Ruthie Henshall
Encyclopedia
Valentine Ruth Henshall better known as Ruthie Henshall, is an English singer, dancer, and actress best known for her work in musical theatre
. Henshall attended the Laine Theatre Arts
school in Epsom
, Surrey
before making her first professional appearance on stage in 1986. Her appearance in the 1987 production of Cats
marked her West End
debut.
, South East London
, England
. Her father David was a journalist, later the editor of the East Anglian Daily Times
, a Suffolk
morning newspaper. Ruthie Henshall's early ambition was to be a ballet
dancer, but she lacked the necessary physique. Her sister, Noel, died in 2007 of a drugs overdose while living in San Francisco, California
.
Henshall dated Prince Edward
"solidly" for two years, but "on and off for five years", before becoming engaged to actor John Gordon Sinclair
. After she took the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago
on Broadway, New York, they broke up, after which Henshall admitted going through a process of excessive drinking and considering suicide
.
She then met Tim Howar
, theatre actor and lead singer of the band Van Tramp, and her male co-star lead in the West End
production of Peggy Sue Got Married
. The couple married in 2004 and have two children together, Lily Amalia (born 16 February 2003) and Dolly Olivia (born 14 January 2005) They lived close to her parents on the Essex
/Suffolk
border.
The couple announced their split in August 2009, with Henshall stating that she remains "good friends" with Howar. They divorced in January 2010.
in Clacton-on-Sea
. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she took part in a touring production of A Chorus Line
as Maggie. Her West End Theatre
debut came shortly thereafter when she was cast in Cats
, making appearances as Jemima, Demeter, Griddlebone and Grizabella.
In 1988, at the age of 21, she was cast in Miss Saigon
as Ellen, showing at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She then went on to originate the role of Aphra in Children of Eden
at the Prince Edward Theatre
. The summer of 1989 saw her at the Chichester Festival Theatre
performing in plays by Shakespeare
, Molière
as well as a role in the musical Valentine's Day
, based on You Can Never Tell by George Bernard Shaw
.
In 1992, at the age of 25, she was cast as Fantine
in Les Misérables
. Her first starring role came in the 1993 trans-Atlantic transfer of the Broadway smash Crazy for You
which opened at the Prince Edward Theatre
. Her performance earned her the first of four Olivier Award
nominations. In 1995, Henshall starred in She Loves Me
, winning the Olivier as Best Actress in a Musical. That same year, she performed a concert of Gershwin songs at London's Royal Festival Hall
. Later, in October, she recreated her role of Fantine for the 10th Anniversary Concert performance of Les Mis at the Royal Albert Hall
. In 1996, she took on the role of Nancy in producer Cameron Mackintosh
's hit revival of Oliver!
at the famed London Palladium
. In 1997, Henshall originated the role of Roxie Hart in the West End transfer of the successful Broadway revival of Chicago
. For this role, she received an her second Olivier
nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, which went to her co-star Ute Lemper
.
Henshall was cast in the title role of the stage musical adaptation of the Francis Ford Coppola
film Peggy Sue Got Married
, which opened in London in August 2001 to mixed reviews. Although it closed after a run of just eight weeks, she was once again nominated for an Olivier for her performance.
Henshall has also appeared at the Chichester Festival Theatre
, has toured Britain in the revue The Magnificent Musicals, and has performed in Hey, Mr. Producer
, a celebration of the works of Cameron Mackintosh
. Her solo recordings include The Ruthie Henshall Album, Pilgrim, and Love Is Here to Stay, a collection of Gershwin tunes. She succeeded the role of Marian Halcombe from Maria Freidman in Andrew Lloyd Webber
's The Woman in White
, from July 2005 until February 2006. She was also cast in the title role in Marguerite
, a new musical from the pens of Michel Legrand
, Herbert Kretzmer
, Alain Boublil
and Claude-Michel Schönberg
. The show opened on 7 May 2008 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, but closed early on 13 September 2008.
Henshall's Broadway credits include Stephen Sondheim
's Putting It Together
, Chicago(as both Velma and Roxie), and The Vagina Monologues
. In 2000 she guest-starred in an episode of Law and Order titled "Panic"; she played an author named P.K. Todd. Her first feature film, a musical version of A Christmas Carol
with Kelsey Grammer
, aired on NBC
in the United States
in November 2004 and was released as a commercial attraction to theatres in the UK and Europe. In January 2006 she appeared in the four-part BBC
Television series The Sound of Musicals
.
