She played her last performance as Elphaba on 9 May 2009 and was once again succeeded by Alexia Khadime 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 later succeeded this feat in June 2012). Throughout July, Ellis appeared in an interview-and-song series, These Are A Few of My Favourite Songs, at London's Soho Theatre, performed with the winners at the live final of #searchforatwitterstar an online Twitter talent competition, sang as a special guest at musical concert West End Men with Lee Mead in both Jersey, Guildford and Guernsey, and sat on the judging panel for the gala finale of Talent 2012 at the Garrick Theatre a competition on the search for the next West End musical theatre star. In December 18, 2019, Ellis performed "Rise Like a Phoenix" in the opening of the Miss World 2019 pageant. She counts herself really lucky that she works in a profession where taking your child to work is not a huge obstacle. Townsend, James C. [from old catalog]; Townsend, Martin Ingham, 1810-1903. Cruz 101 Manchester's Favourite Gay Nightclub", "Red Arrows flight puts celebrity pair in tune with services life", "Queen guitarist Brian May flies with the Red Arrows", "The Voice snubs star of the West End's Wicked", "The Voice Review: West End Star Kerry Ellis Rejected Who Did Pass The Blind Auditions? The money was raised through crowd-funding so it is very much a collaborative project with my lovely, passionate fans. Brian May and Kerry Ellis playing a sold out event at the Apex, Bury St Edmunds. Kerry Ellis - Age, Birthday, Biography, Movies, Albums & Facts - HowOld.co Between visits, a lot has changed however. 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. How many times has Kerry Ellis been married? She also stated, "It was a great step up for me. 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. ", 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. Kerry Elliss income source is mostly from being a successful Actress. Kerry Ellis father's name is under review and mother unknown at this time. Menu. Kerry worries about taking Alfie away from his father for extended periods but makes sure they get quality time when they are together. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. [21][45] Ellis also represented the musical at the annual Royal Variety Performance in 2008 where she performed her rock version of the Wicked song "Defying Gravity" alongside Brian May on guitar at the London Palladium.[49]. Ellis also performed the role of Mimi alongside Superstar finalist Rory Taylor in the 20th anniversary concert production of the musical RENT that toured the UK, opening on 25 April 2013 at The Opera House in Manchester before playing theatres in London, Liverpool, Newcastle, Cardiff, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Glasgow and Leeds. In June, she performed in front of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge at the naming ceremony of the newest addition of the P&O Princess Cruises' fleet, Royal Princess, before going back on the road to do a second leg of The Born Free Tour in the UK and Ireland with Brian May.[84]. April saw Ellis became a patron alongside Bonnie Langford to Guildford's Performance Preparation Academy (PPA). Despite professing he prefers other contemporary musical theatre actresses, "I can't deny the power and following she clearly has." Married At First Sight intruder Evelyn Ellis and Al Perkins cuddle in 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. The same month, the pair performed at the Make-A-Wish Foundation Winter Ball at The Dorchester in London. In January 2013, she was also made an official patron of the British Dance Arts Federation (BDAF). He is not dating anyone. [from old catalog] Call number 8221310 Camera Canon 5D External-identifier urn:oclc:record:1085971946 Foldoutcount 0 Identifier townsendtownshen00tagl Identifier-ark How many times has Kerry Ellis been divorced? Other performances in 2013 include her leading a week of cabaret shows at The Pheasantry in London in February and at Tiger Tracks, a three-week tiger conservation event, performing a free outdoor charity gig at St Pancras railway station with Brian May in March. We will update Kerry Ellis's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. Ellis-Townsend Baby #2 - Alfie has a little brother named FREDDIE. Kerry Ellis has been married once, in 2011. In 2002, she landed the role of Meat in the original London cast of We Will Rock You and has subsequently played lead roles in musicals Les Misrables, Wicked (in the West End and on Broadway), Oliver! "[32], Following this, Ellis got the role of Fantine in the West End production of Les Misrables. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's [21][34] Ellis played Fantine for almost a year and ended her time with the company on 24 June 2006. 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 in March. Whilst attending Stowmarket High School, she completed work experience with Starmakers, a company of holiday entertainers, at Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton-on-Sea. Hes touring and working on a new Queen album over the summer but I spoke to him yesterday and, yeah, well see.. (Image: Archant). She also performed with John Barrowman at the 2009 Henley Festival (which was later broadcast on BBC Radio 2's Friday Night is Music Night), at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and at Thank You for the Music a special concert in Hyde Park celebrating the music of Benny Andersson and Bjrn Ulvaeus (of ABBA) in September 2009 where "the unexpected highlight" of the evening was Ellis' delivery of the first UK performance of "You Have to Be There", a "tearjerker" from the pair's musical venture Kristina frn Duvemla. He also made reference to her cult following built from her Wicked days, labelling her "our local green goddess of song." Kerry Ellis - Biography - IMDb Aside her professional endeavors, Ellis married her long-term boyfriend James Townsend on 8 September 2011 following their engagement in November 2010. She also involves herself in charity work for the Born Free Foundation with May and is the patron of several arts organisations. [5][6] 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. "[45], 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. 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 for Capital FM. "[8][11] 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, Elaine Paige and Barbra Streisand; their music she would sing in her bedroom much to the disturbance of her older brother Andrew, now a keen fisherman. