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Mama Mia

By: Sara Romanoski

Mamma Mia! is one of those shows that you can’t help but sing along with, and since its West End debut in 1999 and its United States debut in 2000, it has provided millions of viewers with a fun, upbeat, heartfelt score and story that make for a memorable night at the theatre. Mamma Mia!, is called a “jukebox” musical, meaning that the music is used in the show is done by other artists first, and then has a story built around the music to create a show. For instance, Mamma Mia!, takes music from the 1970’s Swedish band, ABBA, and builds the story of a mother/daughter duo, and their relationship as she grows up and is preparing to get married. The show features mostly women including main character Sophie, her mother Donna, and Donna’s two best friends Rosie and Tanya who love Sophie like their own. Throughout the story, the emphasis remains on female empowerment, the beauty of female friendships, and how staying true to your family and values can result in a happy ending. This smash hit musical has been going strong for over two decades and inspired the 2008 film adaptation, starring Meryl Streep, and 10 years after the original film, a sequel called “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” is due out in theatres on July 20th.

Works Cited

Caggiano, Chris. “Milestone Shows That Altered the Course of Musical Theater.” ThoughtCo,                                                 www.thoughtco.com/musicals-that-changed-broadway-3219249.

“Mamma Mia!” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Apr. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamma_Mia!

OfficialLondonTheatr. “Mamma Mia!” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Jan. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq_ahVlFxT0.

TrailersPlaygroundHD. “Mamma Mia! - Official® Trailer [HD].” YouTube, YouTube, 16 Aug. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkN-A00WLYE.

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Angela Lansbury

By: Ashley Beasley

Angela Lansbury is an actress from East End of London, England. She has played different roles in film, television, and stage work. Lansbury has been elected for Academy Awards as well as won Tony Awards; she was a hit of the 60’s and 70’s (Angela).

 Angela Lansbury was born on October 16, 1925, to a stage actress named Moyna MacGill and a politician named Edward Lansbury. Her father died when she was 9 years old and as she became an adolescent, she and her sister attended acting school (Angela). In 1940, during the London Blitz, Lansbury and her family (mother and two brothers) fled to New York. Lansbury attended Lucy Fagan school on a scholarship and then was told by her mother to mother in Los Angeles where she worked in a department store (Angela).

 In 1944, Lansbury appears in Gaslight and earned an Academy Award nomination for Actress in a Supporting Role (Angela). She was then nominated for (and won) a Golden Globe for playing lady Sibyl Vane in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Lansbury was known for her supporting roles and took on roles of characters that were noticeably older than her age (Angela). She played in National Velvet (1944), The Harvey Girls (1946), The Manchurian Candidate (1963), Blue Hawaii (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told, Mister Buddwing (1966). She starred in Something for Everyone and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971).

 In 2014, Lansbury received an honorary Academy Award for her achievements in cinema. She appeared in the television movies Murder, She Wrote, and also on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

 Lansbury was known for both screen work and stage work. In 1957, Lansbury made her debut with Hotel Paradiso on Broadway (Angela). She then landed the lead role in Mame (1966), another as a mad Countess Aurelia in Dear World (1969), played Mama Rose in Gypsy (1974), and Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd (1979). For all four of these productions, Lansbury won a Tony Award for Actress in a Musical (Angela).

 In 2007, Lansbury returned to Broadway in Deuce and Blithe Spirit (2009). She then won another Tony Award in 2009 for Featured Actress (Angela). This was not the end of her career, however, Lansbury has played in A Little Night Music (2009) and a lead role in The Best Man (2012 – Angela).

 Works Cited:

 “Angela Lansbury.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 30 Nov. 2017, www.biography.com/people/angela-lansbury-9373383. 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-features/9269751/Angela-Lansbury-interview-Im-never-left-behind.-Im-the-bionic-woman.html