In 2008 and 2009, Henshall appeared as an Ice Judge on the ITV1
show Dancing On Ice
. Her appointment to the panel caused some controversy as she is the only judge with no experience in ice skating. Henshall said on Angela and Friends
the Sky1 TV program that she was glad that she was away from Dancing on Ice
. Her replacement for the 2010 series was "Baby spice" Emma Bunton
.
Henshall performed two evening concerts with Kim Criswell
entitled From Broadway to Hollywood at London's Cadogan Hall
in the summer of 2009.
She returned to the role of Roxie in Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre
, London, on 14 December 2009 and completed her run on 24 April 2010. This was the second time Henshall played the role in London having created it in 1997. She stated in an interview that she felt more comfortable in the part the second time around, being in her forties. She has stated that, "Anyone who plays the role of Roxie should be in their forties, as they have lived and learned". She has also recently played Roxie in the Broadway company of Chicago.
In March 2011, Henshall took the role of Elvira in the classic play Blithe Spirit
in the West End, after playing the role in several regional theatre engagements.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. Henshall attended the Laine Theatre Arts
Laine Theatre Arts
Laine Theatre Arts is an independent performing arts college, based in the town of Epsom in Surrey, England. The college was founded in 1974, and developed from an earlier school, the Frecker-Laine School of Dancing...
school in Epsom
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
before making her first professional appearance on stage in 1986. Her appearance in the 1987 production of Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
marked her West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
debut.
Personal life
Henshall was born in BromleyBromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, South East London
South East (London sub region)
The South East is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark. The sub region was established in 2008. The south east has a population of 1,300,000 and is the location of 500,000 jobs...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Her father David was a journalist, later the editor of the East Anglian Daily Times
East Anglian Daily Times
The East Anglian Daily Times is a British local newspaper for Suffolk and Essex, based in Ipswich.It started publication on 13 October 1874, incorporating the Ipswich Express, which had been published since 13 August 1839...
, a Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
morning newspaper. Ruthie Henshall's early ambition was to be a ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
dancer, but she lacked the necessary physique. Her sister, Noel, died in 2007 of a drugs overdose while living in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Henshall dated Prince Edward
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
"solidly" for two years, but "on and off for five years", before becoming engaged to actor John Gordon Sinclair
John Gordon Sinclair
John Gordon Sinclair is a Scottish actor most famous for playing Gregory in Gregory's Girl. He was born as Gordon John but took the stage name 'John Gordon Sinclair' because Equity already had a Gordon John registered....
. After she took the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
on Broadway, New York, they broke up, after which Henshall admitted going through a process of excessive drinking and considering suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
She then met Tim Howar
Tim Howar
Tim Howar is a Canadian actor, singer and dancer, known as a London-based rock vocalist with Mike + the Mechanics.-Career:...
, theatre actor and lead singer of the band Van Tramp, and her male co-star lead in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of Peggy Sue Got Married
Peggy Sue Got Married (musical)
Peggy Sue Got Married is a musical adapted from the Francis Ford Coppola film of the same name. The book was written by Arlene Sarner and Jerry Leichtling, music composed by Bob Gaudio, with lyrics by Jerry Leichtling...
. The couple married in 2004 and have two children together, Lily Amalia (born 16 February 2003) and Dolly Olivia (born 14 January 2005) They lived close to her parents on the Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
/Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
border.
The couple announced their split in August 2009, with Henshall stating that she remains "good friends" with Howar. They divorced in January 2010.
Career
Prior to making her stage debut at the age of 19, Ruthie Henshall trained at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey. Her debut performance was in the Cascade Revue at the West Cliff TheatreWest Cliff Theatre
The West Cliff Theatre in Clacton-on-Sea, England, dates back to 1894 when Bert Graham, a 21-year-old civil servant, set up a concert party on a patch of waste ground in Agate Road. In 1899, along with Bernard Russell and Will Bentley, Graham moved the concert party to the West Cliff...
in Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea is the largest town on the Tendring peninsula, in Essex, England and was founded in 1871. It is a seaside resort that attracted many tourists in the summer months between the 1950s and 1970s, but which like many other British sea-side resorts went into decline as a holiday...
. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she took part in a touring production of A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
as Maggie. Her West End Theatre
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
debut came shortly thereafter when she was cast in Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
, making appearances as Jemima, Demeter, Griddlebone and Grizabella.
In 1988, at the age of 21, she was cast in Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
as Ellen, showing at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She then went on to originate the role of Aphra in Children of Eden
Children of Eden
Children of Eden is a two-act musical play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Caird. The musical is based on the Book of Genesis. Act I tells the story of Adam and Eve, Cain, and Abel, and Act II deals with Noah and the Flood...
at the Prince Edward Theatre
Prince Edward Theatre
The Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster.The theatre was designed in 1930 by Edward A. Stone, with an interior designed by Marc-Henri Levy and Gaston Laverdet...
