by Lia Chang
Congratulations to Ruthie Ann Miles on winning the 2015 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for her role as Lady Thiang in the well-received revival of The King and I.
Miles had already won a 2015 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical and was nominated for the 2015 Drama League Award for her Distinguished Performance. The role marks her Broadway debut.
An emotional, excited, and tearful Miles gave a heartfelt acceptance speech which you can see below.
In addition to Miles’ win, Lincoln Center Theater’s revival of The King and I was named Best Revival of a Musical and won in the categories of Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for Kelli O’Hara and Best Costume Design of a Musical for Catherine Zuber. Other nominations included Ken Watanabe (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical), Bartlett Sher (Best Direction of a Musical), Michael Yeargan (Best Scenic Design of a Musical), Donald Holder (Best Lighting Design of a Musical), Christopher Gattelli (Best Choreography).
The King and I wins 4 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, Kelli O’Hara (Best Leading Actress in a Musical), Ruthie Ann Miles (Best Featured Actress in a Musical) and Catherine Zuber (Best Costume Design)
O’Hara, Miles, Watanabe and the cast of The King and I performed a medley of Rodgers and Hammerstein favorites like “Getting to Know You,” “Shall We Dance?” and “Something Wonderful.”
The New York Times called Miles “first-rate,” and said she “turns ‘Something Wonderful’ into an exquisite expression of romantic realism that could be the show’s anthem.”
Miles recently starred in the critically-acclaimed Off-Broadway musical Here Lies Love, in which she played former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos. Miles won critical acclaim for that role and garnered a Theatre World Award and a Lucille Lortel Award. Other favorite productions include Avenue Q, Band Geeks, Two By Two, and the National tours of both Annie, and Sweeney Todd (as Adolfo Pirelli – playing the accordion, flute and piano onstage.) She received her Masters in music performance from NYU Steinhardt.
Miles hails from Kaimuki in Honolulu, Hawai’i.
Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon and Taxman. She has guest starred on “One Life to Live,” “As the World Turns,” and “New York Undercover.” She is profiled in Jade Magazine.
