Kyle Jean-Baptiste
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Kyle Jean-Baptiste | |
|---|---|
 Jean-Baptiste in costume as Courfeyrac from Les Misérables in June 2015 | |
| Born | December 3, 1993 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 29, 2015 (aged 21) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Baldwin Wallace University[1] |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2015 |
| Known for | First Black actor to play Jean Valjean in Les Misérables on Broadway[2][3] |
Kyle Jean-Baptiste (December 3, 1993 – August 29, 2015) was an American actor. He was the youngest, as well as the first Black[4] actor, to play the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables on Broadway.
He was also slated to be a cast member of the revival of the musical 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[5] and at Baldwin Wallace University.[6]
Jean-Baptiste was born to Haitian-born Serge Jean-Baptiste (born 1964) and Guyanese-born Sonia Jean-Baptiste (born 1966).[7][8] Jean-Baptiste lived in Canarsie, Brooklyn, with his parents and two sisters, Kelsey and Keely, with whom he was close.[9] He attended P.S. 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).
In 2011, Jean-Baptiste attended Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio,[1] where he studied under the tutelage of Victoria Bussert, Scott Plate, Timothy Mussard, Joanne Uniatowski, Adam Heffernan, 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.[10] 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.[11] The day after graduation, they asked him to join the cast.[12]