Ruthie Henshall

Ruth Henshall
Born Valentine Ruth Henshall
(1967-03-07) 7 March 1967
Bromley, Greater London, England, UK
Residence Suffolk, England
Other names Ruthie Henshall
Occupation Musical theatre actress, singer, dancer
Years active 1986–present
Spouse(s) Tim Howar (2004–2010; divorced)
Children 2 daughters
Website ruthiehenshall.com

Valentine Ruth Henshall (born 7 March 1967; known professionally as Ruthie Henshall), is an English actress, singer and dancer known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End debut in Cats in 1987. A five-time Olivier Award nominee, she won the 1995 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Amalia Balash in the London revival of She Loves Me (1994).

Henshall's other Olivier nominated roles are Polly Baker in the original London production of Crazy For You (1993–94), Roxie Hart in the revival of Chicago (1997–98) and the title roles in the original productions of Peggy Sue Got Married (2001) and Marguerite (2008). She made her Broadway debut in 1999 as Velma Kelly in Chicago and returned to the Broadway production to play Roxie Hart in 2010. In 2014, she took over the role of Mrs. Wilkinson in the West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical.

Personal life

Henshall was born in Bromley, London. Her father, David, was a journalist, later the editor of the East Anglian Daily Times, a Suffolk morning newspaper. Henshall's early ambition was to be a ballet dancer, but she lacked the necessary physique. Her sister, Noel, died in 2007 of a drugs overdose while living in San Francisco.[1]

Henshall dated Prince Edward "solidly" for two years, but "on and off for five years",[2] before becoming engaged to actor John Gordon Sinclair. After she took the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago on Broadway, they broke up.[3]

She met actor and singer Tim Howar, her male co-star lead in the West End production of Peggy Sue Got Married. The couple married in 2004 and have two daughters.[4] The couple announced their split in August 2009, with Henshall stating that she remains "good friends" with Howar.[5] They divorced in January 2010.[6]

Career

Prior to making her stage debut at the age of 19, Henshall trained at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey.[7] Her debut performance was in the Cascade Revue at the West Cliff Theatre in Clacton-on-Sea. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she took part in a touring production of A Chorus Line as Maggie. Her West End debut came shortly thereafter when she was cast in Cats, making appearances as Jemima, Demeter, Griddlebone and Grizabella.[8]

In 1988, at the age of 21, she was cast in Miss Saigon as one of the bargirls, showing at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She then went on to originate the role of Aphra in Children of Eden at the Prince Edward Theatre. The summer of 1989 saw her at the Chichester Festival Theatre performing in plays by Shakespeare, Molière as well as a role in the musical Valentine's Day, based on You Can Never Tell by George Bernard Shaw.[7]

In 1992, at the age of 25, she was cast as Fantine in Les Misérables. Her first starring role came in the 1993 trans-Atlantic transfer of the Broadway smash Crazy for You which opened at the Prince Edward Theatre. Her performance earned her the first of five Olivier Award nominations.[7] In 1995, Henshall starred in She Loves Me, winning the Olivier as Best Actress in a Musical.[9] That same year, she performed a concert of Gershwin songs at London's Royal Festival Hall. Later, in October, she recreated her role of Fantine for the 10th Anniversary Concert performance of Les Misérables at the Royal Albert Hall. In 1996, she took on the role of Nancy in producer Cameron Mackintosh's hit revival of Oliver! at the famed London Palladium. In 1997, Henshall originated the role of Roxie Hart in the West End transfer of the successful Broadway revival of Chicago. For this role, she received her third Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, which went to her co-star Ute Lemper.

Henshall was cast in the title role of the stage musical adaptation of the Francis Ford Coppola film Peggy Sue Got Married,[10] which opened in London in August 2001 to mixed reviews. Although it closed after a run of just eight weeks, she was once again nominated for an Olivier for her performance.[11]

Henshall has also appeared at the Chichester Festival Theatre, has toured Britain in the revue The Magnificent Musicals, and has performed in Hey, Mr. Producer!, a celebration of the works of Cameron Mackintosh.[12][13] Her solo recordings include The Ruthie Henshall Album, Pilgrim, and Love Is Here to Stay, a collection of Gershwin tunes.[14] She succeeded the role of Marian Halcombe from Maria Freidman in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White, from July 2005 until February 2006. She was also cast in the title role in Marguerite, a new musical from the pens of Michel Legrand, Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. The show opened on 7 May 2008 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, but closed early on 13 September 2008.[15]

Henshall's Broadway credits include Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together, Chicago (as both Velma and Roxie), and The Vagina Monologues. In 2000 she guest-starred in an episode of Law & Order titled "Panic"; she played an author named P.K. Todd. Her first feature film, a musical version of A Christmas Carol with Kelsey Grammer, aired on NBC in the United States in November 2004 and was released as a commercial attraction to theatres in the UK and Europe.[8] In January 2006 she appeared in the four-part BBC Television series The Sound of Musicals.

In 2008, Henshall replaced Natalia Bestemianova as a judge on the ITV1 show Dancing on Ice alongside Robin Cousins, Karen Barber, Nicky Slater and Jason Gardiner. Her appointment to The Ice Panel caused some controversy as she was the only judge with no experience in ice skating.[16] She returned for a second series in 2009. Following the conclusion of the 2009 series, Henshall said on Angela and Friends the Sky1 TV program that she was glad that she was away from Dancing on Ice. Her replacement for the 2010 series was Emma Bunton.

Henshall performed two evening concerts with Kim Criswell entitled From Broadway to Hollywood at London's Cadogan Hall in the summer of 2009.[17]

She returned to the role of Roxie in Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre, London, on 14 December 2009 and completed her run on 24 April 2010. This was the second time Henshall played the role in London having created it in 1997. She stated in an interview that she felt more comfortable in the part the second time around, being in her forties. She has stated that, "Anyone who plays the role of Roxie should be in their forties, as they have lived and learned". She has also recently played Roxie in the Broadway company of Chicago.