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Julie Taymor

By: Sara Romanoski

Julie Taymor was born on December 15th, 1952, in Boston Massachusetts and has been breaking barriers for women on Broadway for decades. While not a triple threat starlet, Taymor is one of the most notable and decorated directors on Broadway. Over the course of her life, Taymor has showcased her talent in a variety of ways including as a puppeteer, playwright, set designer, director, and her work in the Opera. Taymor has travelled, studied, and worked in theatre all over the world, and even owns her own theatre company in Bali, Indonesia, called Teatr Loh. Although she has earned multiple awards and distinctions for her work, Taymor is best known for her Direction of the Broadway musical, The Lion King. In 1997, the show with music by Elton John, opened for its debut at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under the direction of Taymor, The Lion King has seen unparalleled success. In 1998, Taymor’s paved the way for other women in the industry by being the first female ever to win a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. Since winning this award, Taymor has continued to speak out on the lack of opportunities for women in the industry; “I think it is so much harder for women to get the opportunity. You know that I’ve only ever done one show [The Lion King] in London? I’d be happy to direct here but I’ve never been asked.” She continues by saying, “I think it takes so much for a woman to get to that place that they have to have a passion or a story they really want to tell. When women fail, they don’t get another chance as easily.” Taymor is currently continuing her career by directing productions of Shakespeare, working on a one-woman show with Anne Hathaway, and adding additional awards to her collection.

Works Cited

Blumberg, Naomi. “Julie Taymor.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 26 May 2017, www.britannica.com/biography/Julie-Taymor.

Lawson, Mark. “Julie Taymor: 'When Women Fail, They Don't Get Another Chance as Easily'.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 19 June 2015, www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/jun/19/lion-king-director-julie-taymor-women-opportunity.

“Julie Taymor.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/julie-taymor/.

“Julie Taymor.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 21 July 2014, www.biography.com/people/julie-taymor-320722.

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Chita Rivera

By: Diana Huebner 

Chita Rivera is a woman known for many of her career skills such as being a dancer, theater actress, singer, film actress, and a television actress. Clearly, she is a very hardworking woman artist!

Rivera’s real name is Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero, but she goes by Chita Rivera. She was born on January 23, 1933, in Washington, D.C., and she is Puerto Rican. Rivera found her love for dance and performing while attending the George Balanchine School of American Ballet. Unfortunately, Rivera lost her father at the young age of seven, but her mother still encouraged her to pursue dancing. At the young age of seventeen, Rivera landed a role that she didn’t even plan on getting in Call Me Madam, but her beautiful voice and dancing skills were too good for the interviewer to pass up, and that was the start to her Broadway journey!

           Rivera is most known for her role as Anita in the musical show West Side Story, by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim with choreography by Jerome Robbins. Rivera stood out for singing “A Boy Like That.” Here is a clip that shows how great she was in this musical! I personally love how strong her Spanish accent is!

She won her first Tony Award In 1984 when she starred in the musical The Rink for her role as Anna. Unfortunately, right when Rivera was doing so well in her career she was in a horrible car accident and broke her leg which needed eighteen screws!! Remarkably after two years of healing and getting back on her feet she went back to performing immediately! That is true bravery, inspiration, and shows how strong of a woman she is and how passionate she is about her love for performing! Lastly, she is the first Hispanic woman and the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award (December 2002). She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009!

                                                             Works Cited        

A & E Network Editors. “Chita Rivera Biography.” Biorgraphy, 2018, www.biography.com/people/chita-rivera.

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Hairspray

By: Diana Huebner

I have always loved the movie Hairspray, so I was excited to learn more information about the aspects of the show and the characters! Hairspray is an American musical directed by Kenny Leon and Alex Rudzinski based on the 1988 John Waters Film Hairspray.

The musical show Hairspray takes place in 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland. The main character is Tracy Turnblad who is a silly, plus sized and is an inspirational go-getter teenager. Tracy is a very loving and open-minded person, but unfortunately many of the people back in that era were not openminded especially when it came to other races. Tracy’s number one dream was to dance and perform on the popular show The Corny Collins Show. To improve her dance moves she worked with the talented African American students in detention and she realized how good of dancers they were! She wanted them to be involved in the show as well, but The Corny Collins Show did not believe in integrating colored people with the white people. Therefore, Tracy used her voice, determination, and with the support of others she was able make the show integrate and accept her colored friends as well. Tracy’s determination, love, and kindness for others is in inspiration, and it teaches everyone that it truly does not matter whether someone is fat, skinny, white, black, short, or tall. We must love, respect, and accept one another for who they are. Her positive personality and love for life and for others was my favorite part from the play and film.

           The main character who played Tracy Turnblad in the movie Hairspray and played the same character in the show Hairspray Live was Marissa Jaret Winokur and she is an amazing actress! She plays the character so well, shows women all over the world that it doesn’t matter if you are chubby or short, you can do whatever your passion is if you work for it! She also won a Tony Award as Best Leading Actress in a Musical which she deserved! Lastly, the musical show Hairspray Live has won eight Tony Awards!

