Actors - Pia Douwes

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	Actors - Pia Douwes

Pia Douwes (born on August 5, 1964 in Amsterdam, North Holland) is a Dutch musical actress who is very successful in Europe.

Biography

Douwes was born as a daughter to an arts dealer and a social worker. Initially Douwes wanted to become a nurse for mentally handicapped children. Then she danced in a disco when she was 19 years old and realized that she wants to dance. So she went to London and searched a dance school in the Yellow Pages. She chose the Brooking School of Ballet. Without any prior dance education she auditioned with a sprained ankle and they accepted her. One year later she attended a musical workshop with Susi Nicoletti and Sam Cane in Vienna. Sam Cane is said to have told to Douwes' father at that time: "If she will not become a star, I'll hung myself!"

In 1986 she got her first small part in Little Shop of Horrors in Vienna. More small parts followed afterwards. In 1987 she got her first part in a larger production. She was a swing on Cats in Amsterdam. With this production she toured in 1988 in Russia, now as Grizabella and Jellylorum.

More parts followed, but the great break through came not until 1992, when the actress got the leading part at the world premiere of Elisabeth in Vienna, Austria. Though the Viennese papers wrote a lot of scathing criticism, such as "Munter geht die Sisi unter" ("Blithely Sisi perishs") and they denied Douwes singing and acting talent of any kind, Douwes became along with Uwe Kröger an acclaimed musical star; by the way, the musical Elisabeth is today the most successful German language musical of all-time.

Until 1994 she played Elisabeth, then followed more parts like Rizzo in Grease or Eva Perón
in Evita in the Dutch touring production.

She was also active in other areas; she sang and spoke the leading part of the Dutch version in the movies Pocahontas 1&2. Additionally she did the gala evenings In love with Musical along with her collegues Uwe Kröger, Marika Lichter and Viktor Gernot.

In 1999 she played Velma Kelly in the Dutch premiere of Chicago. But Douwes went back to her roots and played the leading part of Elisabeth again in the Dutch and German premieres of the musical. After all in all 900 performances as Austrian empress she went back to Holland in February 2002 to take along with Dutch musical stars Vera Mann and Stanley Burleson part in the Broadway musical Fosse.

In March 2003 she got the chance to play Milady de Winter at the world premiere of the Dutch musical De drie musketiers (The Three Musketeers). The musical was later recorded (with her) and is now available on DVD.

In 2004 she played again Velma Kelly in Chicago. But this time she performed at first in the West End of London and then on Broadway.

Back again in Holland she played Clara in Passion. Then she went back to Germany to play again Milady de Winter at the German premiere of Die Drei Musketiere in Theater des Westens in Berlin. She played the part until October 30, 2005.

Now Pia Douwes is the most famous European musical actress alongside Ute Lemper. She took part at over 25 CD productions and was a duet partner of José Carreras. By the way, she is a great niece of Doris Day.

As of now (March 2006), Pia Douwes is on stage as Sally Bowles in a Dutch production of Cabaret.

Musical Engagements

1986 Little Shop of Horrors, Chrystal in Vienna
1986 - 1987Sammy Mario and Dancers, Dancer in Vienna
1987 Cats, Swing, Grizabella, Jellylorum in Amsterdam
1988 - 1989 Cats, Grizabella, Jellylorum, Demeter in Vienna
1988 Cats, Grizabella, Jellylorum at the tour through Russia
1990 West Side Story, Maria at the tour through Belgium and the Netherlands
1991 - 1992 Les Misérables, Fantine in Schevenigen
1992 - 1994 Elisabeth, Empress Elisabeth in Vienna
1994 Other People´s Money, Kate Sullivan in Prague
1994 West Side Story, Maria in Summer of Musical Amstdetten
1994 - 1995 Grease, Rizzo in Vienna
1995 / 1996 Cabaret, Sally Bowles in Bad Hersfeld, Germany
August 10, 1995 Cats, Grizabella and guest at the premiere in Vienna
1995 - 1996 and January 1997 Evita, Eva Péron at the tour through the Netherlands
1997 Rocky Horror Show, Janet in Bad Hersfeld, Germany
1997 - 1999 Dance! Dance! Dance!, Soloist in Vienna
1997 - 1998 Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre at the tour through the Netherlands
November 1998 Savanah Bay, Young Woman in the Netherlands
Dezember 1999 The Andrew Lloyd Webber Musical Gala, Soloist at the tour through Germany
1999 Chicago, Velma Kelly in Utrecht
1999 - 2000 Elisabeth, Elisabeth in Schevenigen
2000 Sweeney Todd, Beggar Woman, Debut in the West End of London
Dezember 2000 Cole Porter´s Songbook, Soloist
2001 - 2002 Elisabeth, Empress Elisabeth in Essen
2002 Fosse, Soloist at the tour through the Netherlands
2003 - 2004 De Drie Musketiers, Milady de Winter in Rotterdam
2004 Chicago, Velma Kelly in London
2004 Chicago, Velma Kelly, Debut on broadway
2004 - 2005 Passion, Clara at the tour through the Netherlands
2005 Die drei Musketiere, Milady de Winter in Berlin
since February 2006 Cabaret in Amsterdam

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