Ellis was born in 1979 in Haughley, a small village near Stowmarket, Suffolk, where she grew up with her older brother Andrew. Ellis attended Stowmarket High School and in 1995, she joined the team of Starmakers at the age of 16, with which she was involved until 1997. In 1996 and 1997, as a member of Starmakers, Ellis performed musical numbers such as "Memory" from Cats and "Sun and Moon" from Miss Saigon.Following this, Ellis returned to formal stage training at Laine Theatre Arts.
In 1999 Ellis sang on a recording for Children in Need and did a jingle for Capital Radio. In 2004 she worked with Queen lead guitarist Brian May to record an orchestral version of the song "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)", originally a Queen song and featured in the musical We Will Rock You.[7]
In 2000, Kerry became a member of the My Fair Lady cast and became second understudy to Martine McCutcheon for the lead role of Eliza Dolittle, which she got to play on five occasions. During 2000 Ellis also understudied Marti Webb in Magic Of The Musicals.
In 2002, Ellis originated the role of Meat in We Will Rock You, and played this role for two years, making appearances for performances such as "Party in the Park", "Party in the Palace" and Parkinson. Ellis left the cast of We Will Rock You on 17 April 2004 and went on to play Ellen in Cameron Mackintosh's UK tour of Miss Saigon. On 7 June 2005 she joined the cast of Les Misérables at the Queen's Theatre, portraying the character Fantine.
In 2006, Ellis joined the cast of West End's new production of Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, as the temporary standby for Idina Menzel, who originated the lead role. She took the role of Elphaba over full-time after Menzel's pre-planned departure on 30 December 2006. Effectively, Ellis is the first British actress to play the role of Elphaba. For this role, Ellis won "Best Takeover in a Role" at the 2008 Theatregoer's Choice Awards.
On 7 June 2008 Ellis temporarily departed the Apollo Victoria Theatre, where she was succeeded by Alexia Khadime. She transferred to the Broadway production of Wicked with performances starting from 17 June 2008. Ellis replaced actress Stephanie J. Block on Broadway, making her the first Elphaba to transfer from the West End to Broadway. For her run in the Broadway production Ellis won the Broadway.com Audience Award for "Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Female)". Ellis left the Broadway Company on 9 November 2008 and she was replaced by Marcie Dodd.
Ellis returned to the West End production on 1 December 2008 and completed her time with Wicked on 9 May 2009, when Alexia Khadime returned.
On 12 May and 13 2008, Ellis performed alongside Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal and Josh Groban in a special performance of Chess in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall.
Ellis performed her rock version of "Defying Gravity" at the Royal Variety Performance 2008 on 11 December at the London Palladium in the presence of senior members of the Royal family.
Ellis recently worked with Steve Sidwell to produce new recordings of the Wicked songs "I'm Not That Girl" and "No Good Deed". It was expected that a teaser CD of her forthcoming debut album, produced by Brian May in the time since Ellis left We Will Rock You and featuring drum tracks by Taylor Hawkins, would become available in June before she left for Broadway.
The teaser CD was released on 7 July 2008 as Wicked In Rock and features rock versions of Wicked songs "I'm Not That Girl", "Defying Gravity" and a remastered version of her We Will Rock You song, "No One But You". The CD is on sale in London musical shop, Dress Circle, at the Gershwin Theatre and is available on the British iTunes. A limited edition 12" vinyl has also been released to purchase from Dress Circle.
During her time performing as Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway, Ellis recorded a song for Scott Alan entitled "Behind these Walls". This song is featured on his album Keys.
In January 2009, Ellis sang with Mazz Murray and Peter Johansson in the Champions of Rock concert at De Geerhallen in Norrköping, Sweden.
In March 2009, Ellis and other West End actors recorded songs for a musical treatment of Terry Pratchett's Only You Can Save Mankind.
On 15th and 16th May 2009, Ellis performed with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra alongside Mazz Murray, MiG Ayesa and Ricardo Afonso at the Symphonic Queen Spectacular at the Bournemouth International Centre's Windsor Hall. She is set to perform similar concerts in Weybridge on 1st August and Romsey on 15th August 2009 plus possibly others around the country from July through to September.
During June 2009 Ellis performed 4 shows called "The Great British Songbook" at the Shaw Theatre.
Ellis performed with John Barrowman at the Henley Festival on 10 July 2009.
Kerry appeared in OK! magazine on 23rd June alongside Patina Miller talking about "The Great British Songbook" and her time in Wicked.
On June 20, 21, 25 and 26 June 2009, Kerry performed her first solo concerts at The Shaw Theatre, Euston Road, London. The Great British Songbook celebrated the work of many of our leading contemporary composers and lyricists, including Queen, Coldplay, The Feeling and Goldfrapp. The series was devised by Neil Marcus and the Arranger and Musical Director was Steve Sidwell.
Ellis has also done the workshops for Way Beyond Blue, written by Imogen Stubbs and directed by Trevor Nunn and the title role in Helen of Troy, directed by Gary Griffin.
