Kecia Lewis, also credited as Kecia Lewis-Evans[1] is an American singer and actress, known primarily for her work on the stage.[2] In 2017, her performance as Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Marie and Rosetta earned her an Obie Award and a nomination for the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play. In 2006, she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her performance as Dorcas in Dessa Rose. Her performance in Hell's Kitchen earned her a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, a Lucille Lortel Award, a Outer Critics Circle Award, and a Drama Desk Award.[3][4][5][6]
Kecia Lewis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1963 |
| Education | High School of Performing Arts |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1980–present |
During her career Lewis also starred in films and television series, including recurring roles in Mad About You, The Passage, The Blacklist, and Law & Order.
Life and career
Lewis was born and raised in New York City and is a graduate of the High School of Performing Arts.[7] She made her Broadway debut at 18 years old in the original cast of Dreamgirls, directed by Michael Bennett, where she replaced Sheila Ellis in the role of Edna Burk and was the understudy of Effie Melody White played by Jennifer Holliday.[8] She followed this serving as an understudy for Nell Carter in the revival of Ain't Misbehavin'. In 1990, she originated the role of Asaka in Once on This Island. In 2006, she originated the role of Trix the Aviatrix in The Drowsy Chaperone.
In 2018, she starred as Mrs. Norman in a revival of Children of a Lesser God at the Studio 54.[9] In 2019 Lewis played the recurring role of Tonya on the 2019 follow-up of NBC television series Mad About You.[10] In 2022 she was cast in the Peacock thriller film The Independent.[11]
In 2023 she appeared off-Broadway in the show Hell's Kitchen, originating the role of music educator Miss Liza Jane, and reprised the role on Broadway in 2024, receiving a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Lucille Lortel Award along with a Drama League Award nomination.[12] Lewis also teaches stage and drama acting at the Atlantic Acting School.
Theatre and musical
Lewis had performed in severals Broadway, Off-Broadway and US stage companies.
Broadway productions
Off-Broadway productions
| Title | Years | Role | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Once on This Island | 1990–1991 | Asaka | Playwrights Horizons | Stage musical |
| Alysha | 2013 | Queen Victoria | Manhattan Theatre Club | Stage musical |
| Mother Courage and Her Children | 2015–2016 | Mother Courage | Classic Stage Company | Stage play |
| Marie and Rosetta | 2016 | Sister Rosetta Tharpe | Linda Gross Theater | Stage play |
| The Skin of Our Teeth | 2017 | Mrs. Antrobus | Theatre for a New Audience | Stage play |
| The Secret Life of Bees | 2017 | Various | Powerhouse Theater | Stage musical |
| American Eclipse | 2022 | Naomi Butter | Open Jar Studios | Stage musical |
| Hell's Kitchen | 2024 | Miss Liza Jane | The Public Theater | Stage musical |
Other productions
Filmography
FIlms
| Title | Years | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelter | 2014 | Shelter Worker | |
| Shirley | 2020 | Nurse | |
| The Independent | 2022 | Tonya |
Television
| Title | Years | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law & Order | 1992 | Langstrom | Episode: "The Fertile Fields" |
| The Hughleys | 2000 | Donna | Episode: "Love or Money" |
| Crossing Jordan | 2002 | Intake Nurse | Episode: "Secrets & Lies: Part 1" |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | 2013–2020 | Judge Constance Copeland | 4 episodes |
| Royal Pains | 2013 | Nurse | Episode: "Game of Phones" |
| Limitless | 2015 | Chrystal | Episode: "This Is Your Brian on Drugs" |
| Blue Bloods | 2016 | Sandi Harper | Episode: "Town Without Pity" |
| Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Stephanie | Episode: "Kimmy Gives Up!" | |
| Conviction | Judge Melissa Hinds | Episode: "A Simple Man" | |
| Madam Secretary | 2017 | Ms. Morales | Episode: "Revelation" |
| SMILF | 2019 | Aunt Renee | Episode: "Smile More if Lying Fails" |
| Wu-Tang: An American Saga | Aunt Goldie | 3 episodes | |
| Mad About You | Tonya | 12 episodes | |
| The Passage | Lacey Antoine | 7 episodes | |
| The Blacklist | 2020–2021 | Esi Jackson | 10 episodes |
| With Love | 2021 | Mia | Episode: "Independence Day" |
| And Just Like That... | Laura | Episode: "Tragically Hip" | |
| The Good Fight | 2022 | Angela Allen-Hellman | Episode: "The End of STR Laurie" |
Awards and nominations
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucille Lortel Awards | 2017 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play | Marie and Rosetta | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical | Hell's Kitchen | Won | [13] | |
| Drama Desk Award | 2006 | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Dessa Rose | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical | Hell's Kitchen | Won | [14] | |
| Drama League Awards | 2024 | Distinguished Performance | Hell's Kitchen | Nominated | [15][16] |
| Obie Award | 2017 | Distinguished Performance by an Actress | Marie and Rosetta | Won | |
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical | Hell's Kitchen | Won | [17] |
| Tony Awards | 2024 | Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Hell's Kitchen | Won | [18] |