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2f5f216efc1511 It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Family: She married James Townsend in 2011. The Taurus approach to love and romance is serious and down to earth. Kerry Ellis's net worth James Ellis Townsend (1919-2000) - Find a Grave Memorial In July 2006, Ellis joined the original London cast of the musical Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre to play Elphaba, the misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West, however she was not permanent at that time and serving as a temporary standby to Idina Menzel for three months from the show's opening on 27 September 2006. After meeting Queen guitarist Brian May in 2002, she landed the role of Meat in the original London cast of We Will Rock You and has subsequently played lead roles in West End musicals Les Misrables, Wicked (which also took her to Broadway), Oliver! The show was such a success that she has decided to capture the spirit of it on her new album which she has financed through crowd-funding getting fans to pre-buy it and offering them exclusive backstage access at gigs, visits to rehearsals and trips to the studio during the recording process. It finished at The Cliffs Pavilion in Southend-on-Sea on 5 May 2013. 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. [21][22] The musical initially played at the Lyttelton Theatre at the Royal National Theatre from 6 March 2001 to 20 June 2001 but later transferred to Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with shows beginning 21 July 2001. It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend (1951-Present) Daughter of: Bobby Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy; Married to: David Lee Townsend; Children: Meaghan, Maeve, Rose, and Kerry; Kathleen Kennedy is the eldest child of Bobby and Ethel Kennedy. [12] Whilst still in the production, Ellis also performed in one-off intimate gigs at London venues. [64] The last two performances were later broadcast in December on British television channel S4C and on BBC Radio 2 respectively. It was important not just in the type of show it was but also in getting my face known. Alfie Ellis-Townsend (Son) Notes No notes listed. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Bi for Blanchett Ellis-Townsend Baby #2. 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 same month, she flew to Florence 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. Since then, the couple have added over 2,000 to their fundraising, with just 500 to go to hit their target. She also went back on the road with Brian May on The Candlelight Concerts tour between February and March as well as returning to London's Pheasantry, performing in A Night in the West End with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, singing in a solo concert Live at the Gaiety Theatre on the Isle of Man, and performing at An Evening of Movies and Musicals with Joe McElderry in Scotland. Block; making the first British actress to play Elphaba on Broadway and the first to transfer from the West End to Broadway mirroring original cast member Idina Menzel who transferred from Broadway to London to open the production. 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 for the "It Gets Better" campaign a project created by columnist Dan Savage in response to school bullying and a rash of suicides among young LGBT people aiming to "provide hope to youth struggling with their identity. She has continued to perform, appearing at a charity concert of Children of Eden alongside other West End performers at London's Prince of Wales Theatre in January which provoked Mark Shenton to label Ellis and Louise Dearman as "the twin goddesses of West End musical voices. Kerry Elliss biography and horoscope. The pair then took The Born Free Tour to mainland Europe in July in addition to performing at the 47th Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland followed by a performance at the 2013 Guitare en scne festival 2013 in the east of France. She gave birth to her second child, a boy called Freddie, on 30 November 2015. Kerry Ellis as Elphaba in Wicked (Image: Archant). James Townsend's current age falls around his mid-30s, according to our close sources. [20], By late 2000, she had settled in her first property, a two-bedroom Brockley maisonette, and joined the original cast of Cameron Mackintosh's London revival of My Fair Lady, appointed swing and second of two understudies to Martine McCutcheon in the role of Eliza Doolittle after being scouted by agent Jonathan Greatorex. But I think we will be all right because we know the material, the arrangements have all been worked out, so it should be fine.. She also appeared on select dates in the musical concert The West End Men led by Lee Mead at London's Vaudeville Theatre from 25 May to 22 June. However, StrictlyWeddings.com is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. In January 2013, she was also made an official patron of the British Dance Arts Federation (BDAF). The album, which was produced by Brian May and recorded at Abbey Road Studios with a 70-piece orchestra, was described by Ellis as one that "tap[s] into all the different areas that [she has] been part of" in her career between the years 2000 and 2010. Children: Daniel Townsend+ b. c 1698. In May, she led her own solo concert, entitled Kerry Ellis in Concert, at the London Palladium for one night only with various special guests including Brian May and West End performers,[83] in addition to performing at the Guildford School of Acting choir's concert with Ruthie Henshall, returning to West End Eurovision to present the West End Wilma Volunteer of the Year award and also headlining the 9th annual Spotlight Ball. On 14 July 2014, it was announced that Ellis would once again rejoin the West End production of Wicked, replacing Willemijn Verkaik as Elphaba at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. Kerry Ellis Net Worth [27] The tour commenced at the Royal Albert Hall on 1 May 2011 for two special charity performances (benefiting Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research), titled Anthems: The Concert, where Ellis was supported by the City of London Philharmonic, The West End Chorus, performer Adam Pascal and electronic string quartet Escala. Kerry worries about taking Alfie away from his father for extended periods but makes sure they get quality time when they are. In the first quarter of 2014, Ellis performed in West End Anthems at the Watford Colosseum and also returned to 20th anniversary concert tour of RENT for dates across the UK in January and February. 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. People born in the Year of the Goat enjoy being alone with their thoughts. 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. It was great for him and me. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at Laine Theatre Arts from the age of 16. Bury St Edmunds: West End star Kerry Ellis talks motherhood and Brian Kerry Ellis has not been previously engaged. With John Partridge, Ellis also presented the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical at the 2010 Laurence Olivier Awards. In October West-End star Kerry Ellis returns to Suffolk to kick-off her autumn tour armed with a new album and a new baby. The album, which was produced by Brian May and recorded at Abbey Road Studios with a 70-piece orchestra, was described by Ellis as one that "tap[s] into all the different areas that [she has] been part of" in her career between the years 2000 and 2010. I really do think its a fabulous venue. [12][50] She performed on four dates in late June 2009 with the inclusion of Brian May in each night's encore.