A native of Brooklyn, New York, Lillias White has been active on Broadway, since her debut in 1981, and on television, where she won an Emmy® for her recurring appearances on Sesame Street. She first appeared as a replacement for Joice Heth in the Coleman/Stewart musical comedy, Barnum, and later appeared as a replacement for Effie Melody White in the original production of Dreamgirls and Grizabella in Cats.
After appearing as the replacement for Asaka in Once on this Island, White earned her first starring role as Miss Jones in the 1995 revival of Frank Loesser’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. In 1997, Lillias White won both a Tony® and a Drama Desk Award for her portrayal of Sonja in Cy Coleman and Ira Gasman’s musical, The Life. She is nominated for a 2010 Tony® for her starring role as the mother in Fela!.
In addition to benefit Broadway concert appearances, Lillias White has provided voices for such soundtracks as Anastasia and Hercules and sang in the 2005 Carnegie Hall concert recording of South Pacific.
