According to multiple reports, award-winning actress and Wichita-native Karla Burns has died at age 66, after recent struggles with her health.
Burns graduated from Wichita West High School and Wichita State University; at WSU, she received degrees in Theater Performance and Music Education.
Burns performed to acclaim on the international stage in multiple productions, including performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company in London, the Cairo Opera House, the Teatro Real in Madrid, and the Paris Opera. In the U.S., Burns performed on the legendary stages at Carnegie Hall and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
Burns made her Broadway debut playing the role of Queenie in a revival of the iconic Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II musical "Show Boat" in 1983, and she was nominated for a Tony Award in the category "Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical; the Tony Award that year went to Betty Buckley, who played Grizabella in "Cats". Burns however did win the Drama Desk Award that year as "Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical".
Burns also played the role of Queenie in the production of "Show Boat" in the U.K. at the London Palladium, becoming the first black actress to win the British Olivier award for theatre excellence in London's West End; she won the Olivier Award in 1991 for "Best Supporting Performance in a Musical"
Burns also drew accolades for the one-woman musical in which she toured, "Hi-Hat Hattie", examining the life of Wichita-native Hattie McDaniel, America's first Black Oscar winner for her role as Mammy in "Gone With the Wind". Burns' performances of "Hi-Hat Hattie" included a stint Off-Broadway in NYC.
Burns has also appeared in numerous William Shakespeare productions including "Comedy of Errors" as Nell with Marisa Tomei. She was also seen as Mistress Overdone in "Measure for Measure" with Kevin Kline, Blair Underwood and Andre Braugher. Both were productions for New York City Shakespeare in the Park.
In recent years, Burns became a fixture in many stage productions in her hometown, often appearing in productions for The Forum Theatre Company and Roxy's Downtown, among others.
Burns also recorded an album of gospel songs, showcasing her operatic mezzo-soprano range.