Kennedy received her Broadway debut understudying Alice Ripley as Betty Schaeffer in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical SUNSET BLVD., in roles she originated in the Los Angeles / American premiere, in which she understudied Judy Kuhn. She then originated the role of Betty in the national tour of the show. She would meet her future husband Tony Award nominee Alan Campbell, who starred for the show’s entire run as Joe Gillis. In 1997, she joined the cast of SIDE SHOW as the standby for Emily Skinner - for the role of Daisy Hilton. In 2001, she would originate the role of Cathy in The Last 5 Years’ Chicago world premiere. This began a life-long collaboration with Jason Robert Brown. However, for it’s New York debut, she had been requested to audition for the role of Nellie in the Royal National Theatre’s production of South Pacific in the West End by Trevor Nunn, who had given a then college student her big break in Sunset. Following her run as Nellie, Nunn sent her to the closing production of Les Miserables, as Fantine. Kennedy after went to the recording studio, finishing her first wildly-success album “The Songs of Jason Robert Brown,” which continues to be a favourite of musical theatre fans. Kennedy next began to workshop roles for popular composer Frank Wildhorn. She performed the role of Lucy in his DRACULA, the musical in several workshops, but eventually declined the role due to being pregnant. In the fall of 2004, she originated the role of Nefetari in the world premiere of megaflop The Ten Commandments, starring opposite film star Val Kilmer (as Moses). The show was recorded for DVD live from the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. In 2005 she originated the role of Zelda Fitzgerald in the world premiere of Frank Wildhorn’s Waiting for the Moon, based on the lives of Zelda & F. Scott Fitzgerald. In 2007, Kennedy’s theatre was to put on a second premiere of the show, but was canceled. In 2007 she recorded her second album, “Here and Now.” In 2006 she starred as Lady of the Lake in Spamalot on Broadway. In 2008, Kennedy took the role of Mary in the new musical adaptation of Vanities. She starred opposite Anneleise van der Pol and Sarah Stiles in Pasadena, CA. Kennedy sang the show’s most well known song, “Fly into the Future.” The show announced Broadway plans for February 2009, but due to the economy backed out. Instead, it enjoyed a very successful run in the summer of 2009 Off-Broadway, with the entire cast reprising it’s roles. She also workshopped the coveted role of Alice in the new Frank Wildhorn show “WONDERLAND: Alice’s New Musical Adventure,” which many thought would be her break-through Broadway role. However, she did not take the role, which would go to Janet Dacal. In 2010 she starred in the Off-Off-Broadway new musical Good Ol’ Girls. In the summer of 2010 she will perform at the Kennedy Theatre’s production of “Tell Me on a Sunday.” |
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