About Rebecca

Rebecca Robbins spent the better part of 2009 battling stage II Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  She was diagnosed on February 26, 2009 and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.  She is currently cancer free and is in the process of  writing a book about her cancer experience. The book will also feature the photography of Mark Bradley Miller.  Only three days after finishing her last radiation treatment, Rebecca began rehearsals for the musical Oliver! at The Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia this past holiday season.   She is currently performing in The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) at The Walnut Street Theatre's Independence Studio on 3.

Rebecca made her Broadway debut last season in Jill Santoriello’s new musical, A Tale of Two Cities, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.  She made her New York Philharmonic debut in 2007 in the critically acclaimed production of My Fair Lady, starring Kelsey Grammer and Kelli O’Hara.  Earlier this year Rebecca appeared as a guest artist with Broadway powerhouse, Natalie Toro, at The Metropolitan Room in Manhattan.  She also performed with her dear friend and Tale of Two Cities colleague, James Barbour, in his concert series at New York's famous club and restaurant, Sardi's.

Born in Florida and raised in West Virginia, Rebecca’s passion for singing and performing began at a very early age.  At seven years old, convinced that she could sing just like Marie Osmond and Julie Andrews, she arranged for her own private voice lessons with her school’s choir director.  Within a matter of months, Rebecca sang her first solo in church and has been performing ever since. 

 Her first voice teacher, Skip Fengfish, gave her the best advice anyone could have given her, “Never pass up an opportunity to sing.  Whether it’s one person or thousands, you never know who you might be singing for and how your song might positively affect their life.”

Trained classically, Rebecca credits her love of musical theatre to her time spent with The Charleston Light Opera Guild during her high school and early college years.  Nina Denton, the director of the Guild, cast Rebecca in her first leading role, Laurie in Oklahoma, when she was just 15 years old.  Also cast in that same production as Rebecca’s dancing counterpart, Dream Laurie, was Jennifer Garner, who also got her start with The Charleston Light Opera Guild. 

Upon graduation from high school, Rebecca received the AT&T Artistic Development Award from The West Virginia Governor’s Council for the Arts, in addition to a full scholarship to study voice at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. 

After studying opera for two years, Rebecca decided to return to her first love, musical theatre, and left Curtis to study with Renay Conlin at The University of Charleston in West Virginia.  While there, Rebecca was presented with numerous opportunities to perform in a variety of venues.  She appeared as the soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the West Virginia Symphony, sang back-up for Barry Manilow and country star Lorrie Morgan and was honored to sing the National Anthem at the dedication of the West Virginia Veterans Memorial.  

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in music, Rebecca’s friend, Jennifer Garner, convinced her to move to New York City and pursue her dream.  Since being in New York, Rebecca has become an avid performer of new works.  She created the role of The Vocalist in The New Group’s world premier production of Wallace and Allen Shawn’s play/opera, The Music Teacher, which she recorded for Bridge Records.  Other premiers include La Vie En Bleu at The Walnut Street Theatre, La Gioconda at The Clurman Theatre and I’ll Be Seeing You at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center.  Rebecca has also been involved in numerous readings and made several demo recordings of up and coming new musicals.

On the concert stage, Rebecca was seen in City Center Encores! productions of The Pajama Game and The New Moon (which she recorded for Ghostlight Records), both conducted by Rob Fisher.  She has appeared with the Virginia Symphony, the West Virginia Symphony and in gala concerts for New York City Opera with Gerald Steichen at the piano.

Her regional credits include Cats, She Loves Me and Beauty and the Beast with The Walnut Street Theatre; A Little Night Music and The Pirates of  Penzance with Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera; Sweeney Todd with Baltimore Center Stage; Ragtime with Maine State Music Theatre and Candide with The Prince Music Theatre.  She has also recorded commercials for Commerce Bank and The New York Lottery.