Works Cited

IMBD editors. “Full Cast & Crew.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 2018, www.imdb.com/title/tt5664684/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_wr#writers/.

Jones, Kenneth. “Take Me Out, Hairspray Are Top Winners in 2003 Tony Awards; Long Day's Journey, Nine Also Hot.” Playball, 9 June 2003, www.playbill.com/article/take-me-out-hairspray-are-top-winners-in-2003-tony-awards-long-days-journey-nine-also-hot-com-113640.

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Barbara Cook

By: Ashley Beasley

Barbara Cook is a successful Broadway performer and cabernet singer who I am honored to highlight this week. Cook was born in Atlanta, GA on October 25, 1927 and has performed in shows since she was very young (Ruhlmann). In 1948 Cook and her mother moved to New York in hopes of making singing a career (Ruhlmann). She was recommended to perform at Camp Tamiment where she was recognized by Max Gordon (who was partners with Herbert Jacoby who ran the Blue Angel nightclub in New York- Ruhlmann). Through this connection, she was able to perform her first professional debut at the Blue Angel (Ruhlmann). This performance resulted in Cook being featured in Flahooley on Broadway (Ruhlmann). Cook was booked again at the Blue Angel and returned to Broadway in Oklahoma! which ended up going on national tour (Ruhlmann). After this, she played a role in Golden Windows, Babes in Toyland, earned a featured role in the Broadway musical Plain and Fancy, and appeared in Bloomer Girl (Ruhlmann).

Some of Cook’s more celebrated work happened later. One example was when she was cast as Cunegonde in Candide, it was honorable because of the skill level required to successfully sing “Glitter and Be Gay” (Ruhlmann). From there she was in The Music Man which was performed 1,375 times and won a Tony Award for featured actress in a musical (Ruhlmann). In The Music Man, Cook sang “Goodnight, My Someone,” My White Knight,” and “Till There Was You” on the cast album (Capitol Records) which topped the charts for 12 weeks and sold a million copies (Ruhlmann).

As Cook reached her mid-forties, her career took a slight change as she went mostly to performing in nightclubs and concerts alongside Wally Harper which lead to her debut at Carnegie Hall, recorded by Columbia Records (Ruhlmann). This leads her to a different direction career-wise. She was in a studio-cast recording of Carousel, she made a recording of The Secret Garden, and sang songs for The Disney Album (Ruhlmann). This was not the end for Cook.

At 76, Cook made a debut at the Metropolitan Opera as a guest which resulted in Barbara Cook’s Broadway! (Ruhlmann). After Harper, (Cook’s accompanist of 30 years) died, she recorded an album called Tribute in his honor. She then returned to Metropolitan Opera to give a concert, “the first opera house to host a non-classical female solo singer in full-length concert” (Ruhlmann). She returned to Carnegie Hall in 2012 for her 85th birthday concert. Four years later, in August 2017, Barbara Cook passed away at 89 in her home in Manhattan (Ruhlmann).

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/barbara-cook-luminous-singer-of-broadway-stage-dies-at-89/2017/08/08/4549181c-7c46-11e7-a669-b400c5c7e1cc_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.825145476f2a

Works Cited:

Ruhlmann, William. “Barbara Cook | Biography & History.” AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/barbara-cook-mn0000147343/biography.

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Patti LuPone

By: Diana Huebner

           Patti LuPone was born on April 21, 1949, on Long Island, New York. She has an Italian heritage and grew up with divorced parents. LuPone started her love for dancing and acting as a young teen in a group called “The LuPone Trio” with her two older twin brothers!

           After graduating from high school, she attended the Drama Division of The Juilliard School and she became part of its first graduating class. After graduating she began to focus on her singing, acting, and performing on various stages.  She has performed in many shows but a few of her most well-known ones are, “The School for Scandal”, “The Hostage” “The Lower Depths.” She continued to shock audiences in her musical shows such as when she played Lucy in “The Beggar’s Opera, “The Robber Bridegroom” and “The Baker’s Wife.” In addition, a role where she really stood out was as Eva Peron in the show “Evita” in which she won a Tony and Drama Desk Award for best actress. Her presence on a theatre stage, her powerful singing voice, and acting skills made it, so she was able to act on film and on TV.

