Photo Credit: Henry Grossman
"KICKING & SCREAMING, The Musical!"
Written and performed by Jennifer Jiles
Croton resident Jennifer Jiles legged it out for five years as a Rockette, but the performer has spent many more answering inquiries about the experience.
She does anything but dance around those questions in "Kicking and Screaming," her one-woman musical inspired by her life as a member of Radio City Music Hall's most famous group... (Click image to see feature article)
KICKING & SCREAMING, The Musical!
In the roaring 20's the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes took New York City audiences by storm,
and ever since, this glamorous Christmas classic has been melting the hearts of tourists and
New Yorkers alike. Now, you've seen the sequins and the outlandish hats. You've seen the dancing
teddy bears and wooden soldiers. Look out world! This ain't your grandma's glamour girls!
Jennifer Jiles steps out from behind the kickline and brings 25 original characters to life for
105 minutes of sparkling, big-hearted fun. Here is the true story of one Ex-Rockette.
Photos by Rana Faure
KICKING & SCREAMING, The Musical! can now be booked at a venue near you!
Soupy Sales says: "I loved it! It’s funnier than a pie in the face!
Tell your parents to send in $1 to Jennifer ASAP!"
Carl Reiner says: “I love Jennifer Jiles!”
Joey Reynolds says: “Jennifer Jiles’ act has legs!
Click above to see feature in NY Observer's Eight Day Week
Jennifer Jiles is a New York-based actress and comedienne. Her acting credits include the National Tour of
The Odd Couple, starring Tim Conway and Tom Poston, Mame, starring Samantha Eggar and Shani Wallis, and the role of
Portia in The Merchant of Venice. As Agnes Gooch in Mame, she was praised by the New York Times as "pleasantly
believable and welcomely less exaggerated than the usual misfit in her orthopedic oxfords," and as Portia, "her
glittering intelligence added great depth to her work."
She has also performed in the Workshop productions of Cy Coleman's musical, Exactly Like You, directed by
Pat Birch, in Hal Hackaday's musical Empty Pleasures, and in a development project with Carl Reiner at
Westbeth Theatre Center. Jennifer was published as in the original cast of Karin Baker's The Melody Lingers On,
an Irving Berlin review, and most recently performed with soap stars Martha Byrne (As the World Turns) and
Liz Keifer (Guiding Light) in The MOMologues, An Original Comedy on Motherhood. She even played a fish
in The Holiday Inn, Manhattan, rooftop pool!
She has appeared in many commercials, and makes much of her living doing voice-overs (Lifetime, Discovery Channel,
Hallmark Channel, TLC, Nickelodeon, 9 Lives, Colgate, Burger King, Dannon, Pizza Hut (w/ Queen Latifa), K-Mart
(w/ Martha Stewart) & more). She has been seen in corporate shows for Cannon, IBM, and Astrozenica, on CBS'
David Letterman, As The World Turns, and Guiding Light, on A&E's 100 Centre Street, and can be seen in
Eric Bross' film Restaurant starring Adrien Brody.
In Jennifer's one woman show KICKING AND SCREAMING, she exhibits both her versatility and vulnerability.
Jennifer steps out from behind the kickline and brings 25 original characters to life for 105 minutes of
sparkling, big-hearted fun. KICKING & SCREAMING is the true story of one Ex-Rockette. Jiles has been featured
in New York Magazine, USA Today, The New York Observer, Time Out New York, The New York Times,
the Poughkeepsie Journal, The Jewish Forward, The Wall Street Journal, and many more, as well as on TV on GoodDay NY,
NY1, the WB11, Fox News Channel, Metro Channel and more.
For four glorious years (1993-96), during the "off-season" as a Rockette, Jennifer was perhaps best known in the
sports world as the Emmy Award-winning host of SportsChannel's DYNAMETS!, a weekly New York Mets baseball show for
kids that the New York Daily News called "ahead of the pack". The show allowed Ms. Jiles to display her tremendous
enthusiasm, wit, creativity, and intelligence. Dynamic and versatile, she is equally at home with children and adults
alike, and it's this chemistry that made DYNAMETS! a successful children's program. She also counts singing the National
Anthem at Shea Stadium as a highlight.
Ms. Jiles was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York. After graduating with a B.F.A. from S.U.N.Y. Purchase
School of Arts, Jennifer moved to New York to pursue her dream of being a professional entertainer. Her success
as an actress, singer, and dancer is not her only driving ambition, however. Ms. Jiles is also a humanitarian who
is actively involved in several charitable ventures benefiting children, including: Make A Wish Foundation, Abilities!
in Albertson, New York, the The Valerie Fund for which she is Celebrity Emissary, and writes to inner-city NYC kids as
a PencilPal.
;)
