Anika Noni Rose

Anika Noni Rose (born September 6, 1972) is a Tony Award-winning American singer and actress. Rose was born in Bloomfield, Connecticut to Claudia and John Rose, Jr., a corporate counsel for the city of Hartford. In her freshman year in high school, she appeared in a school production and caught the acting bug. She then attended Florida A&M; University where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre, thereafter studying drama at the American Conse... more

Anika Noni Rose (born September 6, 1972) is a Tony Award-winning American singer and actress. Rose was born in Bloomfield, Connecticut to Claudia and John Rose, Jr., a corporate counsel for the city of Hartford. In her freshman year in high school, she appeared in a school production and caught the acting bug. She then attended Florida A&M; University where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre, thereafter studying drama at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, California. Rose moved to New York without a job, and after three months she secured the role of Rusty in Broadway's Footloose. She followed Footloose with numerous workshops and two musicals using pre-existing song catalogs, Eli's Comin' off-Broadway and Me and Mrs. Jones with Lou Rawls in Philadelphia. Both of the full-scale tuners were rumored for transfers, but neither made it anywhere after their limited engagements ended. She was down to $20 in the bank before she landed her next gig, a movie musical.... less