Here is a video where LuPone performs the song “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” from the show “Evita.” A beautiful and simple setting that really shows off LuPone’s powerful singing voice!

LuPone also played the role of Fantine in the London production of "Les Misérables" and she became the first American to win the prestigious Olivier Award (for her work in both "Les Miz" and "The Cradle Will Rock") in 1985. She is also a two-time Grammy Award winner which is remarkable! She is also known for performing one-woman shows all over the world! She is a great woman actress due to her determination to succeed for doing what she loves, she is an independent woman especially for participating in her one-woman shows, and her vocals are very powerful to listen to!

Works Cited

IMBD editors. “Biography.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 2018,  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0526985/bio

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Bernadette Peters

By: Sara Romanoski

Bernadette Peters was born February 28th, 1948, in Queens, New York and has been successful in the entertainment business for over 60 years. Her work has earned her several Tony awards, and she is known as one of the most prolific and highly acclaimed actresses in the industry.  

In 1958, Peters received her Actors Equity Card and immediately started booking roles, at the age of 9 years old. To date, she has been seen in over 22 Broadway shows, 25 movies, and 54 television shows, along with 29 albums and cast recordings. Peters is best known for stage roles like The Witch in Into the Woods, Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun, and Rose in Gypsy. Notable TV show credits include The Carol Burnette Show, Animaniacs, and Mozart In the Jungle, and movie credits like Annie, Anastasia, and The Jerk.

From the beginning,, it was all about performing for Peters, who, as a child changed her given name to a stage name, attended professional performing arts schools, and began working consistently at a young age.

Besides performing, Peters has also recorded songs to accompany children’s book and written three children’s books of her own, all of which benefit some of the many charities Peters is associated with. She and longtime friend Mary Tyler Moore co-founded an organization called Broadway Barks which hosts an annual pet adoption event in New York City, where she adopted her dog, Charlie. Other charities she is involved with include The Christopher Reeve Foundation, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and Gay Men’s Health Crisis.

Peters is currently on Broadway, playing the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi in Hello Dolly!, which she took over for Bette Midler in January 2018.

Works Cited

account, Bernadette PetersVerified. “Bernadette Peters (@OfficialBPeters).” Twitter, Twitter, 11 Apr. 2018, twitter.com/officialbpeters.

“Bernadette Peters.” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/name/nm0001613/.

“Bernadette Peters.” Playbill, www.playbill.com/person/bernadette-peters-vault-0000072038.

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Wicked

By: Ashley Beasley

Wicked (based on the book written by Gregory Maguire, 1995) is centered on a famous tale that most of us have heard of, Oz. This production, however, is told from a different angle than the traditional story (Wicked). The story takes place before Dorothy arrives in Oz, instead, it is centered around another young lady with green skin who possess many different skills, talents, but is misunderstood (Wicked). She becomes friends with a popular blond and an unlikely friendship blooms. The outside world was not so impressed with this friendship, taunting them by referring to one as “wicked” (‘The Wicked Witch of the West’ - Elphaba) and the other as “good” (Glinda -Wicked). A famous production of this show included Idina Menzel (a Broadway production of Wicked), alongside Kristin Chenoweth under the direction of Joe Mantello (Brantley). The show itself has been watched by over 35 million people and brought in $3.1 billion in ticket sales and received many awards (Fallon). It would be too much to list every award or nomination, so here are some that stand out; 5+ Tony Awards, Drama Desk Awards, 5+ Grammy Awards… (List).

Works Cited:

Brantley, Ben. “THEATER REVIEW; There's Trouble In Emerald City.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 31 Oct. 2003, www.nytimes.com/2003/10/31/movies/theater-review-there-s-trouble-in-emerald-city.html.

Fallon, Kevin. “A 'Wicked' Decade: How a Critically Trashed Musical Became a Long-Running Smash.” The Daily Beast, The Daily Beast Company, 30 Oct. 2013, www.thedailybeast.com/a-wicked-decade-how-a-critically-trashed-musical-became-a-long-running-smash.

“List of Awards and Nominations for the Musical Wicked’ on Revolvy.com.” Trivia Quizzes, www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=List of awards and nominations received by the musical Wicked.

“Wicked.” Broadway.com, www.broadway.com/shows/wicked/story/.

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Idina Menzel

By: Diana Huebner

When I think or hear the name Idina Menzel I immediately think of the film Frozen and of the song “Let it Go.” Although, Menzel is very well known for her success in voicing the character Elsa and singing the song “Let It Go” she is also known for a lot more in the theatre world.

