal Destiny), Peacock Films, 1994.

Voice in ensemble and character voices, Anastasia (animated), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1997.

Voice of Calliope, the lead muse, Hercules (animated), Buena Vista, 1997.

First transit cop, Gloria, Columbia, 1999.

Shopper, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (also known as The Grinch, Der Grinch, and Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"), MCA/Universal, 2000.

Nurse, Interview with the Assassin, Magnolia Pictures, 2002.

Evette, Pieces of April, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2003.

Toyota, Game 6, New Films International, 2005.

Film Work:

Song performer, "She Told Tales" and "Streetheart," Latino, Cinecom, 1995.

Television Appearances; Series:

(Uncredited) Lillian Edwards, Sesame Street (also known as Les amis de Sesame, Canadian Sesame Street, Open Sesame, Sesame Park, and The New Sesame Street), PBS, 1993–96.