Kyle Jean-Baptiste
| Kyle Jean-Baptiste | |
|---|---|
Jean-Baptiste in costume as Courfeyrac from Les Misérables in June 2015
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| Born |
December 3, 1993 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 29, 2015 (aged 21) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School Baldwin Wallace University |
| Occupation | Broadway Actor |
| Years active | 2015 |
| Known for | First black actor to play Jean Valjean in Les Misérables on Broadway |
| Parent(s) | Serge and Sonia Jean-Baptiste |
Kyle Jean-Baptiste (December 3, 1993 – August 29, 2015) was an American actor. He was the youngest, as well as the first Black, actor to perform the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables on Broadway. He was slated to join the cast of the revival of The Color Purple. On August 29, 2015, a day after departing Les Misérables and two days after his final performance as Valjean, he died, after accidentally falling from a fire escape in Brooklyn, New York. Scholarships in his name exist at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School New York, NY, and at Baldwin Wallace University, in Berea, Ohio.
Jean-Baptiste was born to Haitian-born Serge Jean-Baptiste (born 1964) and Guyanese-born, Sonia Jean-Baptiste (born 1966). Jean-Baptiste lived in Canarsie, Brooklyn, with his parents and two sisters, Kelsey and Keely, with whom he was close. He attended PS 276 in Brooklyn, where he gained a love for the stage. He also attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, where he was accepted on a Vocal audition during the end of Junior High School (PS/IS 66). At LaGuardia, he was acquainted with actor Ansel Elgort. The two appeared together in a high school performance of Hairspray.
In 2011, Jean-Baptiste attended Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, where he studied under the tutelage and direction of Victoria Bussert, Scott Plate, Timothy Mussard, Joanne Uniatowski, Adam Hefferman, Gregory Daniels, Sara Whale, Heidi Glynias and others.
During his senior showcase, he sang a selection from the musical Once, followed by "Glory" from the film Selma. He was a tenor. Upon his return to New York City, he was ultimately signed by Ben Sands at Stone Manners Salners Agency. During the showcase, he was spotted by Les Miserables casting directors. The day after graduation, they asked him to join the cast.
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