           First, Menzel was born on May 30, 1971, in Syosset, New York. She started out her love for music by performing at weddings and bar mitzvahs while she was in high school. After her high school days, she attended New York University Tisch School of the Arts, graduating with a BFA in 1993.

           After she graduated from college she began her Broadway career by performing in a variety of shows/roles such as Rent and Wicked. In the show, Rent Menzel played a lesbian performance artist and the shows the main purpose was to celebrate cultural and sexual diversity while also bringing up an important but touchy subject of AIDS. Menzel is in inspiration for playing this role and showing people that it is okay to love whoever you love and to embrace who you are!

           In the show Wicked, Menzel won a Tony for best actress and musical. Her role was “Elphaba a green skinned young woman who would eventually become known as the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz Fables” (A & E 1).

           A fun fact that I learned about Menzel was that in 2010 she auditioned for a part in the movie Tangled, but she was not chosen for it. However, she still caught Disney’s attention which landed her a voice role as Queen Elsa in the film Frozen. “The movie earned more than $1 billion globally, hence becoming one of the biggest animated films ever created” (A & E 1). Menzel’s voice is beautiful in this movie and at my current day care job my toddlers and preschoolers LOVE frozen. So many of them have Queen Elsa on their backpacks, clothes, and they love singing along to the Frozen CD. Its amazing to see how much an animated movie can have an impact on children and how Menzel’s voice is now played ALL OVER THE WORLD! This song also won “best song” at the 2014 Academy Awards Telecast!

           I provided a clip of Menzel performing Let It Go, so everyone can see that she is not just a good theatre performer, but she is truly an amazing singer! Such a beautiful song with a powerful positive message!

Works Cited

A & E Network Editors. “Idina Menzel.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 13 Feb. 2015, www.biography.com/people/idina-menzel.

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Sutton Lenore

By: Sara Romanoski

Sutton Lenore Foster was born March 18th, 1975 in Statesboro, Georgia, and is the true definition of a triple threat. A successful singer, dancer, and actress, Foster has been working in the industry for over 20 years, both on stage and screen, and has garnered countless awards, for her remarkable work and prolific resume.

At the age of 15, Foster was a contestant on the popular reality TV show, Star Search, where she ultimately lost to another current star on Broadway, Richard H. Blake, from A Bronx Tale. But, it wouldn’t be the last time we see her on the small screen, because in addition to being a wildly popular Broadway star, Foster has also appeared in shows including Bunheads, Younger, Flight of the Concords, Sesame Street, Royal Pains, The Good Wife, Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. She has also done voice acting, providing dialogue for characters in animated television shows like Doc McStuffins.

While Foster has experience in just about every corner of the entertainment industry, she is best known for her stunning performances on Broadway. From Eponine in Les Miserables, to Sandy in Grease, to Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, she has played some of the most well-known roles ever to hit the stage. Although she has played many already established characters, Foster is widely known for her extraordinary original embodiments of characters like Fiona in Shrek: The Musical, Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Janet van de Graff in The Drowsy Chaperone. With her first professional Broadway role at a young age, Foster has spent most of her life on the stage. It is her determination, attitude, and dedication to her work that has made her so successful. In 2012, she delivered the commencement speech at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and said, “When I was a kid I would fearlessly jump into the swimming pool but then almost drown because I didn’t know how to swim. Nevertheless, this attitude towards life has served me well. Say yes to opportunity. Sink or swim, it’ll change your life.” Foster’s down to earth, and caring personality makes her relatable to fans across the world, and also known as one of Broadway’s Sweethearts.

So far in her career, Foster has won over 16 prestigious awards for her work, including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, and several Astaire awards, but besides dazzling audiences and earning fame, Foster is active in philanthropic work as well. She supports and partners with many animal rights groups like the ASPCA, The Humane Society, and The Petco Foundation. Other charity work includes Broadway Cares/Equity Fight AIDS.

Although she’s 20+ years into a highly successful career, Foster shows no signs of slowing down. She is currently married, with a 1-year-old daughter.

“It’s my career and my passion. I’ve learned more about myself through this profession than I ever could have imagined.” -Sutton Foster 

Works Cited

Foster, Sutton. “Sutton Foster Graduation Speech – Video & Transcript.” Graduation Speeches RSS, 5 May 2012, gradspeeches.com/2012/2012/sutton-foster.