In March 2011, Henshall took the role of Elvira in the classic play Blithe Spirit in the West End, after playing the role in several regional theatre engagements.[18][19][20]

In 2011 she also appeared as a theatre actor in an episode of the HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm that aired 14 August, as well as a lawyer in The Case, a 5-part legal drama that aired from 31 October to 4 November on BBC One.[21][22]

In February 2012 it was announced that Henshall will headline a concert of Side by Side by Sondheim in Australia. Henshall took a purely acting role as billionaire Stephanie Gaunt in the CBBC series Wizards Vs Aliens in 2012.

In 2012 Henshall established her own production company, Three Pin Productions Ltd., with musical director Paul Schofield and Producer Polly Ingham. In 2013 they performed 22 dates across the UK and will continue their national tour in 2014 with 18 further concerts. Three Pin Productions Ltd Produced Ruthie Henshall's 2013 solo album I've Loved These Days, named after the title track by Billy Joel.

Henshall and Daniel Bowling (director of musicals) have written a book, So You Want to Be in Musicals?, published in 2012.[23] In 2014, it was announced that she would play Mrs Wilkinson in Billy Elliot The Musical from 12 May.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1992 Get Back Rita Henderson Episode: "We Can Work It Out"
2000 Law & Order P.K. Todd Episode: "Panic"
2011 Curb Your Enthusiasm Ally Episode: "The Hero"
2011 The Case Lawyer 5 episodes
2012 Wizards vs Aliens Stephanie Gaunt Story: "Friend or Foe" (Parts One and Two)
2014 Billy Elliot the Musical Live Mrs. Wilkinson Live recording of Billy Elliot the Musical

Theatre credits

[13][24]

Olivier nominations

Henshall has been nominated five times for the UK's most prestigious theatre award, the Laurence Olivier Award, winning once.

Publications

Discography

Year Title Role Notes
1990 The Making of Miss Saigon Ellen
1995 Les Misérables: The Dream Cast in Concert Fantine
1998 Hey, Mr. Producer! Herself
2001 Putting It Together: Direct from Broadway The Young Woman Final Performance
2003 Some Enchanted Evening: Richard Rodgers Tribute Gala Herself
2004 Broadway – The Golden Age, By the Legends Who Were There Herself
2004 A Christmas Carol Mrs. Scrooge (Scrooge's Mother)
2005 Voices For Darfur Herself Charitable Performance
2006 Lesley Garrett: Music from the Movies Herself

Solo albums

Guest Vocals & Compilations

Cast Recordings

References

  1. ↑ "West End star Ruthie Henshall's sister dies of painkiller overdose". The London Evening Standard. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  2. ↑ "Henshall talks of love for prince". BBC News. 17 August 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  3. ↑ Jardine, Cassandra. "Ruthie Henshall: 'I felt that I was losing my mind'", telegraph.co.uk, 12 September 2008.
  4. ↑ "My sister committed suicide, admits West End star Ruthie Henshall". The Daily Mail. 4 January 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
  5. ↑ "Former Dancing on Ice judge Ruthie Henshall splits from singer husband of five years". The Daily Mail. 19 August 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  6. ↑ "Former Dancing on Ice judge Ruthie Henshall speaks out about her separation from husband of five years". Daily Mail. 10 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 "Biography". Official Crazy for You (musical). Website of Ruthie Henshall. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  8. 1 2 "Ruthie Henshall". The Agency Group, Ltd. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  9. ↑ "Olivier Award: Best Actress in a Musical". Awardsandhonors.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  10. ↑ "Ruthie Henshall Signed Up to Star as Peggy Sue". WhatsOnStage.com. 29 March 2001. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  11. ↑ "Olivier Awards 2002: The nominations". BBC News. 17 January 2002. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  12. ↑ "RuthieHenshall.net". Retrieved 19 November 2009.
  13. 1 2 "Ruthie Henshall Theatre Credits". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  14. 1 2 "Ruthie Henshall: Albums, Songs, Bios, Photos". Amazon.com. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  15. ↑ Shenton, Mark (21 August 2008). "Marguerite to Shutter Early; Girl With a Pearl Earring to Play Haymarket Next". Playbill. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  16. ↑ "Dancing on Ice – New judge Ruthie Henshall speaks out". MyParkMag.co.uk. 11 January 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  17. ↑ Gans, Andrew (19 June 2009). "Ruthie Henshall, Maria Friedman and Kim Criswell to Play Cadogan Hall". Playbill. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  18. ↑ Gray, Christopher."'Blithe Spirit': Milton Keynes Theatre and Apollo Theatre, London, next month"The Oxford Times, 16 February 2011
  19. ↑ Woolman, Natalie."Ruthie Henshall to star in 'Blithe Spirit'" thestage.co.uk, 31 August 2010
  20. ↑ BWW News Desk."Ruthie Henshall Joins Bathurst, Steadman & Norris in London-Bound 'Blithe Spirit'" broadwayworld.com, 31 August 2010
  21. ↑ Best British TV."BBC Drama: The Case" bestbritishtv.com, 18 October 2011
  22. ↑ BBC News."Ruthie Henshall hosts charity show at Ipswich Regent" bbc.co.uk, 18 November 2011
  23. ↑ "So you want to be in musicals?". Nick Hern Books. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  24. ↑ "Stage Credits at Ruthie Henshall.com". Retrieved 26 November 2009.
  25. ↑ "Recordings RuthieHenshall.com". Retrieved 26 November 2009.
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