Kim Crosby (born July 11, 1960) is an American singer and musical theatre actress. She is best known as the original Cinderella in the Sondheim–Lapine musical Into the Woods.
Early life and education Crosby was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas"Kickapoo Theatre Hall of Fame Members" khstheaterproductions, accessed January 9, 2011 and grew up in Springfield, Missouri. She attended Southern Methodist University and the Manhattan School of Music, and she is a former America's Junior Miss."Junior Miss list" ajm.org, accessed January 9, 2011
Career
Stage work Crosby appeared in the Broadway production of Jerry's Girls in 1985–86.Rich, Frank. "Theater Review, 'Jerry's Girls'" New York Times, December 19, 1985 She then created the role of Cinderella in Into the Woods in 1987, playing the role in the tryout at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and then on Broadway."'Into the Woods' 1987 Broadway listing". Sondheimguide.com, accessed January 9, 2011 It was in this production that she met her future husband, actor Robert Westenberg, who starred opposite her as Cinderella's Prince (and also as the Wolf).Gans, Andrew. "Diva Talk: Chatting with Follies' Kim Crosby Plus Victor Victoria (Piazza's Clark, that is)" playbill.com, June 10, 2005
Her next Broadway role was in the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls, where she was a replacement as Sarah Brown."Theater: Broadway - Now Playing", New York, January 2, 1995, p. 83
She reprised the role of Cinderella at the benefit performance of Into the Woods on November 9, 1997, at The Broadway Theatre."'Into the Woods', Tenth Anniversary Concert", sondheimguide.com, accessed January 9, 2011.
Off-Broadway, at the York Theatre, she played Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Seymour in the musical Six Wives in 1992,Simon, John."Review, 'Six Wives' at York Theatre", New York Magazine, October 26, 1992, p. 94. and Marsius in Philemon in 1991.Willis, John. "'Philemon' listing, The York Theatre Company" Theatre World 1990-1991 (vol 47), Hal Leonard Corporation (2000); , p. 105
Crosby starred as Laurey in the national tour of Oklahoma! opposite John Davidson and Jamie Farr. She also toured for two years with Fred Waring and His Young Pennsylvanians. In regional theatre, she played Maria in West Side Story at The Springfield Little Theatre, Anne in A Little Night Music at the Berkshire Theatre Festival, Stockbridge, Massachusetts (1986),"'A Little Night Music' at Berkshire Theatre Festival, 7/1/1986 - 7/19/1986" floormic.com, accessed January 9, 2011 Hope Langdon in Something's Afoot at the Birmingham Theatre; David Gordon's The Mysteries and What's So Funny? at the American Repertory Theater, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Jessie Pullman in the musical Georgia Avenue (July - August 1985) at Goodspeed Musicals, Norma Terris Theater in East Haddam, Connecticut. She appeared in workshop productions of Six Wives, Fahrenheit 451, Grovers Corners, and Jekyll & Hyde. She appeared as Lily Garland in On the Twentieth Century at Barrington Stage in 2001.Hernandez, Ernio. "Barrington Stage Begins 'Twentieth Century' in MA, June 20-July 14", playbill.com, June 20, 2001. More recently, she played Sally Durant Plummer in Follies (2005) with the Barrington Stage Company.
