Kristy Cates

Kristen "Kristy" Cates (born c. 1977) is an American actress and singer, best known for her role as Elphaba in the Chicago production of Wicked. She was previously in the casts of Princess Ida and the off-Broadway production Boobs! The Musical.

Early life and education

Cates started her performing career at 3 years old, singing songs and presenting self-written musicals on the hearth of her family's fireplace. In the second grade, her talents were recognized by the director of her grammar school musical who heard Cates "crowing" at the roosters who took up residence next to the playground. She was immediately cast as the singing rooster in the Christmas pageant. Cates attended Justin-Siena High School in Napa, California.

She performed in many community theater productions around her native Northern California, spending 7 years with the Pinole Young Actors group. At age 17, she was cast in her first professional production and made the decision to pursue a career in theater. She auditioned for, and was accepted to, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where she spent four years, graduating with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre in 1999.^[1] Ironically, she was roommates and friends with Shoshana Bean, a fellow Wicked alum. Upon graduation, Cates was cast in two productions at the St. Louis MUNY and was fortunate enough to move to New York City with her Actor's Equity card in hand.

Career

After a few months in New York, Cates was cast in the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players production of Princess Ida. Shortly thereafter, she began to perform with a number of extremely talented "unknown" writers and composers - even presenting a cabaret of their work at the historical club, Don't Tell Mama. Cates has been lucky enough to have worked at several regional theaters such as the Lucille Lortel White Barn Theatre, North Bay Opera, the Playhouse on the Green, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse and at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Conference. As a singer, she has appeared at numerous NYC clubs/theatres including the Duplex, the Producer's Club, Joe's Pub, Don't Tell Mama, XL, the Triad, and Therapy.

In 2003, Cates starred in the off-Broadway production Boobs! The Musical which celebrated the songs of legendary 50's and 60's singer, Ruth Wallis. Playing Ruth Wallis herself along with a barrage of other characters (including a medicated Mary Poppins, and a Follies Bergere wannabe), Cates garnered positive reviews from critics.

Wicked

Cates was then cast in the new musical Wicked as an ensemble member and understudy for the role of Elphaba, which was played by Idina Menzel. The show opened October 30, 2003, after previews from October 8. She can be heard on the original Broadway cast recording of the show. As a member of the cast, she performed on the 2004 Tony Awards, Late Show with David Letterman, and at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In March 2005, when Stephanie J. Block, who was set to play Elphaba on the show's first national tour, was injured, Cates flew to Toronto to play the role as Stephanie recovered. Cates then returned to the Broadway production and played her final performance May 29, 2005, to originate the role of Standby Elphaba in the Chicago sit-down production of the musical, to Ana Gasteyer's Elphaba.

The Chicago production began previews June 24, 2005, and opened on July 13, 2005. On January 24, 2006, Cates replaced Gasteyer in the lead role. She appeared at the Taste of Chicago and sang the National Anthem on Veterans Weekend at a Chicago Bears football game. Cates left the show on December 10, 2006, and was replaced by Dee Roscioli.

Post-Wicked

In January 2007, Cates made her way back to Chicago for a weekend of her own Solo Shows, which she calls "An Inteminent Evening with Kristy Cates". Each of her shows was sold out, selling over 350 tickets every night. She also sang the National Anthem for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox games in spring of 2007.

Cates was recently seen as Marty in a production of Grease that played in St. Louis at The Muny from June 25 to July 3, 2007.

Cates also took part in the reading of a new musical called City of Light.^[2]

Cates will be starring as Tracy Boyd in the new musical "Unbeatable." The show will play Phoenix and Houston before opening Off-Broadway at New World Stages on October 10, 2008.^[3]

In February 2010, Cates starred as Susan in the Lyric Theatre at the Plaza production of the Stephen Schwartz musical "Snapshots" in the Plaza District of Oklahoma City.

In April 2014 she starred alongside the majority of the original cast of the off-Broadway musical comedy The Bardy Bunch, a parody in Shakespearean style of the two television shows The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch

References

External links

• Official Fan Site
• Official Website
• Kristy Cates on Myspace