Jill Paice is an American actress best known for her musical theatre roles. She originated the roles of Laura Fairlie in the musical The Woman in White in the West End (2004) and on Broadway (2005); Niki in Curtains on Broadway (2006); Scarlett in London's Gone With The Wind (2008); and Grazia Off-Broadway in Death Takes a Holiday (2011). Among other roles, she appeared in the Broadway play The 39 Steps (2009).

Jill Paice
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActress
Known formusical theatre roles

Education

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Paice attended Beavercreek High School in Beavercreek, Ohio,[1] graduating in 1998. She then attended Baldwin-Wallace College, graduating with a bachelor of musical theater in 2002.[2] There, she starred as Maria in West Side Story and as Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance at Baldwin-Wallace. She also starred as Violet, the title character of a new musical.[citation needed]

Career

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In 2001, while still in school, Paice appeared in a production of Gypsy at the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland, Ohio, earning her Equity card. Upon graduating from college she appeared in the national tour of Les Misérables and in 2003 the Las Vegas production of Mamma Mia! as Sophie.[2]

In 2004, she created the role of Laura Fairle in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical The Woman in White at the Palace Theatre, London.[3] Lloyd Webber was required to hire two "unknown American actors" in order to satisfy Actors Equity union rules for the future transfer of the production to Broadway to include the British actors Michael Crawford and Maria Friedman.[citation needed] Paice reprised her role in the Broadway production in 2005 at the Marquis Theatre in New York.[4] She received good notices,[citation needed] but the show closed after only 109 performances on Broadway.[4]

Off-Broadway, Paice appeared in the York Theatre Company productions of Weird Romance (2004)[5] and The Gig (2006).[6]

In 2006 she originated the role of Nikki Harris in Curtains in the pre-Broadway try-out at the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles[7] and, in 2007, on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, opposite David Hyde Pierce.[8] She left Curtains in February 2008,[7] and returned to London's West End to originate the role of Scarlett in Trevor Nunn's musical adaption of Gone With The Wind (2008).[9] Nunn had been working on the project while Paice was still working on The Woman in White, and so she was able to do several readings and workshops for Nunn's project.[1] The large-scale production of Gone With The Wind ran over three hours long[10] and closed after 79 performances.[11]

Later in 2008 she appeared as Elizabeth Lucas in Ace at the Signature Theater in Arlington, Virginia[12] and as Betty Haynes in White Christmas in Detroit late in 2008 and at the Paper Mill Playhouse, New Jersey in November 2011.[13] In January 2009, she played the role of Anne in a gala concert of A Little Night Music presented by the Roundabout Theatre Company.[14]

In 2009, Paice appeared in her first non-musical play on Broadway, The 39 Steps, at the Helen Hayes Theatre as a replacement in the role of "Annabella Schmidt", among others.[15]

She next starred as Florence in Chess the Musical at the Signature Theater in 2010.[16] In 2011, she created the role of Grazia in Maury Yeston's Death Takes a Holiday in the original Off-Broadway production by Roundabout Theatre Company.[17]

She was cast in the leading role of "I" in the musical Rebecca, which had been scheduled to open on Broadway in November 2012.[18] The production of Rebecca on Broadway has been postponed.[19]

On September 3, 2013, she took over the role of "Miss Honey" in the Broadway musical Matilda The Musical.[20]

In April, 2015, Paice opened as Milo Davenport in the Broadway musical An American in Paris.[21]

Paice's television work has included two guest starring appearances as Molly Benedict in the series Unforgettable.[22]

Awards

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  • 2009: Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical - Elizabeth in Ace (Nominated)[23]
  • 2010: Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical - Florence in "Chess" (Nominated)[24]

Recordings

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  • The Woman in White: A New Musical - Original London Cast Recording
  • Curtains - Original Broadway Cast Recording
  • The Gig - Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber on Broadway (Released with Jay Records)
  • Death Takes A Holiday - Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording
  • An American In Paris - Original Broadway Cast Recording

References

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  1. ^ a b Morris, Terry. "Jill Paice to play Scarlet O?Hara in new musical" Archived 2013-09-02 at archive.today oxfordpress.com, January 27, 2008
  2. ^ a b Alumni. JILL PAICE — Class of 2002" Archived 2012-09-08 at the Wayback Machine Baldwin Wallace University, accessed September 1, 2013
  3. ^ Bird, Alan. "'The Woman In White' at the Palace Theatre" londontheatre.co.uk, 20 September 2004
  4. ^ a b 'The Woman in White' Listing" ibdb.com, accessed September 1, 2013
  5. ^ Weird Romance aislesay.com
  6. ^ The Gig broadwayworld.com
  7. ^ a b Jones, Kenneth. "It's Curtains for Jill Paice on Feb. 3; Tara Calls" playbill.com, January 7, 2008
  8. ^ Brantley, Ben. "Theater Review|'Curtains'" 'The New York Times, March 23, 2007
  9. ^ Shenton, Mark. "'Gone with the Wind' Opens at the New London Theatre April 22" playbill.com, April 22, 2008
  10. ^ Shenton, Mark. "London's 'Gone with the Wind' to Undergo Overhaul" May 5, 2008
  11. ^ " 'Gone With the Wind' to close" Variety, May 30, 2008
  12. ^ "Intro to 2008 Signature Theatre cast" broadwayworld.com
  13. ^ "Photo Call: Tony Yazbeck, Jill Paice, James Clow Dream of a 'White Christmas' at Paper Mill" playbill.com, November 18, 2011
  14. ^ McBride, Walter. "A Little Night Music Curtain Call", BroadwayWorld.com, January 13, 2009, accessed July 3, 2012
  15. ^ Staff. "Jill Paice to Join the Cast of Broadway's 'The 39 Steps'" broadway.com, May 12, 2009
  16. ^ Gans, Andrew."Euan Morton, Jeremy Kushnier and Jill Paice to Star in Signature's 'Chess' " playbill.com, April 21, 2012
  17. ^ Jones, Kenneth. "Julian Ovenden, Jill Paice, Rebecca Luker, Max Von Essen, Linda Balgord To Star in Death Takes a Holiday'" playbill.com, April 25, 2011
  18. ^ Jones, Kenneth. "Rebecca's Estate Will Be Inhabited by Jill Paice and Ryan Silverman" Archived 2012-06-22 at the Wayback Machine, Playbill.com, June 20, 2012
  19. ^ Jones, Kenneth. "Indefatigable Rebecca Producers Aiming for Broadway Bow of 2013; Creative Team Remains On Board" playbill.com, January 2, 2013
  20. ^ Hetrick, Adam. "Bertie Carvel and Lauren Ward Exit Broadway's 'Matilda The Musical' Sept. 1" playbill.com, September 1, 2013
  21. ^ "An American in Paris". IBDB.com. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  22. ^ Jill Paice, accessed July 3, 2012
  23. ^ Berlin, Susan."Signature's Streamlined Les Misérables Receives Six Helen Hayes Awards at 25th Annual Ceremony in Washington" talkinbroadway.com, accessed September 2, 2013
  24. ^ Staff. "Gavin Lee, Marc Kudisch & Laurence Fishburne Among DC's Helen Hayes Award Nominees" March 1, 2011
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