Kerry Ellis is a British stage actress and acclaimed singer with an ever in… Read Full Bio ↴Kerry Ellis is a British stage actress and acclaimed singer with an ever increasing fanbase. She has starred as Elphaba in the West End and Broadway productions of the musical Wicked. Among her notable roles are Fantine in the West End production of Les Miserables and Meat in the original London production of We Will Rock You.
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.
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.
You Have to Be There
Kerry Ellis Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'You Have to Be There' by these artists:
boyle susan What is it Lord that you want That I am not…
Susan Boyle What is it Lord that you want That I am not…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Kerry Ellis:
Anthem No man no madness Though their sad power may prevail Can p…
Behind These Walls You chose to leave I wasn't gonna beg you to stay You…
Dangerland Dangerland There is a land I know Far from our gravity Wh…
Defying Gravity Something has changed within me Something is not the same …
Gimme Love Come on skinny love just last the year Pour a little…
I'm Not That Girl Hands touch, eyes meet Sudden silence, sudden heat Hearts …
Let It Go Let it go, let it go Can't hold it back anymore Let…
No One But You A hand above the water An angel reaching for the sky Is…
No-One but You A hand above the water An angel reaching for the sky Is…
Street Where You Live I have often walked down this street before; But the pavemen…
Time of My Life Love of my life - you've hurt me You've broken my…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Lucy Walsham
You have banished me
From the land where I was born
Here upon a foreign shore forsaken
I have followed you
And gone thy way
Should I kneel to you
When I rise you strike me down
Once again a little one you've taken
Everywhere I turn it's darker still
What is it Lord that you want
And that I am not seeing?
What in my innocent prayers
Am I failing to say?
Never before have I questioned the truth of your being
Never once have I dared
Never until today
All of a tremble
I stand on the edge of confusion
Who is to save me
If into the darkness I fall?
Now that I need more than ever my Lord to be near me
Do you hear when I call?
Are you there after all?
You have to be there, you have to
My life I have placed in thy keep
And without you I am drifting on a dark and rising sea
You have to be there, you have to
Without you I'd drown in the deep
Too far, too far from land
The waters drag me down
I reach for your hand
Who when I die will throw open his arms to receive me?
Who will believe me and take me into his embrace?
And when I go to my rest, who will watch me and wake me?
When my time comes at last, will you grant me your grace?
I am so small of this Earth, I am nothing without you
Daring to doubt you at all turns a knife in my heart
Little by little I'm losing my way in the shadows
I am losing my home and the world fall apart
You do have to be there, you have to
My life I have placed in thy keep
And without you I am drifting on a dark and rising sea
You have to be there, you have to
Without you I'd drown in the deep
Too far, too far from land
The waters drag me down
I reach for your hand
And without you I am drifting on a dark and rising sea
You have to be there, you have to
Without you I'd drown in the deep
Too far, too far from land
The waters drag me down
I reach for your hand
Erik
My God! One of the best songs in the world!
Anna Katarzyna
Love Hes voice!
Lucy Walsham
You have banished me
From the land where I was born
Here upon a foreign shore forsaken
I have followed you
And gone thy way
Should I kneel to you
When I rise you strike me down
Once again a little one you've taken
Everywhere I turn it's darker still
What is it Lord that you want
And that I am not seeing?
What in my innocent prayers
Am I failing to say?
Never before have I questioned the truth of your being
Never once have I dared
Never until today
All of a tremble
I stand on the edge of confusion
Who is to save me
If into the darkness I fall?
Now that I need more than ever my Lord to be near me
Do you hear when I call?
Are you there after all?
You have to be there, you have to
My life I have placed in thy keep
And without you I am drifting on a dark and rising sea
You have to be there, you have to
Without you I'd drown in the deep
Too far, too far from land
The waters drag me down
I reach for your hand
Who when I die will throw open his arms to receive me?
Who will believe me and take me into his embrace?
And when I go to my rest, who will watch me and wake me?
When my time comes at last, will you grant me your grace?
I am so small of this Earth, I am nothing without you
Daring to doubt you at all turns a knife in my heart
Little by little I'm losing my way in the shadows
I am losing my home and the world fall apart
You do have to be there, you have to
My life I have placed in thy keep
And without you I am drifting on a dark and rising sea
You have to be there, you have to
Without you I'd drown in the deep
Too far, too far from land
The waters drag me down
I reach for your hand
And without you I am drifting on a dark and rising sea
You have to be there, you have to
Without you I'd drown in the deep
Too far, too far from land
The waters drag me down
I reach for your hand
JulianLennon Fan2001
I can relate to this song. Was listening to this during study hall. It was great.
Реек Галочко
Голос действительно хороший
Pseud
Yes, the voices tha sang this song countless times are most alluring. They are all good. The orchestra is also beautifully harmonized, adding tremendously to the reason why we love this piece so much.
MrPleasentville
Def a prayer ..always has been ..and helen is the best at singing this song ..it has way more passion and you can feel it ..
Maria Tornatore
Kerry, voce bellissima, ANGELICA, SOAVE
slendersail
WOW... Several levels of thought here. Kerry has awesome technique, but there's something grating on my ears about her tone (or voice coloration, not sure about the word I need). But this is epic, together with BM's humongous riffs. I'm not familiar with the song, but it sounds Biblical? I don't believe in the Biblical rageaholic "God", yet this song makes it all seem more like a metaphor for head-over-heels love, which IS like these lyrics/riffs. "What am I doing wrong?" - oh yes...
xpqr12345
I can give you some of the background to this song: it comes from a musical called "Kristina från Duvemåla" in Swedish. It translates to "Kristina from Duvemåla" in English. Kristina is a woman who has emigrated from Sweden to USA after starving in Sweden due to bad crops. She is highly religious, and after loosing several (5?) children she starts doubting the existence of her god. This explains the biblical tones of the song.
As for this performance itself: KE is obviously a talented singer, but when I heard this on the original stage, by the original "Kristina" I got goose bumps. Helen Sjöholm, the original singer, put a bit more anger into her stage performance, that I find lacking in this version. Unfortunately, it is also lacking in the recorded version of the original :-(
And just a fun fact to finish off: KfD was written by the two guys of Abba, and was a major hit in Sweden.