Vanessa Williams in Gateshead

Vanessa Williams is an American singer and actress born in 1963, whose music spans pop, R&B and soul. She was the first Black woman crowned Miss America, then built a recording career led by songs including “Save the Best for Last,” “Dreamin’” and “Colors of the Wind,” as well as the album The Comfort Zone. In 1994, Williams made her Broadway debut as Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman at the Broadhurst Theatre. Eight years later, she played the Witch in the revival of Into the Woods and received a Tony Award nomination for the role. In 2010, she appeared at Studio 54 in the revue Sondheim on Sondheim.