Reva Rice
Reva Rice is an American musical theatre actress and singer. She originated the role of Pearl in Starlight Express on Broadway, and played the character in the show's 1992 London run. She also played the role on tour in the USA and in Las Vegas.
Other credits include Velma in Chicago, Smokey Joe's Cafe and the television show, The Watcher. She played Roz in the world premiere musical production of JAM: Just Another Man, a musical about the life of Clint Holmes, at the Judy Bayley Theatre at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She most recently was the standby for The Lady of the Lake in the Las Vegas cast of Spamalot and was a part of the Las Vegas tryout of the new musical, All in: The Poker Musical.
She has been a cast member of the national tour of the musical version of The Color Purple as a part of the ensemble, and understudied the lead character of Shug Avery. She is currently (as of 2011) performing in David Saxe's VEGAS! THE SHOW, playing now at the Saxe Theater inside the Miracle Mile Shops at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.
Rice led the cast in the Japanese production of Fosse, based on the work of choreographer Bob Fosse. She was also one of the finalists on the television show Star Search.[1][2]
Background
Reva was born in Toledo, Ohio to Flute and Pearl Esterine Shields Rice. She began training in dance, theatre, and piano when she was five. She graduated from the Boston Conservatory of Music.
Her Broadway and international starring credits include Starlight Express, Fosse and Chicago. She has starred in the first national tours of Starlight Express, Smokey Joe’s Café, Fosse, Chicago and Just Off the Road from Oprah Winfrey’s "The Color Purple". Reva has worked with such greats as Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Patrick Swayze, Chaka Khan, Dolly Parton, Melissa Manchester, American Idol’s Fantasia and many more. She also performs and produces cabaret acts around the world. Reva Las Vegas is a 90 minute revue based on her journey back and forth from Broadway Babe to Vegas Vixen and her dance show band, The Jewelry Box.
Notable Theatrical Roles
- Pearl the Observation Car in Starlight Express
- Pearl the Observation Car in The New Starlight Express
- Velma Kelly in Chicago
- Roz in JAM: Just Another Man
- The Lady of the Lake (Standby) in Monty Python's Spamalot
- Lead Singer in VEGAS! THE SHOW
Singles
Reva released a single called Next time You fall in Love. She can also be heard as Pearl on the New Starlight Express London Cast recording, where she sings two solos: Make Up My Heart, and He'll Whistle at Me, and sings duets such as Crazy and Next time you fall in Love.
Starlight Express
Reva is one of Starlight Express's biggest names. Already a skater before joining the show, she has played the role of Pearl in four different productions - Broadway, the 1st US tour, London, and Las Vegas. The song 'Make Up My Heart' and the simplified love-song 'Only You' was first sung by her on Broadway. She appears on the "New Starlight Express" London cast recording (see above).
She also was the first Pearl to sing 'He'll Whistle at Me', 'Crazy' and 'Next Time You Fall in Love' in the London show.