Kiril Kulish
| Kiril Kulish | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kiril Jacob Kulish February 16, 1994 San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, dancer, singer |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Website | |
| KirilKulish.com | |
Kiril Jacob Kulish[1] (born February 16, 1994) is an American actor, dancer, and singer. Beginning his ballet training at the age of five, Kulish became a Tony Award winner at the age of fifteen as Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as one of the original Billys in the Broadway production of Billy Elliot the Musical.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Kulish was born in San Diego, California on February 16, 1994.[2][3] He grew up speaking Russian and Ukrainian, as well as English.[4] He started studying ballet at the age of five and is also a concert pianist. He was the Junior division Grand Prix winner of the Youth America Grand Prix in 2007,[5] and won the Hope Award in the Pre-Competitive division in 2006.[6] He was the youngest male dancer admitted to the San Diego Academy of Ballet Junior Company.[7]
[edit] Billy Elliot the Musical
At a press launch in New York on April 22, 2008, it was announced that Kulish would be one of three boys to play the title role in the original Broadway production of Billy Elliot the Musical, with David Álvarez and Trent Kowalik being other two boys who would be alternating in the role.[8] Kulish performed in the musical's first preview performance on October 1, 2008 and on June 7, 2009, Kulish, along with Trent Kowalik and David Álvarez, won for the Tony Award for best leading actor in a musical. In all, Billy Elliot was nominated for 15 Tony Awards, and won 10, including Best Musical and Best Book.[9] Kulish appeared in his final performance as Billy on Saturday October 3, 2009.[10]
[edit] Other work
In late 2009, Kulish performed the lead role in the ballet The Nutcracker.[11] In 2010, he attended the ballroom championship at USA Dance Southwest Regional Championship in Long Beach, CA. Kulish currently resides in San Diego, California with his parents.
[edit] Awards
| Awards | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Award | Category | Role | Show | Result | Ref. |
| 2009 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Billy Elliot | Billy Elliot the Musical | Won | [12] |
[edit] References
- ^ http://dvd-copy.com/people/Kiril-Kulish/2987700/bio.htm
- ^ Broadway Stars biography broadway.com, November 12, 2008
- ^ http://nymag.com/arts/theater/features/51543/index1.html
- ^ http://www.kirilkulish.com/about.html
- ^ Youth America Grand Prix listing, 2007 yagp.org
- ^ Youth America Grand Prix listing, 2006 yagp.org
- ^ Kulish Official site kirilkulish.com, accessed March 11, 2009
- ^ Billy announcement billyelliotthemusical.com, accessed March 11, 2009
- ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090505/ap_on_en_ot/us_tony_nominations
- ^ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/132342-Ko_and_Hennig_Will_Join_Cast_of_Broadway%27s_Billy_Elliot_Kulish_Gwynne_Bologna_Depart
- ^ http://www.broadway.com/buzz/tony-award-winning-billy-elliot-alum-kiril-kulish-star-nutcracker/
- ^ "Tony Awards Official Website - Past Winners 2009". TonyAwards.com. http://www.tonyawards.com/p/tonys_search?start=1290&year=&award=&lname=&fname=&show=. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
[edit] External links
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