Women in entertainment: Tiffany Phillips, inspirational quadruple threat is all pro

Happy Monday.  Now that we’ve all survived the Super Blood Moon, let’s take a look at our next Women in Entertainment featured artist, Tiffany Phillips, actress, dancer, singer, comedian and inspiration to all women, especially those of color.

After receiving a full scholarship, Phillips left her hometown of Apple Valley, California at the tender age of 17 to attend the prestigious American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.   After graduating, she wasted no time in landing roles in Off Broadway shows as well as traveling as part of several national theatre tours.   She also became a member of the renowned Negro Ensemble Company and National Black Theatre, where she performed on the main stage.  Her national tours included Beehive, the 60’s girl group musical; Sweet Charity; and More Magic, the Motown review starring Florence Larue of The Fifth Dimension.

When she was 19, she became the youngest singer in the Motown Moments at New York’s Motown Cafe, singing the hits of the Supremes, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas and much more.  Among the Motown legends who attended her performances were Diana Ross, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, as well as the one and only Mohammed Ali.

Disney cast Phillips in the role of Princess Kibbibi in their musical Festival of the Lion King staged at Walt Disney World ‘s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida.  She also hosted shows on the ABC Soundstage and Superstar Television, as well as performing at special seasonal events.  During this time she also appeared in numerous national commercials and began her string of guest starring roles on network television, including a run as the co-host and on-air announcer for Nickelodeon’s Double Dare 2000.

That run continued when Phillips returned to the West Coast, where she secured roles on such diverse shows as Charmed and Mind of Mencia, as well as several independent films.  Phillips expanded her reach when she starred in several critically-acclaimed plays, including Diary Of A Catholic School Dropout and Jesus’ Kid Brother at the Theatre Rows’ Hudson Theatre, and Soldier’s Don’t Cry and Girls Of Summer, for which she received rave reviews.

This love of theatre prompted Phillips to create the female sketch comedy troupe BoomChickBoom that garnered the attention of Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Robert Townsend, who later became producers on the project.

Disney came calling again and Phillips was chosen to be the on-camera spokesperson and host for their Up and Bolt national tours.  She still found time to make the rounds as a stand-up comedian, gracing such comedy landmarks as The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory.

In 2010, she returned to her vocal roots when she became the lead background vocalist for Michael Bolton’s “One World One Love” tour.

Tiffany wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed one-woman play I Never Met a Jerk I Didn’t Like,” which debuted at the 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival and went on to become the highest grossing solo show in the 30-year history of LA’s  Whitefire Theatre, as well as selling out Off-Broadway theaters in New York City.

What inspires Phillips?  “I am inspired by quotes from a diverse range of artists.  Among my favorites are “A woman who walks in purpose doesn’t have to chase people or opportunities. Her light causes people and opportunities to chase her;”  “I’m so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I’m saying.” (Oscar Wilde); and “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.” (Marianne Williamson)

More recently, she has co-starred on The Soul Man with Cedrick “The Entertainer,” performed on Comedy Central’s Workaholics and just completed filming the movie Chocolate Is Not Better Than Sex and the new web series Under The Radar with John Wesley and Cleo King.  She has also made several appearances as a guest on HLN’s The Daily Share, as well as an upcoming co-starring role on ABC’s Scandal.