Emily Skinner
Encyclopedia
Emily Skinner (born June 29, 1970) is an American musical theatre
actress and singer. She has performed in such Broadway
shows as Side Show
, James Joyce's The Dead
, The Full Monty
, Dinner at Eight
and, currently, in Billy Elliot. She has performed Off-Broadway
and regionally and sung on the concert stage and on recordings.
, Skinner attended college at Carnegie Mellon University
. She moved to New York in 1992 and took part in a workshop of Jekyll and Hyde. A few years later, she created the role of "Emily" (young Scrooge's love interest) in the 1994 musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol
at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden
.
In 1997, Skinner joined the original Broadway
cast of Jekyll and Hyde as an ensemble member and understudy
for the leads of Emma and Lucy. During previews, Linda Eder
, who played Lucy, developed laryngitis, and Skinner sang some of Lucy's songs from backstage, while Eder acted and sang some songs onstage. Other Broadway credits include "Side Show
" (1997) , James Joyce's The Dead
(1999; with Christopher Walken
), The Full Monty
(2001), Dinner at Eight
, the Encores!
stagings of the Gershwin musical Pardon My English
, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
and "No Strings", all at New York City Center
, and Broadway Actor's Fund benefit concert performances of Dreamgirls and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
.
Skinner has appeared Off-Broadway
in numerous productions at The WPA Theater, Playwrights Horizons
, Manhattan Theater Club, and the York Theatre
. She has also directed several concerts in the "Broadway By the Year" series at Town Hall, New York City, including "Musicals of 1979" on June 16, 2008. She was also in the American premiere at Carnegie Hall
of Jerry Springer: The Opera
(with Harvey Keitel
) in 2008.
Skinner's role as one half of a pair of Siamese twins
in Side Show earned her critical acclaim and a Tony Award
nomination shared with co-star Alice Ripley. It was the first time in Tony history that two performers were co-nominated as a team for the Best Actress award. Variety noted that "If Ripley and Skinner should win, it would be the first time since 1975 that a pair of actors shared a single Tony. That year John Kani and Winston Ntshona, two South African actors, won a nod for the Athol Fugard double bill "Sizwe Banzi Is Dead" and "The Island." (Other joint nominations for the Tony include John Kani and Winston Ntshona who won for best dramatic actor, Sizwe Banzi is Dead in 1975; Donal Donnelly and Patrick Bedford for Philadelphia, Here I Come! in 1966; the children playing the seven Von Trapp children were nominated for best featured actress in a musical in 1960.)
Skinner played the role of "Mrs. Wilkinson" in Billy Elliot in Chicago, starting in March 2010, and since October 2010 has played the role in the Broadway production.
Recordings and concerts
Skinner and Ripley have collaborated on three recordings: Duets, Unsuspecting Hearts, and Raw at Town Hall, taped live during their October 21, 2006 concert. Skinner also recorded a self-titled solo album, which was released in 2001. She toured the U.S. in 2004 and 2005 in the Disney revue On the Record. She has also sung with orchestras around the world, including the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall
, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony, The Virginia Symphony, and The Sydney Pops.
Regional theatre
At the Kennedy Center she appeared in Merrily We Roll Along and Company
during the 2002 Sondheim Celebration, played Agnes Gooch in Mame (2006), and was in their production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
(2004) as well. She has also appeared in leading roles at The Long Wharf Theatre, The Old Globe in San Diego, The Ford's Theatre, TheaterVirginia, The White River Theater Festival, and Theatre IV.
Skinner has appeared at the Signature Theatre, Arlington, Virginia, in the U.S. premiere of The Witches of Eastwick
in 2007, and in the new musical Ace
in 2008. She played the title role in Dirty Blonde
at the Hangar Theatre, Ithaca, New York
, in June 2009, and was in the same play at Signature Theatre later that year. She then went on to play Mrs. Lovett in a well-received production of Sweeney Todd at the Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
actress and singer. She has performed in such Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
shows as Side Show
Side Show
Side Show is a musical about Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who make a change from being a circus act to becoming famous stage performers in the 1930s. The show was written by Bill Russell and Henry Krieger . The show starred Alice Ripley as Violet and Emily Skinner as Daisy...
, James Joyce's The Dead
James Joyce's The Dead
James Joyce's The Dead is a Broadway musical by Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey based upon James Joyce's short story of the same name.Originally presented Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons with an opening night cast that included Blair Brown, Paddy Croft, Brian Davies, Daisy Eagan, Dashiell...
, The Full Monty
The Full Monty (musical)
The Full Monty is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally and score by David Yazbek.In this Americanized musical stage version adapted from the 1997 British film of the same name, six unemployed Buffalo steelworkers, low on both cash and prospects, decide to present a strip act at a local club...
