| Laura Michelle Kelly | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 March 1981 Isle of Wight, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
Laura Michelle Kelly (born 4 March 1981) is an Olivier Award-winning English actress and singer who achieved critical acclaim in the role of Mary Poppins in the musical of the same name.
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Career
Musical theatre
Kelly's West End musical credits include Beauty and the Beast, Whistle Down The Wind as Swallow (2000), Les Misérables as Eponine at The Palace Theatre (2001), Mamma Mia! as Sophie at Prince Edward Theatre (2002), and My Fair Lady as Eliza at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (2003).[1] She made her Broadway debut in a revival of Fiddler on the Roof as Hodel (2004).
Mary Poppins premiered in September 2004 at the Bristol Hippodrome, followed, in December, with its arrival in the West End at the Prince Edward Theatre. For her role as Mary Poppins, Kelly earned rave reviews. At the 2005 Olivier Awards, she won the award for Best Actress in a Musical.[2] She left Mary Poppins on 29 October 2005 after more than 400 performances and was succeeded by Scarlett Strallen. Kelly then went to Singapore to star in a revival of A Twist of Fate produced by the Singapore Repertory Company. It also starred Anthony Drewe (who co-wrote the music with Singaporean composer Dick Lee).
In 2006 she returned to the London stage performing in A Tribute to Dirty Dancing at Kenwood House and Marble Hill. Kelly and Michael Ball performed at the Hackney Empire on Thursday 1 August 2006 to celebrate Anthony Newley for BBC Radio Two which was broadcast on 29 September 2006. Kelly was the Special Guest for Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra on tour during December 2006. On 27 August 2007, Kelly made her BBC Proms debut, performing "The Prayer" from the film Quest for Camelot alongside Michael Ball.[3]
During 2007-2008, Kelly played the role of Galadriel in the original London production of The Lord of the Rings - The Musical at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane to critical acclaim.[4] The show began previews on 9 May 2007, with an official opening night of 19 June 2007. Kelly played her final performance on 2 February 2008, and was replaced by Abbie Osman.
She plays the dual role of a nun and former Coronation Street actor Johnny Briggs's trophy wife in an ITV1 production of Agatha Christie's Nemesis.[5] and made her film debut as Lucy Barker in the Tim Burton/DreamWorks film Sweeney Todd.[6]
Kelly appeared alongside Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum in David Mamet's play Speed-the-Plow at London's Old Vic theatre from 1 February to 26 April 2008 and at the Ruhrfestspiele in Recklinghausen, Germany, in May 2008.
Since 12 October 2009, Kelly is reprising the role of Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway, replacing Scarlett Strallen.[7]
Recording artist
Kelly released her debut single, "There Was A Time", through EMIs Angel label for download only on 17 April 2006. The single enjoyed Record of the Week status on BBC Radio 2. This single is from her debut solo album, The Storm Inside which was released on 1 May 2006. The album includes six original songs and six covers, including three songs which Kelly wrote herself.
A new single, "What's It All For?" (written by singer Judie Tzuke) was released as a digital download on March 5. It will be followed by the release of her album, also titled What's It All For? with the three new tracks and a selection of others from "The Storm Inside" which was released in 2006.
Personal life
She is a native of the Isle of Wight, off the South coast of England. She attended Solent Middle and Sandown High. Her first musical appearance was in Bugsy Malone at Solent Middle School, Cowes, Isle of Wight, as Blousey Brown. She trained on the island at Shanklin Stage Coach where she learned the art of musical theatre but she grew most of her talent through her singing lessons with Barbra Walters.
Kelly is divorced from choreographer Nick Winston, whom she married in 2001.[8]
References
- ^ My Fair Lady listing www.albemarle-london.com, retrieved December 1, 2009
- ^ Olivier Awards, 2005officiallondontheatre.co.uk, retrieved December 1, 2009
- ^ "Prom 58". BBC Proms 2007. http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2007/whatson/2708.shtml#prom58. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
- ^ Bamigboye, Baz (2006-12-15). "Look who's Tolkien". Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/bazbamigboye.html?in_article_id=422894&in_page_id=1794. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
- ^ "News". Daily Mail. 2008-02-09. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/you/article.html?in_article_id=511761&in_page_id=1908. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
- ^ "News". AllForLaura.com. 2007-02-28. http://www.allforlaura.co.uk/AFL2006/News2006.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
- ^ "Laura Michelle Kelly and Christian Borle to Sweep Into Mary Poppins Oct. 12", playbill.com, October 12, 2009
- ^ "News". Daily Mail. 2008-02-09. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/you/article.html?in_article_id=511761&in_page_id=1908. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
External links
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