Karla Burns

Karla Burns (December 24, 1954 – June 3, 2021) was an American operatic mezzo-soprano and actress. She performed at opera houses, theaters, and on television. Her career included performances with the Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, the Teatro Real, Cairo Opera House, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. 
She was the first African-American to win the Laurence Olivier Award. Burns also won a Drama Desk Award in 1991. She was born in Wichita, Kansas.
Burns died on June 3, 2021 at a Wichita hospital from a short-illness, aged 66.