She has appeared in several productions at The Muny Repertory in St. Louis, Missouri. She played Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady in 2001 opposite Westenberg.Jones, Kenneth. Westenberg and Crosby Spar in The Muny's My Fair Lady, July 30-Aug. 5". Playbill.com, July 30, 2001 She also played Marian in The Music Man in 2004Newmark, Judith . "Muny's 'Music Man' marches into town, wins families' hearts", St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri), July 28, 2004, p. E4 "As Marian, Kim Crosby maintains her starchy posture up to the last possible moment. It makes an appealing contrast to Lumbard's loose-limbed style in this romance of total opposites." and Guinevere in Camelot in 2002. Of this performance, the Riverfront Times reviewer wrote: "Crosby can sing a lesser-known song such as "Before I Gaze at You Again" and make us wonder why we've overlooked it all these years. She can sing a popular tune like "I Loved You Once in Silence" and make us realize that Frederick Loewe's score is possessed of a haunting quality reminiscent of Schubert."Brown, Dennis. "A Broadway-caliber Cast Illuminates the Muny Stage", Riverfront Times (Missouri), July 31, 2002, Culture/Reviews (section)
Crosby recently played Mrs. Darling and other characters in the new national tour of Peter Pan alongside Cathy Rigby in the title role, which began performances August 2011 and concluded on April 28, 2013.Complete Cast Announced for Peter Pan Starring Cathy Rigby; NYC-Bound Tour Takes Flight Aug. 24BWW Interviews: Cathy Rigby Takes Final Flight as 'PETER PAN' Retrieved April 24, 2013 Crosby temporarily left Peter Pan to star in a production of Into The Woods (her first since the original cast) as The Baker's Wife at Springfield Little Theatre from May 13–29, 2012.Kim Crosby, Original Cinderella, Plays Baker's Wife in INTO THE WOODS at Little Springfield Theatre, MO, Now thru 5/29 Her most recent show was Hello, Dolly! at Springfield Little Theatre where she played the title role.SLT's 'Mary Poppins' sparkles with humor, life Retrieved April 15, 2015 Kim also lead Springfield Contemporary Theatre's production of Jerry's Girls in 2016, coming full circle after making her Broadway debut in the ensemble of this show. Ms. Crosby's other productions with Springfield Contemporary Theatre include The Light in the Piazza, Fun Home, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Television and concerts Crosby's television credits include Jane in Tarzan in Manhattan (CBS, 1989).Pratt, Douglas (2004) Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More!, , p. 1205 In this version, Jane was a tough-talking New York City cabbie who befriended Tarzan (played by Joe Lara), they are in search of Cheeta and other animals captured and taken from the jungle. She appeared in the soap operas Guiding Light and All My Children, and in The Cosby Mysteries as "Mrs. Pierce" in the episode "Big Brother Is Watching" (1995).The Cosby Mysteries Episode List, 'Big Brother Is Watching '" tvguide.com, accessed January 9, 2011
Crosby has sung in concert with orchestras both in the U.S. and abroad. She performed with the Florida Orchestra, in Tampa, at Kaleidoscope of Broadway in 2004."The Florida Orchestra, 'Kaleidoscope of Broadway' Tampa Bay Magazine, Mar-Apr 2004 She sang with the South Arkansas Symphony in a Christmas pops concert in December 2004.(no author). "Actress to sing Christmas hits", Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock), December 3, 2004. She has toured frequently with the ensemble Broadway Nights.2003 "Concert Schedule, Broadway Nights, 2003" , broadwaynights.com, accessed January 9, 2011."Concert Schedule, Broadway Nights, 2004" , broadwaynights.com, accessed January 9, 2011. In the Broadway Nights concert with the Lincoln Symphony in March 2002, the reviewer noted that when singing songs from Phantom, "Crosby stole the show with 'Think of Me'".Cutler, John. "Symphony Pops, guests know their Broadway music well", Lincoln Journal Star (Nebraska), March 24, 2002, p. B5.
Acting credits Theatre YearTitleRoleNotes1985Jerry's GirlsPerformerBroadway1986-87Into the WoodsCinderellaOld Globe Theatre Premiere1987Original Broadway cast19891990Oklahoma!Laurey Williams1992-95Guys and DollsMarthau/s Sarah Brownu/s AgathaBroadway replacementSarah BrownBroadway replacement1995Desert Inn and Country Club1997Into the WoodsCinderella10th Anniversary Concert2001My Fair LadyEliza DoolittleThe Muny opposite Robert Westenberg2002CamelotGuinevereThe Muny2004The Music ManMarian Paroo200890 Years of Muny Magic2010The Light in the PiazzaMargaret JohnsonSpringfield Contemporary Theatre2011Peter PanMrs. Darling/Mermaid/Adult WendyNational tour 2012Into the WoodsThe Baker's WifeLanders Theatre2013Rodgers & Hart: A CelebrationPerformerSpringfield Contemporary Theatre2016Jerry's Girls2018Fun HomeHelen Bechdel2020Hello, Dolly!Dolly Gallagher LeviLanders Theatre2022Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetMrs. Nellie LovettSpringfield Contemporary Theatre
Filmography YearTitleRoleNotes1979The Mike Douglas ShowSelfEpisode: "18.119"1989Tarzan in ManhattanJane PorterTelevision film1991American PlayhouseCinderellaEpisode: "Into the Woods"1995The Cosby MysteriesMrs. PierceEpisode: "Big Brother is Watching"2012The Mystery HourSelfEpisode: "Kim Crosby/John Pinney"
Personal life Crosby and Robert Westenberg married on June 19, 1991. They live in Springfield, Missouri with their three children, Emily, Katie, and Joel. The family has since moved to Colorado, following Kim and Robert's retirement.
References
External links
Off-Broadway Database listing, lortel.org; accessed January 21, 2016.