“Official Website.” Sutton Foster, suttonfoster.com/.

“Sutton Foster.” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/name/nm1900397/.

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Liza Minnelli

By: Ashley Beasley 

Liza Minnelli, born March 12, 1946, is an American actress best known for her role playing Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret (1972). Minnelli was born in California and her own mother was an actress and father a director (Liza). Minnelli’s first performance was with her mother (Judy Garland - Liza); however, she was able to establish herself as an actress outside of her mother's career. As a toddler, Minnelli got to perform on In the Good Old Summertime (a musical comedy - 1949) and perform in some of her mother’s concert productions (Liza). However, as mentioned before, Minnelli was established on her own.

Minnelli’s career really took off later. Her parents divorced when she was young which required her attention (her mother suffered from a pill addiction and depression). This made for a difficult relationship between the two, she was close with her father throughout her whole life.

Minnelli (at 19 years old) was one of the youngest people to have received a Tony Award (Liza). There were many different things leading up to this. Minnelli quit school in New York to take her career as an actress. She got herself a role on the  “off-Broadway revival of the musical Best Foot Forward in 1963 “ which received great reviews (Liza). She then landed her first lead on Broadway in the production Flora, The Red Menace (1965) in which she earned her Tony Award (Source 1). She was also nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actress for her part in the film The Sterile Cuckoo (1969 - Liza). As she was working on her next production, she suffered a major loss. Minnelli’s mother died of a drug overdose (Liza). Minnelli got the role as Sally Bowles two years after her mother’s death (Liza). This role was said to have showcased her ability to sing and her wide variety of skill in acting, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress ( the film itself won 8 total Academy Awards - Liza). She went on to be in a show that won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Program, Liza with a Z (Liza). Minnelli won her second Tony Award for Best Actress in a musical on the Broadway production The Act (1977). With another success on Arthur (1981 - Liza).

Minnelli has done many things following her main career. She has addressed her own problem with drugs and alcohol, acted in a few films, She participated in a documentary Minnelli on Minnelli: Liza Remembers Vincent (which won several Emmy Awards), participated in a few comedic roles, and live performances (Liza).

Works Cited:

“Liza Minnelli.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 2 Apr. 2014, www.biography.com/people/liza-minnelli-9409583.

Figure 1: https://thepridela.com/2018/04/guys-theres-entire-exhibit-devoted-liza-minnelli-opening-today/

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Lea Salonga

By: Sara Romanoski

Filipino singer and actress, Lea Salonga, was born on February 22nd, 1971 in Ermita, Manila, and has been stunning audiences around the world for nearly four decades. From Broadway star to the singing voice of Disney princesses, Salonga is recognized for her exceptional contributions to the performing arts.

Her career began at the age of 7, when Salonga took on her first professional role, in the musical The King and I. She continued to work as a child performer starring in her own musical TV show called “Love, Lea” and releasing her first recorded album “Small Voice”. Throughout her early years, Salonga’s success grew exponentially as she performed in a multitude of theatre productions like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Fiddler on the Roof, The Sound of Music, and The Fantasticks. Additionally, she saw success as a performer opening for acts like Stevie Wonder and was recognized for her work by winning multiple performance awards including three Filipino child star awards.

Salonga has been active in the Broadway scene since 1989, when she was cast and originated the role of Kim in Miss Saigon, which earned her countless awards, including a coveted Tony award. Other notable Broadway credits for Salonga are, Fantine in Les Miserables, Mei-Li in Flower Drum Song, and Kei Kimura in Allegiance.

Though she has seen great success on Broadway, Salonga also boasts credits like the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin and the singing voice of Mulan in Disney’s Mulan and Mulan II. During her career, Salonga has not only performed for millions of fans, but also some very important celebrities including, six Philippine presidents, Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Princess Diana.

In addition to a lifetime of performing, and winning awards, Salonga also gives back to communities all over the world by volunteering time or donating to important causes. The following statement was taken from her official website, in regards to her charitable work throughout the years. “Honored with an appointment as a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Goodwill Ambassador in October of 2010, Lea vowed to act as an advocate for the Youth and United Nations Global Alliance initiative led by the FAO.”

As an immigrant from Manila to the United States, Salonga, through her work and personal life, honors and stays true to her culture, by having dual citizenship in the United States and the Philippines, portraying characters with similar values or upbringings, and participating in many events in the Philippines such as being a judge on The Voice. Salonga has stated that she is proud of her heritage and enjoys creating opportunities for others.

