# Chilina Kennedy

Chilina Kennedy is a Canadian musical theatre actress and singer. She is best known for having starred as Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, having played the role for over 1,200 performances. On Broadway, Kennedy played Mary Magdalene in the 2012 revival of Jesus Christ Superstar and originated the role of Annie Lewis in Paradise Square. Kennedy also starred as Dina in the first North American tour of The Band's Visit.

## Personal life

Born in Oromocto, New Brunswick, Kennedy's father was an officer in the Canadian Forces. Growing up, she moved frequently and lived across Canada, England, and Australia before they settled in Kingston, Ontario, during her high school years.
Kennedy attended Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, where she performed in musicals including Anne of Green Gables and Bye Bye Birdie. She later graduated from the musical theatre program at Sheridan College.
In 2003, Kennedy married Fenner Stewart, but they divorced after a decade together. Kennedy was also married to Jacob James, with whom they share a son, Henry.

## Career
### Musical theatre

In 2000, Kennedy had her first professional role when she starred as Anne Shirley in the annual production of Anne of Green Gables at the Charlottetown Festival in Prince Edward Island. She reprised her role in the 2001 production. After this, Kennedy joined the first national tour of Mamma Mia!, initially as a member of the ensemble before later starring as Sophie Sheridan.
In 2005, Kennedy made her Stratford Festival debut when she played Agnes in a production of Gypsy. Also with Stratford Festival, Kennedy starred as Maria in West Side Storyand as Eva Perón in Evita. She also played Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me, Kate with Stratford Festival.
In 2011, Kennedy starred as Mary Magdalene in the Stratford Festival production of Jesus Christ Superstar. The musical then had a pre-Broadway engagement at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. Kennedy made her Broadway debut in 2012 when she reprised her role of Mary Magdalene in the revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, where it played at the Neil Simon Theatre.
Kennedy played Phoebe D'Ysquith in the world premiere production of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. The musical premiered at Hartford Stage in October 2012, before also playing at the Old Globe Theatre.
In March 2015, Kennedy began starring in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical as Carole King, replacing Jessie Mueller. Kennedy left the Broadway production of Beautiful to reprise her role of Carole King in a limited engagement production of the show which played at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto between June 27 and September 3, 2017. After that production closed, she then returned to the Broadway production until leaving in 2018. Kennedy then returned to the Broadway production on January 3, 2019. After taking a hiatus to temporarily join the national tour to play Carole King at the Toronto tour stop, she rejoined the Broadway cast before playing her final show on June 9, 2019.
Kennedy starred as Dina in the North American tour of The Band's Visit, opposite Sasson Gabai.
In 2021, Kennedy starred as Annie Lewis in Paradise Square, which had a pre-Broadway engagement at the Nederlander Theatre in Chicago. She reprised her role when the production transferred to Broadway, where it played at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Kennedy starred as Billie Jean King in Love All, a play about the life of King. The play premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse. Kennedy also starred as Cindy in the off-Broadway production of A Sign of the Times.
In 2024, Kennedy played Myrtle Wilson in The Great Gatsby while Sara Chase temporarily left the show on medical leave.

### Eclipse Theatre Company

In 2018, Kennedy founded Eclipse Theatre Company, with the aim of presenting new and re-imagined musicals in Toronto. Some of the company's early productions included Kiss of the Spider Woman and Sunday in the Park with George, to positive reviews.
Kennedy has been writing the music and lyrics for an original musical called Wild About You, which is about a woman who has to put together the pieces of her life as best as she can with her limited memory. A concept album was released in 2023, with songs performed by Katharine McPhee, Alex Newell, Jenn Colella, Lea Salonga, Paul Alexander Nolan, Jessie Mueller, Joaquina Kalukango, and Kennedy. A concert staging was performed at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in England, with a cast that included Rachel Tucker, Eric McCormack, Tori Allen-Martin, and Oliver Tompsett. Subsequently, industry presentations and workshops in October 2024, which included Jessica Vosk in the lead role, were held in New York.

