Kirsten Holly Smith

Kirsten Holly Smith is an American singer and actress.

She is best known for her portrayal of the legendary 1960's British singer Dusty Springfield. She developed her characterization of Springfield beginning in 2006 with a workshop production of her one-woman biographical musical on Springfield, which she performed at the University of Southern California. She received a $6,700 grant from the university to stage the performance. [1]

In 2008, Smith presented a revised version of her one-woman musical, then-entitled ‘’Stay Forever: The Life and Music of Dusty Springfield,” which she also wrote, at the Renberg Theatre in West Hollywood, California. In the show, Smith performed 14 of Springfield's hit songs, which are integrated into the narrative in the style of a jukebox musical.

Smith performed the show over the course of a month-long run at the Renberg Theatre at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center in February, 2008. The show received positive reviews from the Los Angeles Times,[2] L.A. Weekly[3] and other Los Angeles-area publications.

The Los Angeles run received financial backing and publicity support from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation star Jorja Fox.

Smith continued to develop her Dusty Springfield piece over the next four years. She performed a nightclub act consisting of Springfield’s songs at numerous venues including Joe’s Pub in New York City and Catalina Jazz Club in Los Angeles.

During this time she revised her one-woman play into a full-scale, multi-character musical intended for the New York stage.

On November 18, 2012, the new version of Smith’s Dusty Springfield bio-musical, now entitled Forever Dusty opened Off-Broadway at New World Stages in New York City. Smith again portrayed Springfield. She was now accompanied by a cast of four other actors, each portraying multiple characters. The play now contained 20 songs and ran 90 minutes with no intermission. The show was scheduled for an open-ended run with eight performances per week.

In addition to Forever Dusty, Smith has appeared on stage in numerous plays including Of Mice and Men, Three Sisters and Twelfth Night as well as several independent films including the lead role in Isle of Lesbos.

Notes

  1. ↑ A Dusty Road To Springfield, Sandra Bertrand, GALO Magazine, 11/29/2012
  2. ↑ Dusty Springfield bio touches a pained truth, Los Angeles Times, February 14, 2008
  3. ↑ New Theater Reviews, L.A. Weekly, February 11, 2008


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