FSU Theatre Alumna, Christiani Pitts, is the Queen of New York
Christiani Pitts as “Ann Darrow” and “King Kong.” Photo courtesy of Joan Marcus
Bio
Tallahassee audiences may remember Christiani Pitts for her portrayal of Fraülein Sally Bowles in the School of Theatre’s 2014 production of Cabaret. While in Tallahassee, she was also featured in Company (Marta) and Ragtime (Sarah’s Friend). After graduating with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Music Theatre in 2015, Pitts made her Broadway debut as Denise in A Bronx Tale: The Musical and later assumed the starring role of Jane.
When Christiani walks into the Broadway Theatre and steps into character for King Kong, she talks to her late grandmother, Roberta Mae. Roberta Mae, a black woman from Florida and born in the early 1900s, lived a life much different than her granddaughter.
“She, for me, is a huge legacy that I kind of pulled from for the role,” Pitts, the first woman of color to play Kong heroine Ann Darrow, told Vanity Fair.“She went through an arranged marriage and some things that were culturally appropriate at the time, the 1930s. I just feel like if she had the chance to tell her story from her perspective right now, she would do it in a way that is as epic as King Kong on Broadway. I feel so incredibly honored because I’m taking her struggles as a woman, as a black woman, and I’m putting them on a stage in front of thousands of people every night.”
Photo courtesy of Joan Marcus
Projects
King Kong, as Ann Darrow, directed by Drew McOnie of Broadway
A Bronx Tale, as
Cabaret, as Sally Bowles, directed by Tom Owsoski of The Florida State University
Aida, as Aida, directed by Linda Stevenson of the North Atlanta Center for Arts
Rent, as Mimi Marquez, directed by Jenna Tamisiea of the Glow Lyric Theatre
Legally Blonde, as Pilar, directed by Jacqueline Wheeler of the Peach State Theatre
Company, as Marta, directed by Fred Chappell of the Florida State University
Ragtime, as Sarah’s Friend, directed by the Florida State University
Bog Momma’s House 3, as Brittny/Diva #1, directed by John Whitesell of Regency Enterprises
Drumline, as student/dance, directed by Charles Stone III of Dallas Austin
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- Christiani Pitts as “Ann Darrow” and “King Kong”
