Kimilee
Bryant, Soprano
Audiences
rarely experience so expert a combination of vocal and acting
abilities" (Grant, Sunbury, PA). Kimilee Bryant, native
of Greenville, South Carolina has performed the role of
Christine Daae in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom
of the Opera on Broadway, Switzerland, Toronto and
to critical acclaim on the U.S. National Tour. She has also
taken a turn as the diva, La Carlotta, and is currently
back on the U.S. tour to play the role through May of 2008.
Most
recently she was a part of the short-lived The Pirate
Queen on Broadway when she covered five different roles
including Queen Elizabeth I. Other NYC credits include Josephine/H.M.S.
Pinafore, Mabel/The Pirates of Penzance, Casilda/The
Gondoliers, the title role in Princess Ida,
and Bye, Bye, Birdie at NY City Center; Elsie/The
Yeomen of the Guard, Phyllis/Iolanthe and
Aline/The Sorcerer at Symphony Space. She debuted
at Lincoln Center as soloist for The National Chorale at
Avery Fisher Hall and appeared as soloist in a staged production
of Handel's Messiah, which was also performed at The Utrecht
Early Music Festival in Holland.- "Kimilee Bryant was
lovely in 'Come Unto Him'" (James R. Oestreich, The
New York Times).
Equally
at home with opera, and theatre, Ms. Bryant's other NY stage
work includes: Betty Yearn in Guare's Landscape of the
Body and Stage Manager in Our Town, both at
Gloria Maddox Theatre ( T. Schreiber Studio). Regional roles
include: Maria/West Side Story, Marian/ The
Music Man, Hope/ Anything Goes and Eliza /
My Fair Lady. Her operatic debut was with Portland
Opera as "Frasquita" in Carmen. Later,
as a Resident Artist for the company, she performed Gretel
in Hansel and Gretel, Pamina in An American
Magic Flute, and opera programs throughout the Pacific
Northwest . Among operatic roles performed are :Susannah/
Le Nozze di Figaro, Zerlina/ Don Giovanni,
Bianca/ The Taming of the Shrew, and Polly/The
Beggar's Opera. She's bowed with Opera Ontario, Boheme
Opera ( NJ), Opera East Texas, Aspen Opera, Piedmont Opera
( NC), Sacramento Music Circus, and The New York Gilbert
and Sullivan Players ( also toured East coast with NYGASP).
Ms.
Bryant began her love affair with the stage here in Greenville,
first in her mother's annual dance recital at the Greenville
Memorial Auditorium, followed by church solos at St. Mark
UMC, Berea First Baptist and Travelers Rest UMC. Hearing
her daughter sing with the radio and her record player,
Karen C. Bryant decided to send Kimilee to her former voice
teacher, the legendary, Ivah Dickson. Both Kimilee's parents
had studied with her , and though eleven was an early age
( she sent her first to piano lessons at age 10), Miss Dickson
took her on to protect the voice from all that "Annie"
and "Liza" belting. Kimilee went on the perform
with the Greenville Little Theatre (Tom Sawyer,
directed by Bob McClane; The Red Shoes and Babes
in Toyland dir. Lake Williams; and later as a young
adult as "Julie" in Carousel). Her first
play at the Warehouse theatre was A Christmas Carol
( Little Fan), she followed that with the Witch in The
Bad Children ( a retelling of Hansel and Gretel with
a good witch) both at age 12, and as an adult, Sally in
Talley's Folly and Sharon in Master Class.
Also in Greenville, she performed with The Singing Christmas
Tree ( Virginia Uldrick dir), The Living Christmas Tree,(
Floyd Parker, dir) Travelers Rest Hunt's Kids Show Choir
( Patricia Hunt ,dir), The Greenville Savoyards, The Greenville
Symphony, and studied at The Fine Arts Center ( Michael
V. Rice), and The SC Governor's School for the Arts. She
participated in Honors All-State Chorus and won "Superior
Ratings" at Solo and Ensemble competitions. In preparation
for College, Ms. Bryant was awarded scholarships to Brevard
Music Center
(Rotary of Greenville) where she spent two summers performing
roles in operas and musicals and solos with the Brevard
Symphony under the direction of Henry Janiec (later under
his baton with the Spartanburg Symphony as well). Prior
to her first semester at Converse College in Spartanburg,
she won scholarships from the Greenville Music Club, the
Crescent Music Club and the Daniel Music Scholarship to
Converse. While at Converse, she studied with Jane Rolandi-Gray
; performed numerous roles for the Opera Workshop ( Maisie/The
Boyfriend, among others), won NATS competitions, the SC
Federation of Music Club's competition, and began participating
in Miss America Preliminary Competitions, winning more scholarships
to further her education. She played "Laurey"
in Greer's first ever musical production of Oklahoma!
(dir. H. Robb Alverson) and eventually won the title , Miss
Greater Greer, followed Miss Berea, and Miss South Carolina
. At the Miss America pageant she won two talent scholarships
that helped with her graduate studies at The Manhattan School
of Music where she earned her Master of Music degree. A
winner of the the South Carolina Metropolitan Opera Auditions,
she has sung on several occasions at The SC State capital
and the Governor's Mansion, on one occasion for Maestro
Gian-Carlo Menotti. Recently she sang at our Nation's capital
in Washington DC at a service for former congress woman,
Jennifer Dunn as well as performing for Senator Hillary
Clinton in NYC.
Ms.
Bryant regularly performs concerts throughout the world
recently in Aruba, Berlin, St. Lucia, the Napa Valley, Dallas,
Providence (RI),St Louis, Manhattan, Long Island, Staten
Island, throughout New Jersey & Connecticut, and Santa
Fe.
Kimilee
would like to say "Thank You for the Music" to
all those teachers, mentors and supporters in Greenville
and throughout the Carolinas!
