Ericka Hunter

Ericka Hunter Yang is a Canadian-born singer, songwriter, dancer and actress.[2] Hunter began her career as a Radio City Music Hall Rockette and made her Broadway debut in 2002. She has since been part of the original Broadway ensemble casts of Rock of Ages (later starring as Sherrie), American Psycho, Doctor Zhivago, the 2017 revival of Miss Saigon, and Moulin Rouge!

Ericka Hunter Yang
Born
Ericka Yang

(1982-05-08) May 8, 1982
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada[1]
NationalityCanadian
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actress
  • dancer
Years active2000–present
Partner
Aaron Tveit
​
(m. 2018)​

Early life

Yang was born in Ottawa, Ontario, to a Canadian mother and Chinese-born Hong Konger father. She grew up in the city's suburb of Nepean and attended a public performing arts high school. She has an older sister, Vanessa, and younger brother, Warren Yang, a former gymnast and actor.[3][4] Hunter is of Chinese, Dutch, German, and English descent.[5]

Career

After studying dance and theater in her hometown of Ottawa, Ontario, she made her professional debut with Radio City Rockettes at 18. Ericka then joined the Toronto company of the Lion King before being cast as a featured dancer in the ABC/Disney movie The Music Man. In 2002, at the age of 20, she made her Broadway debut in the original revival cast of Flower Drum Song and then went on to perform in the Broadway cast of 42nd Street.

In 2006, she relocated to Los Angeles to develop a music and fashion career. She worked as an assistant to stylist Joe Zee performed alongside artists such as Rihanna, Shakira, and Justin Timberlake.[5] During this period, she began using the professional name Ericka Hunter, taking the last name from a maternal great-grandmother.[5]

In 2008, she returned to New York. She joined the cast of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages in 2009. She later performed in Doctor Zhivago, the musical thriller American Psycho, Rock Of Ages (where she played the lead role of Sherrie), as well as the revival of Miss Saigon (understudied/performed the roles of Gigi and Ellen).

Early in 2018, she performed in the Danny Strong newly scripted version of Chess at the Kennedy Center. In addition to her Broadway credits, she's been cast in multiple TV productions including Mozart In The Jungle (Amazon), Smash (NBC), Modern Love (Amazon), and Katy Keene (CW). In 2021, she was a Core Dancer on Schmigadoon!, released on Apple TV+.

Hunter is featured on French DJ Morgan Nagoya's dance single "Promised Land along with Jonny Rose and Chris Reeder.[6] She released her first U.S. solo single "Fight to Believe" on January 17, 2013.[2]

Theatre
Year Production Role Venue Notes
2000 The Lion King Ensemble The Princess of Wales Theatre Toronto production
2001 Radio City Christmas Spectacular Rockette Radio City Music Hall
2002–03 Flower Drum Song Ensemble The August Wilson Theatre:
October 2002 – March 2003		 Original Broadway production
Credited as: Ericka Yang
2003–04 42nd Street Ensemble Ford Center for the Performing Arts Broadway replacement
Credited as: Ericka Yang
Ethel
2004 Princesses Goodspeed Theater Regional developmental production
2005 Aida Ensemble Ogunquit Playhouse Regional production
2007 Damn Yankees Ensemble Freud Playhouse at UCLA:
November 2007		 Reprise Theatre Company
2009–15 Rock of Ages Ensemble, Swing
(u/s Sherrie, Regina)		 Brooks Atkinson Theatre:
March 2009 – March 2013		 Original Broadway production
Ensemble
(u/s Sherrie, Justice, Regina)		 Brooks Atkinson Theatre:
November 2014 – January 2015		 Broadway replacement
2014 The Band Wagon Isabelle New York City Center Stage II:
November 2014		 Concert staging
2015 Doctor Zhivago Ensemble Broadway Theatre:
March – May 2015		 Original Broadway production
2016 American Psycho Sabrina / Video Store Clerk
(u/s Evelyn Williams, Courtney Lawrence, Svetlana, Mrs. Bateman, Mrs. Wolfe)		 Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre:
March – June 2016		 Original Broadway production
2017 Miss Saigon Ensemble
(u/s Gigi, Ellen)		 Broadway Theatre:
March – October 2017		 Broadway revival
2018 Chess Ensemble JFK Center for the Performing Arts:
February 2018		 Concert staging
2018–2022 Moulin Rouge! Ensemble
(u/s Arabia, La Chocolat)		 Emerson Colonial Theatre:
July – August 2018		 Original Boston production
(Pre-Broadway tryout)
Al Hirschfeld Theatre:
June 2019 – April 2022		 Original Broadway production
2023 ''Some Like It Hot'' Swing[7] Shubert Theatre:
March – April 2023; June 2023[8]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2003 The Music Man Dancer Film
2004–2011 Rescue Me Singing Nurse Episode: "Disease"
2012–2013 Smash Dancer 2 episodes
2014 It Could Be Worse Lacy Episode: "Fate"
2014 Mozart In The Jungle Dancer Episode: "Pilot"
2019 Modern Love
2020 Katy Keene Episode: "Chapter One"
2021– Schmigadoon! Core Dancer

References
  1. "Ericka Hunter". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  2. http://www.globalnews.ca/entertainment/ottawas+ericka+hunter+wont+stop+believin/6442790747/story.html%5B%5D
  3. Skethway, Nathan (July 5, 2019). "Siblings Ericka Hunter and Warren Yang Face the Challenges of Broadway Together". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  4. ""I'm Watching Him Do Something Neither Of Us Thought Was A Possibility."". The Ensemblist. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  5. Onofri, Adrienne. "GYPSY OF THE MONTH: Ericka Hunter of 'Rock of Ages'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  6. "European Vs American Music: Closing the Gaps With Ericka Hunter". www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/. 6 November 2012. Archived from the original on 2018-09-07. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
  7. "Ericka Hunter". Playbill.com. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  8. https://www.instagram.com/p/CtaN8JBuFxd/?igshid=ZWQyN2ExYTkwZQ==. Retrieved June 19, 2023. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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