### Music

In 2015, Kennedy released her debut album entitled, What You Find in a Bottle. The album consists of thirteen songs that she wrote over the previous decade.

## Theatre credits

| Year | Production | Role | Theatre | Category |
| 2000 | Anne of Green Gables | Anne Shirley | Regional: Charlottetown Festival | Regional: Charlottetown Festival |
| 2001 | Anne of Green Gables | Anne Shirley | Regional: Charlottetown Festival | Regional: Charlottetown Festival |
| 2001-2003 | Mamma Mia! | Ensemble | First National Tour | First National Tour |
| 2003-2004 | Mamma Mia! | Sophie Sheridan | First National Tour | First National Tour |
| 2005 | Gypsy | Agnes | Festival Theatre | Stratford Festival |
| 2005 | Major Barbara | Ensemble | Festival Theatre | Stratford Festival |
| 2006 | Lord of the Rings | Ensemble | Princess of Wales Theatre | World premiere: Toronto |
| 2007 | Mack and Mabel | Ensemble | Festival Theatre | Shaw Festival |
| 2007 | Summer and Smoke | Nellie Ewell | Festival Theatre | Shaw Festival |
| 2008 | Wonderful Town | Eileen Sherwood | Festival Theatre | Shaw Festival |
| 2008 | The President | Lydia | Royal George Theatre | Shaw Festival |
| 2009 | West Side Story | Maria | Festival Theatre | Stratford Festival |
| 2009 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | Philia | Avon Theatre | Stratford Festival |
| 2010 | Kiss Me, Kate | Lois Lane / Bianca | Festival Theatre | Stratford Festival |
| 2010 | Evita | Eva Perón | Avon Theatre | Stratford Festival |
| 2010-2011 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | Philia | Canon Theatre | Mirvish Productions |
| 2011 | Jesus Christ Superstar | Mary Magdalene | Avon Theatre | Stratford Festival |
| 2011 | Jesus Christ Superstar | Mary Magdalene | La Jolla Playhouse | Pre-Broadway engagement |
| 2012 | Jesus Christ Superstar | Mary Magdalene | Neil Simon Theatre | Broadway |
| 2012 | A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder | Phoebe D'Ysquith | Hartford Stage | World premiere production |
| 2012-2013 | A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder | Phoebe D'Ysquith | Old Globe Theatre | World premiere production |
| 2013 | The Little Mermaid | Angel | Elgin Theatre | Regional: Ross Petty Productions |
| 2015-2017 | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | Carole King | Stephen Sondheim Theatre | Broadway (replacement) |
| 2017 | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | Carole King | Ed Mirvish Theatre | |
| 2017-2018 | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | Carole King | Stephen Sondheim Theatre | Broadway (replacement) |
| 2018 | This Ain't No Disco | Binky | Linda Gross Theatre | Off-Broadway |
| 2019 | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | Carole King | Stephen Sondheim Theatre | Broadway (replacement) |
| 2019 | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | Carole King | Princess of Wales Theatre | First National Tour (temporary replacement) |
| 2019 | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | Carole King | Stephen Sondheim Theatre | Broadway (replacement) |
| 2019 | The Band's Visit | Dina | First National Tour | First National Tour |
| 2021 | Paradise Square | Annie Lewis | Nederlander Theatre | Pre-Broadway engagement |
| 2022 | Paradise Square | Annie Lewis | Ethel Barrymore Theatre | Broadway |
| 2023 | Love All | Billie Jean King | La Jolla Playhouse | |
| 2024 | A Sign of the Times | Cindy | New World Stages | Off-Broadway |
| 2024 | The Last Timbit | Michelle | Elgin Theatre | |
| 2024 | The Great Gatsby | Myrtle Wilson | Broadway Theatre | Broadway (temporary replacement) |