Patina Miller
Encyclopedia
Patina Miller is an American
actress and singer.
Miller is best known for originating the role of disco
diva
wannabe Deloris Van Cartier in the 2009 West End
and 2011 Broadway
productions of Sister Act the Musical
.
and raised in a single parent home, she was introduced to music at an early age and sang with the gospel choir at her local church. She attended South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities
and in 2006 graduated with a degree in musical theatre
from Carnegie Mellon University
, which she attended on a full scholarship. She has credited her time at Carnegie Mellon as a big part of her life, saying, "It was there that I studied and really realized that I could make my dream a reality. I'm so thankful to all my teachers who helped me to become the performer I am today. I'm so proud of my school and feel so blessed to have gotten such a wonderful education and made lifelong friends."
, which ultimately won Jennifer Hudson
the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
. In 2007, she was cast in All My Children
and appeared in 30 episodes of the daytime soap opera
. She performed in a Central Park
production of Hair
in the summer of 2008 and was featured in the musical Romantic Poetry at the Manhattan Theatre Club
that fall.
Miller was cast as the lead role of Delores Van Cartier in Sister Act, a role she had understudied for six months during its initial run in the United States, following a year-long international search. The London production opened on June 2, 2009 at the London Palladium
, and although it received mixed reviews, most critics singled out Miller and praised her performance. Benedict Nightingale
of The Times
cited her "terrific voice" and continued, "Add warmth, humour, vivacity — and you’ve a star who lacks Whoopi’s
wry vulnerability but adds dazzle to the razzle around her," while David Benedict of Variety
thought her "powerhouse vocals, pitched somewhere between Gloria Gaynor
and Whitney Houston
, and her thrillingly fast vibrato
act as the show's engine." For this role Miller won the whatsonstage.com Theatregoers Choice Award for Best Actress in a Musical and was also nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Miller is currently reprising the role of Deloris Van Cartier in the Broadway
production of Sister Act, which began performances on March 24, 2011, at the Broadway Theatre
and officially opened April 20. Miller is also making her Broadway debut in this production. For this role she won a Theatre World Award
and was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical
, the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance
, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical
. Miller also starred as Linda in the City Center
Encores!
production of Lost in the Stars
, which ran from February 3–6, 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress and singer.
Miller is best known for originating the role of disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
diva
Diva
A diva is a celebrated female singer. The term is used to describe a woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, and, by extension, in theatre, cinema and popular music. The meaning of diva is closely related to that of "prima donna"....
wannabe Deloris Van Cartier in the 2009 West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
and 2011 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...
productions of Sister Act the Musical
Sister Act the Musical
Sister Act is a musical written by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane, with lyrics by Glenn Slater and music by Alan Menken. It is based on the hit 1992 film comedy of the same name...
.
Early life
Born Patina Renea Miller in Pageland, South CarolinaPageland, South Carolina
Pageland is a town in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,521 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pageland is located at ....
and raised in a single parent home, she was introduced to music at an early age and sang with the gospel choir at her local church. She attended South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities
South Carolina Governor's School For The Arts & Humanities
The South Carolina Governor's School For the Arts & Humanities is a public residential high school for the emerging artists of South Carolina located in Greenville, South Carolina...
and in 2006 graduated with a degree in musical theatre
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...
from Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
, which she attended on a full scholarship. She has credited her time at Carnegie Mellon as a big part of her life, saying, "It was there that I studied and really realized that I could make my dream a reality. I'm so thankful to all my teachers who helped me to become the performer I am today. I'm so proud of my school and feel so blessed to have gotten such a wonderful education and made lifelong friends."
Career
In 2005, Miller was one of three finalists for the role of Effie White in DreamgirlsDreamgirls (film)
Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006 before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006...
, which ultimately won Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...
the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
. In 2007, she was cast in All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
and appeared in 30 episodes of the daytime soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
. She performed in a Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
production of Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
in the summer of 2008 and was featured in the musical Romantic Poetry at the Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club is a theater company located in New York City. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has grown since its founding in 1970 from an Off-Off Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most acclaimed...
that fall.
Miller was cast as the lead role of Delores Van Cartier in Sister Act, a role she had understudied for six months during its initial run in the United States, following a year-long international search. The London production opened on June 2, 2009 at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
, and although it received mixed reviews, most critics singled out Miller and praised her performance. Benedict Nightingale
Benedict Nightingale
Benedict Nightingale is a British journalist and a regular theatre critic for The Times newspaper. He was born in 1939 and educated at Charterhouse and Magdalene College, Cambridge...
of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
cited her "terrific voice" and continued, "Add warmth, humour, vivacity — and you’ve a star who lacks Whoopi’s
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
wry vulnerability but adds dazzle to the razzle around her," while David Benedict of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
thought her "powerhouse vocals, pitched somewhere between Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul...
and Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, and her thrillingly fast vibrato
Vibrato
Vibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation and the speed with which the pitch is varied .-Vibrato and...
act as the show's engine." For this role Miller won the whatsonstage.com Theatregoers Choice Award for Best Actress in a Musical and was also nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Miller is currently reprising the role of Deloris Van Cartier in the 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...
production of Sister Act, which began performances on March 24, 2011, at the Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1681 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan....
and officially opened April 20. Miller is also making her Broadway debut in this production. For this role she won a Theatre World Award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
and was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
, the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance
Drama League Award
The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing...
, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since...
. Miller also starred as Linda in the 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...
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...
production of Lost in the Stars
Lost in the Stars
Lost in the Stars is a musical with book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson and music by Kurt Weill, based on the novel Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton...
, which ran from February 3–6, 2011.
Discography
- Sister Act the Musical London Cast Recording (2009)
- What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up by Scott Alan, singing the song "Taking Back My Life" (2010)