Defying Gravity
Kerry Ellis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by
The rules of someone else's game
Too late for second guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap
It's time to try defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
And you can't bring me down
Mmm-mmm
I'm through accepting limits
Cos someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But til I try I'll never know
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well if that's love it comes at
Much too high a cost
I'd sooner buy defying gravity
I'm way up high, I'm defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
And you won't bring me down
Unlimited
My future is unlimited
And I just had a vision
Almost like a prophecy
I know
It sounds truly crazy
And, true, the vision's hazy
But I can see it
I can feel it
I swear I'll be so high
yeah yeah
So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky
As someone told me lately
Everyone deserves a chance to fly
And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who ground me
Take a message back from me
ah yeah
It's time to try defying gravity
I'm way up high, I'm defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
And you won't bring me
You won't bring me down
aaah
ah-ah-ah-ahhh
The lyrics to Kerry Ellis's song "Defying Gravity" are a powerful message about breaking free from the constraints of society and following your own instincts. The song begins with the singer feeling a change within herself, recognizing that something is not the same as it once was. She declares that she is through with playing by the rules of someone else's game, and that it is too late for her to second guess herself or go back to sleep. Instead, it is time to trust her instincts, close her eyes, and leap into the unknown.
The chorus of the song is a declaration of independence and a bold statement of the singer's intentions. She is "defying gravity" and "way up high," and she knows that no one can bring her down. She is through accepting limits that others have placed on her, and is determined to explore the limits of her own potential. She acknowledges that some things may be beyond her control, but she will never know until she tries. Even if she fails, she is willing to pay the price of "losing love" in order to find her own path and pursue her dreams.
In the bridge of the song, the singer has a vision of her own unlimited future. Although her vision may seem crazy or hazy to others, she can see it clearly and feels it intensely. She swears that she will be so high, and no one can hold her back. The song concludes with a message to those who may have tried to ground her. She has found her wings, and they cannot bring her down.
Overall, "Defying Gravity" is a powerful anthem of self-discovery and personal empowerment. It encourages listeners to take risks, explore their potential, and live their lives to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
Something has changed within me
I have undergone a transformation
Something is not the same
I am now a different person
I'm through with playing by
The rules of someone else's game
I am done following other people's expectations
Too late for second guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's too late to hesitate or ignore my feelings
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap
I need to believe in myself and take a risk
It's time to try defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
And you can't bring me down
I am going to challenge the status quo, and nothing will stop me from achieving my goals
I'm through accepting limits
Cos someone says they're so
I won't be bound by conventional beliefs or restrictions set by others
Some things I cannot change
But til I try I'll never know
I may not be able to alter certain circumstances, but I won't give up without first attempting to change them
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
I've been fearful of losing love in the past, but now I realize it's not worth the cost
Well if that's love it comes at
Much too high a cost
If love requires me to compromise my own happiness, it's too expensive
I'd sooner buy defying gravity
I'm way up high, I'm defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
And you won't bring me down
I'd rather risk everything to achieve my ambitions than compromise my values or desires to maintain the status quo
Unlimited
My future is unlimited
My potential is limitless
And I just had a vision
Almost like a prophecy
I have a strong belief or a premonition
I know
It sounds truly crazy
And, true, the vision's hazy
But I can see it
I can feel it
I swear I'll be so high
yeah yeah
I acknowledge that my vision may seem implausible, but I am convinced it is worth pursuing
So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky
As someone told me lately
Everyone deserves a chance to fly
If you want to locate me, look up in the sky towards the setting sun. Remember that everyone deserves an opportunity to pursue their dreams
And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who ground me
Take a message back from me
ah yeah
Even if I am pursuing my dreams alone, at least I am liberated from external influences. To those who tried to limit me, this is my message to them
It's time to try defying gravity
I'm way up high, I'm defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
And you won't bring me
You won't bring me down
aaah
ah-ah-ah-ahhh
I am determined to challenge the norms and rise above them, and no one will be able to stop me from reaching my potential
Contributed by Aaron C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Victor Tran
I love how the broadway version feels magical/enchanted, but this one actually makes me feel like I'm soaring!!!
Jacob Hadar
so true! im like the biggest wicked fan there is! I think she does better than Menzel
O' Henry
Yup, that is what I feel as well, Awesome performance.
Christian Slavey
Couldn't have said it better myself.
KARL BURGESS
Awwwww.... Kerry my Elphaba... everytime I see and hear you singing this , my heart skips a beat ...and makes my cry ..this is so Amazing ...love this version .. as well as your performances in the Show...love you Kerry and family Xxx Xxx ❤️
Matilda Vikström
This is the best Defying Gravity version ever!😍
Paul Todd Jr.
The absolute best version of this song ever sung. Well done!
Jedd the Jedi
Instant goosebumps; kickass arrangement and Ellis just rocked this song.
MrPlantpot20
The late, great Taylor Hawkins on the drums. Magnificent.
marie eastwood
really? Epic