. The summer of 1989 saw her at the Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, England, was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, and opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin in 1962. Subsequently the smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built nearby in 1989....
performing in plays by Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
as well as a role in the musical Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, based on You Can Never Tell by George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
.
In 1992, at the age of 25, she was cast as Fantine
Fantine
Fantine is a character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.- Backstory :"Fantine was one of those beings which are brought forth from the heart of the people... She was called Fantine because she had never been known by any other name...""All four were ravishingly beautiful. As to Fantine,...
in Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
. Her first starring role came in the 1993 trans-Atlantic transfer of the Broadway smash Crazy for You
Crazy for You
Crazy for You is a musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Billed as "The New Gershwin Musical Comedy", it is largely based on the songwriting team’s 1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but interpolates songs from several other productions as well...
which opened at the Prince Edward Theatre
Prince Edward Theatre
The Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster.The theatre was designed in 1930 by Edward A. Stone, with an interior designed by Marc-Henri Levy and Gaston Laverdet...
. Her performance earned her the first of four Olivier Award
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
nominations. In 1995, Henshall starred in She Loves Me
She Loves Me
She Loves Me is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock.The musical is the fifth adaptation of the play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo, following the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan film The Shop around the Corner and the...
, winning the Olivier as Best Actress in a Musical. That same year, she performed a concert of Gershwin songs at London's Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
. Later, in October, she recreated her role of Fantine for the 10th Anniversary Concert performance of Les Mis at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. In 1996, she took on the role of Nancy in producer Cameron Mackintosh
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a British theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York...
's hit revival of Oliver!
Oliver!
Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
at the famed London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
. In 1997, Henshall originated the role of Roxie Hart in the West End transfer of the successful Broadway revival of Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
. For this role, she received an her second Olivier
Olivier
Olivier is the French form of Oliver. It may refer to:As a surname:* Guillaume-Antoine Olivier , a French entomologist* George Olivier, count of Wallis , Austrian field marshal...
nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, which went to her co-star Ute Lemper
Ute Lemper
Ute Lemper is a German chanteuse and actress renowned for her interpretation of the work of Kurt Weill.- Biography :Born in Münster, Germany, Ute Lemper was raised in a Roman Catholic family. She joined the punk music group known as the Panama Drive Band at the age of 16...
.
Henshall was cast in the title role of the stage musical adaptation of the Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
film Peggy Sue Got Married
Peggy Sue Got Married (musical)
Peggy Sue Got Married is a musical adapted from the Francis Ford Coppola film of the same name. The book was written by Arlene Sarner and Jerry Leichtling, music composed by Bob Gaudio, with lyrics by Jerry Leichtling...
, which opened in London in August 2001 to mixed reviews. Although it closed after a run of just eight weeks, she was once again nominated for an Olivier for her performance.
Henshall has also appeared at the Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, England, was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, and opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin in 1962. Subsequently the smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built nearby in 1989....
, has toured Britain in the revue The Magnificent Musicals, and has performed in Hey, Mr. Producer
Hey, Mr. Producer
Hey, Mr. Producer! was a concert honoring theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh, performed as a benefit for the Royal National Institute of the Blind and the Combined Theatrical Charities....
, a celebration of the works of Cameron Mackintosh
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a British theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York...
. Her solo recordings include The Ruthie Henshall Album, Pilgrim, and Love Is Here to Stay, a collection of Gershwin tunes. She succeeded the role of Marian Halcombe from Maria Freidman in Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's The Woman in White
The Woman in White (musical)
The Woman in White is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel with a book by Charlotte Jones, based on the novel The Woman in White written by Wilkie Collins...
, from July 2005 until February 2006. She was also cast in the title role in Marguerite
Marguerite (musical)
Marguerite is a musical with a book by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Jonathan Kent, lyrics by Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer, and music by Michel Legrand, with original French lyrics by Boublil. Based on the romantic novel La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils, the musical...
, a new musical from the pens of Michel Legrand
Michel Legrand
Michel Jean Legrand is a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist...
, Herbert Kretzmer
Herbert Kretzmer
Herbert Kretzmer OBE is a South African-born English journalist and lyric writer. He is perhaps best known as the lyricist for the English-language musical adaptation of Les Misérables.-Journalist:...
, Alain Boublil
Alain Boublil
Alain Boublil is a musical theatre lyricist and librettist, best known for his collaborations with the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg for musicals on Broadway and London's West End...
and Claude-Michel Schönberg
Claude-Michel Schönberg
Claude-Michel Schönberg is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with the lyricist Alain Boublil.These include the musicals:...
