There are multifaceted artists and then there is Chilina Kennedy. This prolific performer/composer/writer regularly stars on Broadway. She played Carole King in Beautiful for over 1,200 performances and is most recently playing Myrtle in the Great Gatsby. Kennedy also develops new work in her capacity as artistic producer for Eclipse Theatre Company, which she co-founded. She also writes and records her own songs. And oh, in her spare time, she cuts hair.
“I’ve always been creative in many ways. I’ve been singing, dancing and writing since I was a child,” says Kennedy who most recently released “Wild About You – World Premiere Recording: Deluxe Edition,” from Center Stage Records and Keaka Productions. The soulful and danceable concept album is an updated version of the cast recording of her musical, Wild About You.
“Several years ago a close friend of mine gave me some sage advice that I should diversify my career sooner than later so I have the creative and personal freedom I want for the next phase of my life and career,” says Kennedy who also learned during the pandemic how important it was to create opportunities in many different areas of the industry. “But my heart is truly in every aspect of what I do, whether that is playing a great part in a play or musical at Stratford, or on Broadway or writing a musical.”
For Wild About You Kennedy wrote the show’s music and lyrics, as Eric Holmes, who wrote for TV’s The Good Fight and Smash, penned the show’s book. “Eric and I call each other our work spouses. I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for him as a friend and as a collaborator,” says Kennedy who splits her time between New York, Toronto and Stratford, Ontario. “I truly believe we make each other’s writing better by challenging each other and not letting the other off the hook until the material is as strong as it can be. I am always amazed that he decided to take a chance on me and write this show together. And I love his dry sense of humor.”
In Wild About You, Olivia is tasked to revisit years of memories and three great loves. She needs to discover the key that will untangle her past and give her a second chance with her son Billy, the great love of her life. In addition to Kennedy, the recording features Jenn Colella, Eric McCormack, Katharine McPhee, Jessie Mueller, Alex Newell, Lea Salonga and more.
Kennedy’s mother says that her daughter became an artist in the womb. “My mother would play her guitar and sing, and I would move inside her to lay against the vibrations of the guitar,” says Kennedy who is from a military family and was raised between Australia, England and Canada and has been dancing, singing and playing the piano since she was four. Kennedy also has been writing songs for as long as she can remember. “But I was too shy to share them with most people,” she adds.
What really sealed the deal was when Kennedy saw her first Broadway show, Cats. Even with partial view seats she was hooked. “After a cat crawled on the balcony ledge in front of me and playfully interacted with my best friend, I said, that’s it, I want to be on Broadway.” Then in high school she landed her first big role. “I auditioned for Anne of Green Gables and hoped I would land a chorus role,” says Kennedy who will be staring as Billie Jean King in a new Broadway-bound play about the tennis icon’s life. “I was floored when they offered me the role of Anne. That firmly set me on my path.”
Jeryl Brunner: The “Wild About You” concept album features so many great talents. How did this lineup come together?
Chilina Kennedy: Daniel Edmonds is my talented musical collaborator. He did the arrangements and musically produced the album. Daniel and I simply asked our friends and colleagues if they would sing on the album, and they all agreed to do it. I thought, what’s the worst that can happen? They might say no, but you don’t know until you ask. Eric McCormack and I have known each other for years so it was great that he agreed to be a part of it early on. We tried to make it easy on all of them by arranging recording dates and studios that were suited to them, so they wouldn’t have to fly to New York City. We recorded a lot of it remotely, including the 50-piece orchestra in Budapest.
The lineup of Tony, Emmy and Grammy award winning talent still blows my mind. From Alex Newell, Katharine McPhee, Lea Salonga, Jessie Mueller, Eric McCormack and Joaquina Kalukango, we shared a dressing room in Paradise Square on Broadway, to the incredible Jenn Colella, Paul Alexander Nolan, we did Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway together, Noah J. Ricketts, a fellow Gatsby star, Jackie Burns, Aisha Jackson, Kennedy Caughell, Jay McKenzie and Rachel Ling Gordon. And to add to that already amazing list of artists, we also worked with some of the finest musicians, from Chris Jago, who played with Neil Diamond to Meg Toohey, who plays with Sara Bareilles.
Brunner: You’re primarily known as a performer, yet you write music and lyrics for musicals. Which talent did you discover first?
Kennedy: I probably discovered both talents at the same time, but it took me years to gain the confidence I needed to publicly share my music. I have been surrounded by some of the most gifted and successful artists in the world so it was hard to put myself on the line and offer up my own writing to intense scrutiny by the best of the best.
My friend and colleague Rick Fox first helped me out of my shell and into the songwriting limelight. He was the musical director of Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway, and asked me to play a few of my songs for him in his office. He told me they were good, and so we got a band together and sold out the Metropolitan Room in New York City for my first ever solo show of original music. He also produced my debut album. Needless to say, I wouldn’t be here without him.
Brunner: How did the original “Wild About You” concept album come together?
Kennedy: In 2012, when I was first running Eclipse Theatre Company in Toronto. I had released my debut album, “What You Find In A Bottle.” Two of my Eclipse colleagues, Evan Tsitsias and Sara-Jeanne Hosie, suggested that I use the songs from the album to create a song cycle. I thought it was a terrible idea, but they persuaded me to give it a shot.
After I began working on it with Mark Schneider, who was the resident director for Beautiful on Broadway, Mark suggested that I meet a friend of his named Eric Holmes, who was one of the writers on the TV shows the Good Fight and Smash. Eric and I hit it off instantly and he loved my album and knew exactly what he wanted to do with the story. He happened to have a week off from the writer’s room while I was on vacation in Canada, and he wrote the script in less than 24 hours.
Brunner: You are playing Billie Jean King in the new Broadway-bound play. What was it like to meet her when the play debuted on the West Coast?
Kennedy: It was fascinating. She is such an icon and role model for so many people, women and men. In many ways, it was like meeting Carole King. They were both cooler and more human than I expected. I was surprised at how Billie Jean can sometimes come across as shy or reserved until she gets to know you. As you would probably imagine, she is very passionate about many issues affecting politics and feminism. It’s exciting to hear her talk about anything she cares deeply about. She and her wife Ilana are very generous and always forthcoming when I ask questions for my character research, which I know can be intense when someone is trying to learn how to embody every part of who you are.
Brunner: So how did you start cutting hair?
Kennedy: I have been cutting for years and adore it. Sometimes, at first, people don’t trust me until I give them their first cut and they love it. I’ve had people come to me for years. It’s one of the only non-performing hobbies I have. I became quite busy with my outdoor salon during the pandemic. It was for friends, family and neighbors.