Chad Kimball (born September 2, 1976) is an American stage actor known for roles in musical theatre, especially Huey Calhoun in the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

musical ''

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

'' and Milky White in the 2002 Broadway revival of ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

''.

Early life and career

Kimball was born in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, Washington, on September 2, 1976, and graduated from

Boston Conservatory Boston Conservatory at Berklee (formerly The Boston Conservatory) is a private performing arts conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, music, and theater. Boston Conservatory was founded o ...

with a BFA in musical theatre in 1999. After moving to New York City, he joined the

musical '' The Civil War'', three weeks before it closed. He was in the

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

revival of ''

Godspell ''Godspell'' is a musical in two acts with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set t ...

'' in 2000 and the Broadway revival of ''

'' in 2002 as Milky White the cow and an understudy for Jack and the Wolf/Rapunzel’s Prince. He appeared in the Broadway musicals '' Lennon'' and ''

Good Vibrations "Good Vibrations" is a song by the American rock music, rock band the Beach Boys, produced and composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. Released as a single on October 10, 1966, it achieved immediate critical and commercial success, ...

'' in 2005. During this period, he also appeared in regional theatre as Anthony in ''

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–1847). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet St ...

'' at the Signature Theatre (1999), ''Baby'' at the

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater containing approximately 1,200 seats located in Millburn, within Essex County, New Jersey, United States, on the banks of the Rahway River. Due to its relative proximity to Manhattan, the theater draw ...

Millburn, New Jersey Millburn is a suburban Township (New Jersey), township in southwestern Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, within the U.S. state of New Jersey, and part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's ...

(2004), and ''Little Fish'' in 2007 at the Blank Theatre,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

''Memphis'' and later years

Kimball originated the lead role of Huey Calhoun in the musical ''

'' at the

La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a nonprofit professional theater on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under the ...

in 2008, and starred in the role in the Broadway production until fall 2011. He was nominated for a

Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actors for quality leading roles in a musica ...

for the role. Kimball appears in the filmed version, '' Memphis: Direct from Broadway'' by Broadway Worldwide. In 2017 he returned to Broadway as Kevin T. in the musical '' Come from Away''.Evans, Greg
"Broadway Actor Chad Kimball Files Lawsuit Alleging He Lost ''Come From Away'' Job Over Christian Beliefs"
Deadline.com, October 21, 2021 In March 2020, he contracted and recovered from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. Later that year, on Twitter, he criticized, and pledged to disobey, COVID public health restrictions regarding singing in churches. His tweet caused backlash. He was not invited to return to ''Come from Away'' when the show resumed production in 2021, and he subsequently filed a lawsuit against the show's producers, alleging religious discrimination.

References

External links

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archive
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"Quick Wit: Chad Kimball", August 16, 2000 at theatermania.comInterview, September 11, 2005, at broadwayworld.com
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archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kimball, Chad 1976 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male musical theatre actors American male stage actors Boston Conservatory at Berklee alumni Christians from Washington (state) Living people Male actors from Seattle