| June Angela | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 18, 1959 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, Singer, Dancer |
| Years active | 1971—present |
| Website | |
| http://www.juneangela.com/ | |
June Angela (born August 18, 1959) is an actress, singer, and dancer best known as Julie, the mainstay member of the Short Circus in the PBS children's television series The Electric Company during its entire six-year run.
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As Julie, Angela appeared in more first-run episodes of The Electric Company than any other member of the Short Circus. Since the The Electric Company consists of diverse cast members, Angela is the sole person of Asian ancestry to be on the show. Prior to auditioning as a member of the Short Circus, the producers had in mind of black, white and Hispanic children for the roles. Angela's agent convinced the producers to let her audition. Angela practically grew up on the show, starting at age 11; she was 17 when production ceased in 1977. Angela was the only Short Circus member to be retained throughout the entire run of The Electric Company. As such, Angela was the most prominent member of the group, and many viewers remember her the most and consider her the essence and heart of the Short Circus. She was awarded an Emmy of Honor for her work on the series. Angela lent her vocals to the Grammy Award-winning 1971 soundtrack album of The Electric Company as well. Angela said she named her Short Circus character Julie after her idol at the time, Julie Andrews.[1]
When The Electric Company wrapped production in April 1977, Angela found work in theater. She was nominated for both a Tony and Drama Desk Award as Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Shogun: The Musical. Additional theater credits include Tuptim in The King and I and Tea, for which she won a Theater Guild Award for Best Lead Actress.[1]
Angela has also appeared on television sporadically. Her credits include Step By Step, Mad TV, The Wild Thornberrys, and Hannah Montana. TV movie credits include American Geisha and Message from Nam.[1] She also played Additional Voices in the Walt Disney Studios dub of Kiki's Delivery Service.
Angela's solo CD released on Original Cast Records features a full orchestra on songs from shows she has done, including a medley from The Electric Company, as well as several jazz numbers.[1]
Angela was interviewed for the 2006 DVD release of The Best of The Electric Company. Angela was one of several Electric Company alumni (along with Rita Moreno and Children's Television Workshop founder Joan Ganz Cooney) who shared their memories of working on the show.[1]
Today, Angela has only fond memories of her youth spent on the set of The Electric Company:
| “ | Working on The Electric Company from its pilot through the last day of taping years later was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my career. Not only was it so much fun to be a part of the Short Circus; singing songs from master composer Joe Raposo, who wrote many wonderful tunes such as "Bein' Green" and "Sing"; it was great to play in all the different skits. Looking back, I really appreciate all the times I was on set with the actors and production crew, getting to do funny stuff with masters Bill Cosby, Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman, too. It was a wonderful learning experience and lots of fun.[1] | ” |