, Dinner at Eight
Dinner at Eight (play)
Dinner at Eight is a play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber.-1932 Original Production:Dinner at Eight opened October 22, 1932 at the Music Box Theatre. It closed after 232 performances in May 1933. The play was produced by Sam H. Harris, staged by George S. Kaufman; Assistant Director: Robert B...
and, currently, in Billy Elliot. She has performed Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
and regionally and sung on the concert stage and on recordings.
Biography
Born in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Skinner attended college at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
. She moved to New York in 1992 and took part in a workshop of Jekyll and Hyde. A few years later, she created the role of "Emily" (young Scrooge's love interest) in the 1994 musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol (1994 musical)
A Christmas Carol is a musical with songs written by Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens . The musical is based on Charles Dickens' famous 1843 novella of the same name. Scrooge's neglected fiancée Emily was originally named Belle in the book and other adaptations...
at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
.
In 1997, Skinner joined the original Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
cast of Jekyll and Hyde as an ensemble member and understudy
Understudy
In theater, an understudy is a performer who learns the lines and blocking/choreography of a regular actor or actress in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to appear on stage because of illness or emergencies, the understudy takes over the part...
for the leads of Emma and Lucy. During previews, Linda Eder
Linda Eder
Linda Eder is an American singer and actress. She made her Broadway debut in the musical Jekyll & Hyde, for which she received 1997 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Nominations, as well as the Theatre World Award for Best Actress in a Musical...
, who played Lucy, developed laryngitis, and Skinner sang some of Lucy's songs from backstage, while Eder acted and sang some songs onstage. Other Broadway credits include "Side Show
Side Show
Side Show is a musical about Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who make a change from being a circus act to becoming famous stage performers in the 1930s. The show was written by Bill Russell and Henry Krieger . The show starred Alice Ripley as Violet and Emily Skinner as Daisy...
" (1997) , James Joyce's The Dead
James Joyce's The Dead
James Joyce's The Dead is a Broadway musical by Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey based upon James Joyce's short story of the same name.Originally presented Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons with an opening night cast that included Blair Brown, Paddy Croft, Brian Davies, Daisy Eagan, Dashiell...
(1999; with Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
), The Full Monty
The Full Monty (musical)
The Full Monty is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally and score by David Yazbek.In this Americanized musical stage version adapted from the 1997 British film of the same name, six unemployed Buffalo steelworkers, low on both cash and prospects, decide to present a strip act at a local club...
(2001), Dinner at Eight
Dinner at Eight (play)
Dinner at Eight is a play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber.-1932 Original Production:Dinner at Eight opened October 22, 1932 at the Music Box Theatre. It closed after 232 performances in May 1933. The play was produced by Sam H. Harris, staged by George S. Kaufman; Assistant Director: Robert B...
, the Encores!
Encores!
Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert is a program that has been presented by New York City Center since 1994. Encores! is dedicated to performing the full score of musicals that rarely are heard in New York City...
stagings of the Gershwin musical Pardon My English
Pardon My English
Pardon My English is a musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Morrie Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Set in 1933 Dresden, the farcical plot satirizes the Prohibition era.-Production history:Producers Alex A...
, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (musical)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a musical with a book by George Abbott and Betty Smith, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Arthur Schwartz....
and "No Strings", all at New York City Center
New York City Center
New York City Center is a 2,750-seat Moorish Revival theater located at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan, New York City. It is one block south of Carnegie Hall...
, and Broadway Actor's Fund benefit concert performances of Dreamgirls and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a musical with a book by Texas author Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and music and lyrics by Carol Hall...
.
Skinner has appeared Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
in numerous productions at The WPA Theater, Playwrights Horizons
Playwrights Horizons
Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater located in New York City dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the production of their new work....
, Manhattan Theater Club, and the York Theatre
York Theatre
The York Theatre is an Off-Broadway theatre at 619 Lexington Avenue at the corner of 54th Street in the East Midtown section of Manhattan, New York City. It is dedicated to the production of new musicals and concert productions of forgotten musicals from the past. Each season consists of three or...
. She has also directed several concerts in the "Broadway By the Year" series at Town Hall, New York City, including "Musicals of 1979" on June 16, 2008. She was also in the American premiere at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
of Jerry Springer: The Opera
Jerry Springer: The Opera
Jerry Springer: The Opera is a British musical written by Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee, based on the television show The Jerry Springer Show. The musical is notable for its profanity, its irreverent treatment of Judeo-Christian themes, and surreal images such as a troupe of tap-dancing Ku Klux...
(with Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
) in 2008.
Skinner's role as one half of a pair of Siamese twins
Conjoined twins
Conjoined twins are identical twins whose bodies are joined in utero. A rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 50,000 births to 1 in 100,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa. Approximately half are stillborn, and a smaller fraction of...
in Side Show earned her critical acclaim and a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination shared with co-star Alice Ripley. It was the first time in Tony history that two performers were co-nominated as a team for the Best Actress award. Variety noted that "If Ripley and Skinner should win, it would be the first time since 1975 that a pair of actors shared a single Tony. That year John Kani and Winston Ntshona, two South African actors, won a nod for the Athol Fugard double bill "Sizwe Banzi Is Dead" and "The Island." (Other joint nominations for the Tony include John Kani and Winston Ntshona who won for best dramatic actor, Sizwe Banzi is Dead in 1975; Donal Donnelly and Patrick Bedford for Philadelphia, Here I Come! in 1966; the children playing the seven Von Trapp children were nominated for best featured actress in a musical in 1960.)
