Mezzo-Soprano (character alto)
Lillias White is an American actress and singer whose earth-shattering mezzo-soprano and commanding stage presence have made her one of Broadway's most distinctive and decorated performers, with a Tony Award and a career spanning four decades of landmark musical theatre roles.
Known For
Defining moments and milestones
Lillias White burst onto Broadway in 1981 with a voice and presence that immediately set her apart, understudying in the original *Dreamgirls* before claiming her own starring roles in the 1987 revival and earning an Obie for *Romance in Hard Times*. Her 1997 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for *The Life* marked her full arrival as one of Broadway's most distinctive performers, a status she has sustained through iconic roles in *Hadestown*, *Fela!*, and *Chicago*, while also becoming a beloved presence on television and in animation. Now in her fourth decade of performance, she remains an active and celebrated force on stage, celebrated for her ability to infuse every role—whether comedic, tragic, or transcendent—with unmistakable humanity and vocal power.
Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Sonja in *The Life* (1997)
City College of New York; Alvin Ailey School (scholarship)
Recordings featuring Lillias White in the Society index
Additional recordings will appear here as the catalog expands.