In her nearly four-decade career, Salonga has made an important and lasting impact on the Broadway community and is known as one of the most successful and influential Broadway performers of all time.

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Hamilton

By: Sara Romanoski

Since its Broadway debut in 2015, Hamilton: An American Musical has been taking the world by storm. Record ticket sales, 11 Tony awards, and a US national tour and residency in London’s West End are not all this show has to offer. One of the most celebrated reasons for Hamilton’s success is its emphasis on featuring a racially diverse and female-heavy cast.

Hamilton brings to the stage, the life of Alexander Hamilton, our nation’s first Treasury Secretary and founder of the New York Post. Written by Lin Manuel Miranda, the musical features a combination of songs and rap detailing the struggles and triumphs of Hamilton and other Founding Fathers during the American Revolution.

In 1780, Hamilton married his wife Eliza Schueyler, who, along with her sisters Angelica and Peggy, played by Renee Elise Goldsberry and Phillipa Soo respectively, portray three of the lead characters in the show. The strength of the three women together act as the heart of the show and provide a much-needed emphasis on strong females in a time when men were the only ones valued for their ideas, accomplishments, and power.

Throughout the show, Eliza, Angelica, and Peggy sing powerful, heartfelt ballads, and sassy songs touting their accomplishments and their hopes for the future of females. Miranda’s lyrics, truly speak for themselves and are often credited for inspiring a new generation of interest in history, immigrant rights, and feminism. With lyrics like “You want a revolution? I want a revelation. So listen to my declaration: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” And when I meet Thomas Jefferson, I’m ‘a compel him to include women in the sequel!” and “And when my time is up, have I done enough? Will they tell our story? Can I show you what I’m proudest of? The orphanage. I established the first private orphanage in New York City, I help to raise hundreds of children, I get to see them growing up,” it is easy to see how this musical has welcomed feminist tone.

Because of Miranda’s inclusive thinking and practices, the women of Hamilton are celebrated and valued. In an interview with USA Today, Miranda says, “…I'm totally open to women playing founding fathers once this goes into the world. I can't wait to see kick-ass women Jeffersons and kickass women Hamiltons…”.

As the lyrics say, “History has its eyes on you,” and the cast and crew of Hamilton make sure that their inclusive practices are setting the stage and paving the road for other types of inclusivity on Broadway and in the rest of the world.

[wetheaterwia-blog]

Renee Elise Goldsberry

By: Ashley Beasley

This week I will be covering Renee Elise Goldsberry. Goldsberry is a talented woman who has and continues to make important accomplishments in her career. She is a 47-year-old American actress, songwriter, and singer. Goldsberry was born in San Jose, California but grew up in both Detroit, MI and Houston, TX (Renee). After high school, she attended Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theater (Renee). She continued her education further as she went on to Thornton School of Music, finishing with a Master of Music in jazz studies (Renee). Goldsberry is married to Alexis Johnson. They were married in 2002 and in 2009 Goldsberry delivered her first son. Goldsberry and her husband adopted their daughter from Africa in 2014 (Renee).

As mentioned before, Goldsberry’s is well rounded in her talents. She had been in many television shows, a few films, many theater shows, and even has an album with music she wrote and recorded herself.

Goldsberry made an appearance on the Fox comedy-drama Ally McBeal from 1997 - 2002 (Renee). She also appeared on an ABC show called One Life to Live from 2003 - 2007 as an attorney (Renee). She continued to play an attorney on the show The Good Life from 2010 - 2016. Goldsberry has also made guest appearances on many different shows; Royal Pains, Star Trek: Enterprise, Young Master of Sex, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and That 80’s show (Renee). Now, in 2018, Goldsberry plays a Quellcrist Falconer in a Netflix science series, Altered Carbon. She covered Johnny Cash’s Ain’t No Grave which they used in the end credits. She will also appear in HBO’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, alongside Rose Byrne and Oprah Winfrey (Renee).

Goldsberry’s first appearance on film was in 2001 playing Nicole Taylor in All About You. She then appeared in Every Secret Thing with a minor supporting role, Pistol Whipped (2008), and Sisters (2015; Renee).