Skinner played the role of "Mrs. Wilkinson" in Billy Elliot in Chicago, starting in March 2010, and since October 2010 has played the role in the Broadway production.
Recordings and concerts
Skinner and Ripley have collaborated on three recordings: Duets, Unsuspecting Hearts, and Raw at Town Hall, taped live during their October 21, 2006 concert. Skinner also recorded a self-titled solo album, which was released in 2001. She toured the U.S. in 2004 and 2005 in the Disney revue On the Record. She has also sung with orchestras around the world, including the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony, The Virginia Symphony, and The Sydney Pops.
Regional theatre
At the Kennedy Center she appeared in Merrily We Roll Along and Company
Company (musical)
Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....
during the 2002 Sondheim Celebration, played Agnes Gooch in Mame (2006), and was in their production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a play by Tennessee Williams. One of Williams's best-known works and his personal favorite, the play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1955...
(2004) as well. She has also appeared in leading roles at The Long Wharf Theatre, The Old Globe in San Diego, The Ford's Theatre, TheaterVirginia, The White River Theater Festival, and Theatre IV.
Skinner has appeared at the Signature Theatre, Arlington, Virginia, in the U.S. premiere of The Witches of Eastwick
The Witches of Eastwick (musical)
The Witches of Eastwick is a 2000 musical based on the novel of the same name by John Updike. It was adapted by John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe , directed by Eric Schaeffer, and produced by Cameron Mackintosh....
in 2007, and in the new musical Ace
Ace (musical)
ACE is a musical with a book and lyrics by Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker, and music by Oberacker. The story is about a boy, separated from his mother, who discovers his past and himself through a series of dreams about a flying ace...
in 2008. She played the title role in Dirty Blonde
Dirty Blonde
Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love is a memoir by rock musician and actress Courtney Love. The book, published by Faber & Faber and released in October 2006, contains journal entries, letters, poetry, handwritten song lyrics, artwork, collages, school and juvenile hall entries, show fliers,...
at the Hangar Theatre, Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, in June 2009, and was in the same play at Signature Theatre later that year. She then went on to play Mrs. Lovett in a well-received production of Sweeney Todd at the Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma.
Work (selected)
- 1994-95: A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol (1994 musical)A Christmas Carol is a musical with songs written by Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens . The musical is based on Charles Dickens' famous 1843 novella of the same name. Scrooge's neglected fiancée Emily was originally named Belle in the book and other adaptations...
- Emily, notable for: "A Place Called Home"; World premiere - 1997: Jekyll & HydeJekyll & Hyde (musical)Jekyll & Hyde is a musical based on the novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The original stage conception was by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn. The music is by Wildhorn and the lyrics and book are by Leslie Bricusse.The musical ran on Broadway for 1,543...
- u/s Emma, u/s Lucy (performed) - 1997-98: Side ShowSide ShowSide Show is a musical about Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who make a change from being a circus act to becoming famous stage performers in the 1930s. The show was written by Bill Russell and Henry Krieger . The show starred Alice Ripley as Violet and Emily Skinner as Daisy...
- Daisy Hilton, Tony Nomination (with Alice Ripley) - 1999-2000: James Joyce's The DeadJames Joyce's The DeadJames Joyce's The Dead is a Broadway musical by Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey based upon James Joyce's short story of the same name.Originally presented Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons with an opening night cast that included Blair Brown, Paddy Croft, Brian Davies, Daisy Eagan, Dashiell...
- Off-Broadway and Transfer to Broadway - 2000: The Full MontyThe Full Monty (musical)The Full Monty is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally and score by David Yazbek.In this Americanized musical stage version adapted from the 1997 British film of the same name, six unemployed Buffalo steelworkers, low on both cash and prospects, decide to present a strip act at a local club...
- World Premiere; 2001: The Full Monty Broadway premiere - 2004: Breakfast at Tiffany's - as Mag, New Production, The MunyThe MunyThe Muny, short for The Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis, is an outdoor musical theatre, located in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri...
, St. Louis, World Premiere - 2004: On the Record - World Premiere / National Tour
- 2007: The Witches of EastwickThe Witches of Eastwick (musical)The Witches of Eastwick is a 2000 musical based on the novel of the same name by John Updike. It was adapted by John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe , directed by Eric Schaeffer, and produced by Cameron Mackintosh....
- United States Premiere, Arlington Virginia - 2010: Billy Elliot - as Mrs. Wilkinson Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre, Chicago, Illinois and Broadway