Andrea Ross
Andrea Ross | |
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Ross in the recording studio with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nigel Wright. | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Andrea Christine Ross |
Born |
Dover, New Hampshire, USA | April 8, 1991
Genres | Pop music |
Occupation(s) | Singer, actress |
Years active | 1999–present |
Labels | Universal (UCJ) |
Website | www.andreaross.com |
Andrea Christine Ross (born April 8, 1991) is an American singer and actress. She has been an award-winning lead actress on stage in her local area of Boston, Massachusetts since the age of eight years. At age 13 she was discovered by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who decided to champion her career and launch her as his protégée with a debut CD recording in 2007.[1]
Biography
Andrea Ross was born in Dover, New Hampshire, the daughter of William and Paula. In elementary school she took a variety of lessons in music, dance and also played sports, but it was enrollment at Franklin School for the Performing Arts that won out. Ross progressed quickly from ensemble roles to lead musical theater roles on-stage. Encouraged by her enthusiasm, her parents allowed her to travel to Boston to audition for a professional family theater. She won the lead role in "Tuck Everlasting" at the Wheelock Family Theater at age 10. This was the beginning of a five-year continuous string of winning lead roles and critical praise from the Boston-area press and theater community.[2] Her middle and elementary school educations occurred at the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School (B.F.C.C.P.S.) and the Davis Thayer School respectively, both located in Franklin, Massachusetts. She graduated in 2009 from Noble and Greenough School, in Dedham, Massachusetts[3] and currently attends Pace University.[4]
Stage career
On May 23, 2005, Ross became the youngest person to receive Boston's prestigious Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Actress.[5] In her nominating remarks on Ross' behalf, Terry Byrne, theatre critic of the Boston Herald commented: "Stage presence is that ineffable quality some performers have to command an audience's attention, sometimes before they even begin to speak ... Combine that with considerable acting talent, a magnificent singing voice, and a strong sense of focus and the star quality is undeniable."
Ross has been a member of the Actors' Equity Association professional union since 2006.
In August 2006 Ross portrayed Gabriella Montez in Disney Theatrical Productions' and Music Theater International's first granted license of the musical stage production "High School Musical" at Stagedoor Manor in Loch Sheldrake, New York.[6][7]
When Lloyd Webber introduced Ross at his Sydmonton Festival in 2005,[8] he said:
“ | I've not heard a voice like this for a long, long time. I think she's quite extraordinary. I ask you to give a hugely warm welcome to somebody who I think you're going to hear an awful lot more of for the next ... 50 years! | ” |
Professional theater credits
- Tuck Everlasting (Winnie Foster), 2002 Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston, MA
- Annie (Annie), 2002 Orpheum Theater, Foxborough, MA
- Annie (Annie), 2003 Trinity Repertory Theater, Providence, RI
- Lizzie Borden: The Musical (Young Lizzie), 2004 Stoneham Theatre, Stoneham, MA
- A Little Night Music (Fredrika), 2004 The Lyric Stage of Boston, Boston, MA
- Ramona Quimby (Ramona), 2004 Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston, MA
- The Sound of Music (Liesl von Trapp), 2005 Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston, MA
- Sara Crewe: A Little Princess (Sara Crewe), 2006 Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston, MA
- Whistle Down The Wind (Swallow), 2007 US National Tour
- Saint Joan (Joan of Arc), Wheelock Family Theatre, Boston, MA
- Next to Normal (Natalie), 2012-2013 Arizona Theatre Company, Tucson and Phoenix, AZ, San Jose Repertory Theatre, San Jose, CA
Recording career
Ross' debut studio album, Moon River was released on March 5, 2007 by Universal Classics & Jazz in the UK. It was produced by Lloyd Webber and Nigel Wright.
Moon River track listing
- "Moon River"
- "No Matter What" (from Whistle Down the Wind)
- "Songbird"
- "White Horses" (theme to The White Horses)
- "Heart Like a Wheel"
- "The Prayer"
- "All the Love I Have"
- "What the World Needs Now Is Love"
- "You Raise Me Up"
- "Popular" (from Wicked)
- "Learn to Be Lonely"
- "Start of Something New" (from High School Musical)
- "Whistle Down the Wind"
- "One World"
Charity work
Challenge Anneka
Thanks to her record label Universal, Ross was able to donate her time to the Challenge Anneka challenge to record an album to raise money for children's hospices around the UK. The show was broadcast on June 6, 2007 on ITV. The album, Over the Rainbow was released on June 4, 2007 and reached a peak position of #1 on UK Compilation Chart. Ross sang the song "No Matter What".
Concert for Diana
Ross was one of several artistes selected to perform at the memorial Concert for Diana.[9] The concert was held July 1, 2007, which would have been Diana's 46th birthday: it was one of the first major events to take place in the new Wembley Stadium.
Discography
Albums
- 2007: Moon River - # 42 UK
Featured
- 2006: The Classical Album 2007 - "You Raise Me Up" - 4:24
- 2007: You're Beautiful - 40 Inspiring Songs - "What the World Needs Now Is Love" - 2:46
- 2007: Over the Rainbow - "No Matter What" - 3:40
- 2008: Andrew Lloyd Webber 60 - "Whistle Down the Wind" - 3:32 and "Learn to Be Lonely" - 2:20
- 2009: Time to Say Goodbye - 40 Timeless Classics for Moments of Reflection - "Moon River" - 3:11
- 2009: You Can't Stop The Beat! Hits From Your Favourite Musicals - "Whistle Down the Wind" - 3:32
Music videos
Year | Song | Director |
---|---|---|
2007 | "Moon River" | Jason Glenister |
References
- ↑ Foster, Catherine (January 6, 2007). "On to a bigger stage". The Boston Globe.
- ↑ Foster, Catherine (June 15, 2005). "The tomorrows look sunny for early-shining musical actress". The Boston Globe.
- ↑ Andrea Ross biography @ Billboard.com
- ↑ "Pace University Presents FACTORY GIRLS Musical, 1/26-1/30". BWW News Desk. January 25, 2011.
- ↑ 23rd Elliot Norton Awards: 2005
- ↑ Parsons, Claudia. "Summer camp kids mount "High School Musical" premiere". Archived from the original on March 11, 2007.
- ↑ Hofler, Robert (September 24, 2006). "Disney retools its 'School'". Variety.
- ↑ Andrew Lloyd Webber's Official Web Site: Sydmonton Festival
- ↑ Hernandez, Ernio. "Andrew Lloyd Webber Among "Concert for Diana" Performers".
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Andrea Ross. |
- Official website
- Andrea Ross at the Internet Movie Database
- Andrea Ross page at BroadwayWorld.com
- Andrea Ross video group at YouTube
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