Kim Criswell

Kim Criswell was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and later graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Her professional journey began with a role in the touring company of “Annie,” leading to her Broadway debut in “The First.” She subsequently appeared in several notable Broadway productions, including “Nine,” where she served as Anita Morris’ understudy, performing a number that was notably banned from the 1982 Tony Awards. Her career continued with roles in “Baby,” “The Three Musketeers,” “Stardust,” and “3 Penny Opera,” where she performed alongside Sting.

Criswell expanded her career into extensive recording work, earning Grammy nominations for her albums “Anything Goes” and “Annie Get Your Gun.” In 1992, she moved to London to star in “Annie Get Your Gun,” a performance that earned her a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. London has since become her home base, where she continues to record, appear in musicals, and perform in concerts and on television. Her stage credits in the USA during this period also included roles in “Cats” in Los Angeles.

Throughout her career, Criswell has been recognized for her powerful vocal abilities and stage presence. She received the Helen Hayes Award in 1989 for her performance in “Side By Side By Sondheim” at the Olney Theatre. Her international engagements include a prominent role as a featured soloist at the BBC Proms in 2009 and 2010, where she performed a medley of classic film musical songs and Rodgers and Hammerstein pieces with the John Wilson Orchestra. In 2012, she starred in Bernstein’s “Candide” at Vienna’s Volksoper, further solidifying her international reputation.