. The show opened on 7 May 2008 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, but closed early on 13 September 2008.
Henshall's Broadway credits include Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
's Putting It Together
Putting It Together
Putting it Together is a musical revue showcasing the songs of Stephen Sondheim. Drawing its title from a song in Sunday in the Park with George, it was devised by Sondheim and Julia McKenzie...
, Chicago(as both Velma and Roxie), and The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
. In 2000 she guest-starred in an episode of Law and Order titled "Panic"; she played an author named P.K. Todd. Her first feature film, a musical version of A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
with Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
, aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in November 2004 and was released as a commercial attraction to theatres in the UK and Europe. In January 2006 she appeared in the four-part BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Television series The Sound of Musicals
The Sound of Musicals
The Sound of Musicals was a 2006 four part BBC series starring several different musical theatre actors and some other professional singers who performed acts from different musicals. Each week the standard cast was joined by a celebrity guest host who also performed their favourite numbers...
.
In 2008 and 2009, Henshall appeared as an Ice Judge on the ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
show Dancing On Ice
Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
. Her appointment to the panel caused some controversy as she is the only judge with no experience in ice skating. Henshall said on Angela and Friends
Angela and Friends
Angela and Friends was a British talk show which was produced by Crackit Productions for Sky1.The show aired at 12pm, Monday to Friday, and was presented by actress Angela Griffin, who was joined by three "friends" in each show to discuss the latest news, celebrity gossip as well as other topical...
the Sky1 TV program that she was glad that she was away from Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
. Her replacement for the 2010 series was "Baby spice" Emma Bunton
Emma Bunton
Emma Lee Bunton is an English pop singer/songwriter and TV and radio presenter. She was a member of the 1990s girl group, the Spice Girls, in which she was known as Baby Spice as she was the youngest member. In 2010, she joined the judging panel on ITV's Dancing on Ice...
.
Henshall performed two evening concerts with Kim Criswell
Kim Criswell
Kim Criswell is an American musical entertainer and actress.- Life and career :Criswell was born in Hampton, Virginia, but grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. After she graduated from high school, she studied musical theatre at the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music...
entitled From Broadway to Hollywood at London's Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall is a 900-seat capacity concert hall on Sloane Terrace in Chelsea / Belgravia in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, United Kingdom...
in the summer of 2009.
She returned to the role of Roxie in Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre
Cambridge Theatre
The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929-30. It was designed by Wimperis, Simpson and Guthrie; interior partly by Serge Chermayeff, with interior bronze friezes by sculptor Anthony Gibbons...
, London, on 14 December 2009 and completed her run on 24 April 2010. This was the second time Henshall played the role in London having created it in 1997. She stated in an interview that she felt more comfortable in the part the second time around, being in her forties. She has stated that, "Anyone who plays the role of Roxie should be in their forties, as they have lived and learned". She has also recently played Roxie in the Broadway company of Chicago.
In March 2011, Henshall took the role of Elvira in the classic play Blithe Spirit
Blithe Spirit
Blithe Spirit is a comic play written by Noël Coward which takes its title from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "To a Skylark" . The play concerns socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric medium and clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, to his house to conduct a séance, hoping to...
in the West End, after playing the role in several regional theatre engagements.
Theatre credits
- Bernadette (Concept Album, 1989)...Performer
- Miss SaigonMiss SaigonMiss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
(Original London Cast, 1989)...Performer - Children of EdenChildren of EdenChildren of Eden is a two-act musical play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Caird. The musical is based on the Book of Genesis. Act I tells the story of Adam and Eve, Cain, and Abel, and Act II deals with Noah and the Flood...
(Original London Cast, 1991)...Performer - GodspellGodspellGodspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
(Studio Cast, 1993)...Performer - Crazy for YouCrazy for YouCrazy for You is a musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Billed as "The New Gershwin Musical Comedy", it is largely based on the songwriting team’s 1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but interpolates songs from several other productions as well...
(Original London Cast, 1993)...as Polly Baker - She Loves MeShe Loves MeShe Loves Me is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock.The musical is the fifth adaptation of the play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo, following the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan film The Shop around the Corner and the...
(London Revival Cast, 1994)...as Amalia Balash - AnnieAnnie (musical)Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
(Studio Cast, 1995)...Performer - Miss SaigonMiss SaigonMiss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
(Studio Cast, 1995)...as Ellen - Les MisérablesLes Misérables (musical)Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
(London Concert Cast, 1995)...as Fantine - Oliver!Oliver!Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
(London Cast, 1996)...as Nancy - Divorce Me, Darling!Divorce Me, Darling!Divorce Me, Darling is a musical written by Sandy Wilson. Set ten years after the events depicted in Wilson's much better known The Boy Friend, it is a pastiche of 1930s musicals rather than the "Roaring Twenties" shows that inspired the earlier show.-Productions:Divorce Me, Darling ran for 91...