We have covered much of Goldberry’s work that’s taken place on screen. However, she has been highly recognized and awarded in the theater area. Goldsberry was part of a national tour of Dreamgirls and was a character replacement for Nala in the Broadway production of The Lion King (Renee). In 2005, Goldberry played the role of Sylvia in Shakespeare in the Park revival of Gentlemen of Verona and then received New York magazine Best of 2005 Award (Renee). She performed in Hamilton, playing the role of Angelica Schuyler. For this, she won 2015 Drama Desk Award and Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.

Last but certainly not least, we will discuss Goldberry’s success in the area of music. She co-wrote and sang over half of the songs for All About You (including the theme song). In 1997 she won the grand prize for the rock music she wrote and has one album, Everything But Kitchen Sink (Renee).

It’s hard to find a good stopping point because this woman is filled with talent but I hope this helped highlight the talent of Renee Elise Goldsberry. (-:

http://ew.com/article/2016/09/04/renee-elise-goldsberry-leaves-hamilton/

Works Cited:

“Renee Elise Goldsberry.” Articlebio, 18 Feb. 2018, articlebio.com/renee-elise-goldsberry.

[wetheaterwia-blog]

Julie Andrews

By: Diana Huebner 

I remember as a child watching the movie Sound of Music and I loved Julie Andrew’s performance in the film and l loved her voice, so I am excited to share new information that I have learned about her!  Julie Andrews real name is Julia Elizabeth Wells and she has had a great impact in the theatre industry.  Both Andrews parents had a love for singing and playing instruments, so it was in her blood to also have a love for the arts. From a very young age Andrews loved to sing and when her parents brought her to the doctors he explained that her vocal chords were already developed at an adult level. Immediately after that, her parents signed her up for singing lessons and that is when Julie Andrews road to success began!

At only twelve years old Andrews “. . . made her professional singing debut with the “Starlight Roof” revue at the Hippodrome Theatre on London’s West End” (Gale 1). After that performance, she continued to perform in other shows and began to gain recognition for her incredible singing and acting talent. For example, “in 1956, she became the youngest actress ever to play the part of Eliza Doolittle professionally” (Gale 1) in the musical My Fair Lady, a role that earned her a Tony Award nomination for best actress in a musical (A & E 1).” She then had another lead role “in the musical show Camelot in 1960, for which she earned her second Tony Award nomination (A & E).”. 

Some of Andrews most classic performances were in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music which are two of my personal favorites! I provided a short clip from the movie The Sound of Music, where Andrews is singing My Favorite Things. Her voice is beautiful, and her positive personality is apparent through her acting! 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=julie+andrews+peforming+my+favorite+things+on+a+theatre+stage&&view=detail&mid=B694FBE01E1F37885EB6B694FBE01E1F37885EB6&&FORM=VRDGAR

Furthermore, a few things that make Andrews stand out as an entertainer but also as an inspiring woman artist is in 1966 Andrews performed in the stage production of the show Victor/Victoria and she earned her third Tony Award nomination. Although, Andrews was very selfless, and she refused to accept the nomination because “. . . she felt the rest of the cast had been overlooked” (A & E 1.) That is amazing that she did not want to have all the attention and praise just on her, but she wanted her whole cast to be recognized for their talent and hard work as well!           

Lastly, Andrew’s is an inspiration because in 1997 her vocal chords were damaged during an operation. Her voice was never the same, but she persevered and continued acting, and singing which is very remarkable because she never gave up and she still strived to do what she loved! Later, in 2007, “Andrews received the Screen Actors Guide Life Achievement Award for her professional achievements, and a few years later received Lifetime Achievement Grammy” (A & E 1). Andrews accomplishments and awards show that with hard work, perseverance, and passion women can do anything that they put their mind to!

Works Cited

A & E Networks. “Julie Andrews.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Mar. 2018, www.biography.com/people/julie-andrews-9184978.

Gale Research. “Julie Andrews.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 2018, www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/julie-andrews/.

[wetheaterwia-blog]

Intro

Hi Everyone,

Our names are Ashley, Diana, and Sara. We are all college students who are interested in recognizing the success of women artists. Our goal for this blog is to highlight women actors from the 20th-21st century who have had an impact on the theater scene.

Sara has a solid background in theater; her first show was at the young age of 5! She has been in over 60 shows since and is a great source of information on this topic. Ashley and Diana have less experience in the area but are excited to learn and discover!

We look forward to showcasing these wonderful women for their obvious and hidden talents. Stay tuned! (-: