SARAH RICE

arrived in NYC with $100, two cats and a piano. Shortly after, she originated the role of Marianne in a musical adaptation of THE MISER called HANG ON TO YOUR RIBBONS, off-off Broadway. This led to being cast as The Girl in the long-running original off-Broadway production of THE FANTASTICKS. She continued in the role off and on for over two years. During that time she also played Anne in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, Cunegonde in CANDIDE, at the Guthrie, Miranda in THE TEMPEST, Zan in REGINA, Gretel in HANSEL AND GRETEL and Liesl in THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

Then Stephen Sondheim and Harold Prince chose her to become part of musical theatre history. She was cast as the original Johanna in SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET on Broadway for which she won a Theatre World Award and recorded on RCA. This recording won a Grammy for best show album and SWEENEY swept the Tony awards, including best show.

Leading soprano roles since then include; Marie in DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT, Gilda in RIGOLETTO, Cunegonde in CANDIDE, Mabel in PIRATES OF PENZANCE, Kathie in THE STUDENT PRINCE, Lady Catherine in THE VAGABOND KING, Monica in THE MEDIUM, Madame Goldentrill in THE IMPRESARIO, Maria in WEST SIDE STORY, Marietta in NAUGHTY MARIETTA, Magnolia in SHOWBOAT, Christine Daae in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Sarah in BITTERSWEET, Margot in THE DESERT SONG, Susanna in THE SECRET OF SUSANNA, Gretel in CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, THE MERRY WIDOW (with Dame Joan Sutherland in her last US operatic stage appearance), Tirese/Tiresias in LES MAMELLES DE TIRESIAS, Eolo in L’ORIONE, Marian Paroo in THE MUSIC MAN, Jenny Lind in BARNUM, and Sarah Brown in GUYS AND DOLLS to name a few, with theatre and opera companies throughout the world, including the famed Gran Teatro la Fenice in Venice, Italy (before it burned down), Santa Fe Opera, Central City Opera, Dallas Opera and others.

She originated the roles of Susan in the Virginia Woolf musical, THE WAVES at the New York Theatre Workshop, Eloise in that Abelard and Eloise musical, ETERNAL LOVE, off-off Broadway, Belle in A CHRISTMAS CAROL for Eastern Opera Theatre, and Elizabeth in SWAN SONG at the York Theatre Company.

Dramatic roles include Ophelia in HAMLET, Woman #1 in MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL, Elisabeth in AURELIE'S WALTZ, film versions of THE KNIGHT FROM OLMEDO, as Inez, Isobel in THE PHANTOM LADY, Anne Bullen in HENRY VIII, and Adriana in THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. She filmed an original docu-drama for HBO called P. T. BARNUM AND HIS HUMAN ODDITIES where she sang and acted the role of Jenny Lind. She appeared as Maude Arthur in the PBS series THE BEST OF FAMILIIES.

Recordings include; SWEENEY TODD, WINTERS ARE WARMER, THE WAVES, JEROME KERN REVISITED, for Ben Bagly, and YOUR ARM'S TOO SHORT TO BOX WITH GOD (she sang the high notes). She currently studies voice with Laura Thomas.

Ms. Rice resides in NYC with her husband, John Hiller, five cats and the piano.