(Chichester Festival Cast, 1997)...Performer - ChicagoChicago (musical)Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
(London and Broadway Revival Cast, 1998,1999, 2010)...as Roxie Hart - Ziegfeld Follies of 1936Ziegfeld Follies of 1936The Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 is a musical revue with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, music by Vernon Duke and sketches by Gershwin and David Freedman...
(New York Concert Cast, 1999)...Roles originated by Gertrude NiesenGertrude NiesenGertrude Niesen was an American torch singer, actress, comedienne and songwriter who achieved popular success in musicals and films in the 1930s and 1940s.-Life and career:... - Putting It TogetherPutting It TogetherPutting it Together is a musical revue showcasing the songs of Stephen Sondheim. Drawing its title from a song in Sunday in the Park with George, it was devised by Sondheim and Julia McKenzie...
(Broadway Revival, 1999)...as The Younger Woman - The Vagina MonologuesThe Vagina MonologuesThe Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
(Original Off-Broadway Production, 1999)...Performer - Peggy Sue Got MarriedPeggy Sue Got MarriedPeggy Sue Got Married is a 1986 American comedy-drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Kathleen Turner as a woman on the verge of a divorce, who finds herself transported back to the days of her senior year in high school...
(Original London Production, 2001)...as Peggy Sue - The Boy from OzThe Boy from OzThe Boy from Oz is a jukebox musical based on the life of singer/songwriter Peter Allen and featuring songs written by him. The book is by Nick Enright. The production had its world premiere, directed by Gale Edwards, at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, Australia, on 5 March 1998 and toured Brisbane,...
(New York Workshop, 2002)...as Liza Minnelli - The Woman in WhiteThe Woman in White (musical)The Woman in White is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Zippel with a book by Charlotte Jones, based on the novel The Woman in White written by Wilkie Collins...
[West End] (Original London Production, 2004)...as Marian - MargueriteMarguerite (musical)Marguerite is a musical with a book by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Jonathan Kent, lyrics by Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer, and music by Michel Legrand, with original French lyrics by Boublil. Based on the romantic novel La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils, the musical...
(Original London Production, 2008)...as Marguerite - Chicago (Cambridge Theatre, 2009) as Roxie Hart
- Blithe SpiritBlithe SpiritBlithe Spirit is a comic play written by Noël Coward which takes its title from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "To a Skylark" . The play concerns socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric medium and clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, to his house to conduct a séance, hoping to...
...Elvira
Recordings
- 1993: Crazy For YouCrazy for YouCrazy for You is a musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Billed as "The New Gershwin Musical Comedy", it is largely based on the songwriting team’s 1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but interpolates songs from several other productions as well...
(Original London Cast) - 1994: She Loves MeShe Loves MeShe Loves Me is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock.The musical is the fifth adaptation of the play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo, following the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan film The Shop around the Corner and the...
(1994 London Revival Cast) - 1995: Miss SaigonMiss SaigonMiss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
(1995 Studio Cast) - 1997: GodspellGodspellGodspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
(1993 London Studio Cast) - 1998: She Loves MeShe Loves MeShe Loves Me is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock.The musical is the fifth adaptation of the play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklos Laszlo, following the 1940 James Stewart-Margaret Sullavan film The Shop around the Corner and the...
(1994 London Cast) - 1998: Divorce Me, Darling!Divorce Me, Darling!Divorce Me, Darling is a musical written by Sandy Wilson. Set ten years after the events depicted in Wilson's much better known The Boy Friend, it is a pastiche of 1930s musicals rather than the "Roaring Twenties" shows that inspired the earlier show.-Productions:Divorce Me, Darling ran for 91...
(1997 Chichester Cast) - 1998: AnnieAnnieAnnie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
(London Studio Cast) - 1998: Chicago - The MusicalChicago (musical)Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
(1998 London Cast) - 1999: Miss SaigonMiss SaigonMiss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
(1995 Studio Cast - Highlights) - 2001: Ziegfeld Follies of 1936Ziegfeld Follies of 1936The Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 is a musical revue with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, music by Vernon Duke and sketches by Gershwin and David Freedman...
- 2002: Pilgrim
- 2004: Les MisérablesLes Misérables (musical)Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
10th Anniversary Concert - 2008: Maguerite (Original London Cast Recording)