# Bonnie Milligan

Bonnie Milligan is a musical theater performer and television actor, known for her "belting" style of singing and wide vocal range. She was awarded the 2023 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Debra in Kimberly Akimbo.

## Early life

Milligan is originally from Illinois and Ohio. The daughter of a Protestant minister, she has stated that her parents divorced when she was sixteen and that her mother, with whom she lived, often had financial trouble. Her father passed away at the age of 69 in 2020 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Milligan has one brother, Tim.
After her parents' divorce, Milligan moved to the small farm town of Archbold, Ohio, where she graduated from high school. She subsequently went to Ohio State from which she graduated with a theatre degree in 2006. Following that, she moved to New York to try to break into musical theater there. In New York, Milligan worked as a waiter while going to auditions before breaking through in her performing career.

## Career
### Theater

In 2012, Milligan appeared as Holden in the Flea Theater's production of Restoration Comedy by playwright Amy Freed. Beginning in 2014, she played Pat in the first national tour of Kinky Boots, a role she continued in until 2017.
In 2018, Milligan made her Broadway debut in Head Over Heels, originating the role of Pamela, for which she won a Theatre World Award in 2019. From November 2021 to January 2022, Milligan appeared as Debra in Kimberly Akimbo at the Atlantic Theater Company. In February and March 2022, Milligan starred as Lorraine in the Delaware Theatre Company World Premiere theatre production of Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen and Ann McNamee's Other World. In the fall of 2022, Kimberly Akimbo opened on Broadway at the Booth Theatre with Milligan continuing in her role. She won a Tony award for this role.

### Other work

Milligan's most prominent TV role was as Katherine Witherbottom in the television show Search Party from 2016 to 2022.
As of May 2022, a YouTube video of Milligan performing a medley duet with Laura Osnes of mostly Disney princess songs as part of Milligan's "Belting Bonnie's Bon Voyage" show in 2014 at Feinstein's/54 Below had been viewed more than 2.5 million times.
Milligan has been a vocal advocate for body positivity.

## Theatre credits

Selected credits, adapted from About the Artists.
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
| 2014 | Kinky Boots | Pat | First National Tour | National tour |
| 2015 | Head Over Heels | Pamela | Oregon Shakespeare Festival | Repertory theater |
| 2015 | The Count of Monte Cristo | Ensemble | Oregon Shakespeare Festival | Repertory theater |
| 2015 | Gigantic | Daphne | Vineyard Theater | Off-Broadway |
| 2018 | Head Over Heels | Pamela | Curran Theatre | Regional |
| 2018–19 | Head Over Heels | Pamela | Hudson Theatre | Broadway |
| 2019 | Camelot | Sagramore | Vivian Beaumont Theatre | Concert |
| 2021 | Kimberly Akimbo | Debra | Atlantic Theater Company | Off-Broadway premiere |
| 2022 | Other World | Lorraine | Delaware Theatre Company | Regional |
| 2022–24 | Kimberly Akimbo | Debra | Booth Theater | Broadway |
| 2024 | Titanic | Alice | New York City Center | Encores! |
| 2024 | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee | Rona | The Kennedy Center | Regional |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2019 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Head Over Heels | Nominated |
| 2019 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Head Over Heels | Nominated |
| 2019 | Theatre World Award | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | Head Over Heels | Won |
| 2022 | Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical | Kimberly Akimbo | Won |
| 2022 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Kimberly Akimbo | Nominated |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Kimberly Akimbo | Nominated |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Kimberly Akimbo | Nominated |
| 2023 | Tony Award | Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Kimberly Akimbo | Won |