Ericka Hunter
Ericka Hunter | |
|---|---|
| Hunter at opening night Hunter in 2017 | |
| Born | Ericka Yang May 8, 1982 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2000–present |
Ericka Hunter, born Ericka Yang, is a Canadian-born singer, songwriter, dancer and actress.[2] Hunter is a former Radio City Music Hall Rockette, starred in several musicals on Broadway,[3] including Rock of Ages, Miss Saigon and Moulin Rouge! and appeared on the NBC series Smash.[4] Hunter is featured on French DJ Morgan Nagoya's dance single "Promised Land[citation needed] along with Jonny Rose and Chris Reeder.[5] She released her first U.S. solo single "Fight to Believe" on January 17, 2013.[2]
Early life
Hunter was born in Ottawa, Canada, to a Canadian mother and Chinese-born Hong Konger father. She has an older sister, Vanessa, and younger brother, Warren Yang, a former gymnast and actor. She grew up in the city's suburb of Nepean and attended a public performing arts high school. She is of Chinese, Dutch, German, and English descent.[6]
Career
After studying dance and theater in her hometown of Ottawa, Ontario, she made her professional debut with Radio City Rockettes at 18. Ericka then joined the Toronto company of the Lion King before being cast as a featured dancer in the ABC/Disney movie The Music Man. In 2002, at the age of 20, she made her Broadway debut in the original revival cast of Flower Drum Song and then went on to perform in the Broadway cast of 42nd Street.
In 2006, she relocated to Los Angeles to develop a music and fashion career. She worked as an assistant to stylist Joe Zee and, as a dancer, performed alongside artists such as Rihanna, Shakira, and Justin Timberlake.[6] During this period, she began using the professional name Ericka Hunter, taking the last name from a maternal great grandmother.[6]
In 2008, she returned to New York. She joined the cast of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages in 2009. She later performed in Doctor Zhivago, the musical thriller American Psycho, Rock Of Ages (where she played the lead role of Sherrie), as well as the revival of Miss Saigon (understudied/performed the roles of Gigi and Ellen).
Early in 2018, she performed in the Danny Strong newly scripted version of Chess at the Kennedy Center. In addition to her Broadway credits, she's been cast in multiple TV productions including Mozart In The Jungle (Amazon), Smash (NBC), Modern Love (Amazon), and Katy Keene (CW).
Theatre
| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Lion King | Ensemble | The Princess of Wales Theatre | Toronto production |
| 2001 | Radio City Christmas Spectacular | Rockette | Radio City Music Hall | |
| 2002 | 42nd Street | Ensemble, Ethel | Ford Center for the Performing Arts | Broadway replacement Credited as: Ericka Yang |
| 2002–03 | Flower Drum Song | Ensemble | The August Wilson Theatre: October 17, 2002 - March 16, 2003 |
Original Broadway production Credited as: Ericka Yang |
| 2007 | Damn Yankees | Ensemble | Freud Playhouse at UCLA: November 6 – 25, 2007 |
Reprise Theatre Company |
| 2009–15 | Rock of Ages | Ensemble (u/s Sherrie) |
Brooks Atkinson Theatre: 2009 – 2015 |
Broadway replacement |
| 2014 | The Band Wagon | Isabelle | New York City Center Stage II: November 6 – 16, 2014 |
Concert staging |
| 2015 | Doctor Zhivago | Ensemble | Broadway Theatre: March 27 – May 10, 2015 |
Original Broadway production |
| 2016 | American Psycho | Video Store Clerk / Sabrina (u/s Evelyn Williams, Courtney Lawrence, Svetlana, Mrs. Bateman, Mrs. Wolfe) |
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre: March 24 – June 5, 2016 |
Original Broadway production |
| 2017 | Miss Saigon | Ensemble (u/s Gigi, Ellen) |
Broadway Theatre: 2017 |
Broadway revival |
| 2018 | Chess | Ensemble | JFK Center for the Performing Arts: February 2018 |
Concert staging |
| 2018–present | Moulin Rouge! | Ensemble (u/s Arabia, La Chocolat) |
Emerson Colonial Theatre: July 10 – August 19, 2018 |
Original Boston production (Pre-Broadway tryout) |
| Al Hirschfeld Theatre: June 28, 2019 – |
Original Broadway production |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Music Man | Actor | Film |
| 2004–2011 | Rescue Me | Supporting | TV |
| 2012–2013 | Smash | Supporting | TV |
| 2014 | It Could Be Worse | Lacy | TV |
| 2014–2018 | Mozart In The Jungle | Supporting | TV |
| 2019 | Modern Love | Supporting | TV |
| 2020 | Katy Keene | Supporting | TV |
References
- ^ "Ericka Hunter". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
- ^ a b http://www.globalnews.ca/entertainment/ottawas+ericka+hunter+wont+stop+believin/6442790747/story.html[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-06-20. Retrieved 2013-01-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-01-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "European Vs American Music: Closing the Gaps With Ericka Hunter". www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/. Archived from the original on 2018-09-07. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
- ^ a b c Onofri, Adrienne. "GYPSY OF THE MONTH: Ericka Hunter of 'Rock of Ages'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
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