Amy Spanger

Last updated

Amy Spanger
Born (1971-05-21) May 21, 1971 (age 52)
Occupation(s)Actress, singer, dancer
Years active1994–present
Spouses
(m. 2002;div. 2007)
Brian Shepard
(m. 2011)
Website www.amyspanger.com

Amy Spanger (born May 21, 1971) is an American actress, singer and dancer.

Contents

Early life

Spanger was born in Newbury, Massachusetts. [1]

Career

Spanger made her Broadway debut in 1995 in the musical Sunset Boulevard , following a half-year run in the pre-Broadway national tour of Jekyll & Hyde . She originated the role of Lois Lane (Bianca) in the Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate . In Chicago she played Roxie Hart, and in Urinetown , Hope Cladwell. In 2006, she originated the role of Holly in The Wedding Singer .

Spanger also appeared in the national touring companies of Rent and Chicago . She originated the role of Susan in the off-Broadway production of the Jonathan Larson musical tick, tick... BOOM! . Other stage credits include: Lunch, and Feeling Electric, which later became Next to Normal , in which she co-starred with actor Anthony Rapp.

She originated the role of Sherrie in the Broadway musical Rock of Ages but took an extended leave from the production in early June 2009, for vocal rest, before permanently departing the production on June 29 for "personal reasons". She more recently originated the role of Jovie in the stage musical adaptation of Will Ferrell's Christmas comedy Elf , that ran on Broadway for nine weeks at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre and closed on January 2, 2011. On September 8, 2015, Spanger joined the Broadway cast of Matilda the Musical as Mrs. Wormwood.

Spanger's television credits include: Ed , Becker , Egg: The Arts Show, Six Feet Under , Law & Order: Special Victims Unit , Michael & Michael Have Issues , and Bored to Death . She also starred in the Showtime original movie musical Reefer Madness (2005), as the promiscuous Sally. She also appeared in Synecdoche, New York (2008), written and directed by Charlie Kaufman.

Personal life

May 1, 2002, actor Michael C. Hall and Spanger married; he played Billy Flynn opposite her Roxie Hart in the Broadway musical Chicago , the summer after their wedding. The couple separated in 2005 and filed for divorce in 2006.[ citation needed ]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2008 Synecdoche, New York Soap Actress Nurse
2008 Every Little Step Documentary
2016No Beast So FierceGina

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2001 Ed BarbaraEpisode: "Windows of Opportunity"
2003 Becker SusanEpisode: "Chris' Ex"
2003 EGG, the Arts Show Amy CorbettEpisode: "Broadway Workshop"
2003Traps! The MusicalAmy CorbettTelevision film
2005 Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical Sally DeBains / Statue of Liberty
2005 Six Feet Under Holly DuncanEpisode: "Static"
2008, 2016 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Helen Turner / Marlene Rosten2 episodes
2009 Michael & Michael Have Issues Martha Black
2010 Royal Pains KerryEpisode: "Medusa"
2011 Bored to Death Kitty2 episodes
2014 Submissions Only NinaEpisode: "Expectations"
2017 The Blacklist Tammy Lynn ThompsonEpisode: "Smokey Putnum (No. 30)"
2018 Chicago Med Pam BarkerEpisode: "Crisis of Confidence"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwen Verdon</span> American actress and dancer (1925–2000)

Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and she served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for theater and film. Verdon was a critically acclaimed performer on Broadway in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, having originated many roles in musicals, including Lola in Damn Yankees, the title character in Sweet Charity and Roxie Hart in Chicago.

<i>Chicago</i> (2002 film) Film by Rob Marshall

Chicago is a 2002 American musical black comedy crime film based on the 1975 stage musical of the same name which in turn originated in the 1926 play of the same name. It explores the themes of celebrity, scandal, and corruption in Chicago during the Jazz Age. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere. Chicago centers on Roxie Hart (Zellweger) and Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones), two murderers who find themselves in jail together awaiting trial in 1920s Chicago. Roxie, a housewife, and Velma, a vaudevillian, fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows. The film marks the directorial debut of Rob Marshall, who also choreographed the film, and was adapted by screenwriter Bill Condon, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.

<i>Chicago</i> (musical) 1975 musical by John Kander and Fred Ebb

Chicago is a 1975 American musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. Set in Chicago in the jazz age, the musical is based on a 1926 play of the same title by reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, about actual criminals and crimes on which she reported. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Grey</span> American actor, singer, dancer, director, and photographer (born 1932)

Joel Grey is an American actor, singer, dancer, photographer, and theatre director. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the musical Cabaret on Broadway as well as in the Bob Fosse directed 1972 film adaptation. He has won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award. He earned the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2023.

<i>Tick, Tick... Boom!</i> Musical by Jonathan Larson

Tick, Tick... Boom! is a musical by Jonathan Larson. It tells the story of an aspiring composer named Jon, who lives in New York City in 1990. Jon is worried he has made the wrong career choice to be part of the performing arts. The story is semi-autobiographical, as stated by Larson's father in the liner notes of the cast recording – Larson had been trying to establish himself in theater since the early 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruthie Henshall</span> English entertainer (born 1967)

Valentine Ruth Henshall, known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End debut in Cats in 1987. A five-time Olivier Award nominee, she won the 1995 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Amalia Balash in the London revival of She Loves Me (1994).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Reinking</span> American actress, dancer, and choreographer (1949–2020)

Ann Reinking was an American dancer, actress, choreographer, and singer. She worked predominantly in musical theater, starring in Broadway productions such as Coco (1969), Over Here! (1974), Goodtime Charley (1975), Chicago (1977), Dancin' (1978), and Sweet Charity (1986).

Frances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and singer. She won a Tony Award in 1987, and represented the United Kingdom in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Lonely Symphony ", finishing 10th. The song became a UK Top 30 hit.

Charlotte d'Amboise is an American actress and dancer. She has played starring roles in musical theatre, and has been nominated for two Tony Awards and won the Los Angeles Ovation Awards for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Chicago. She has also appeared in films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Reinders</span> American actress and singer

Kate Reinders is an American actress and singer, who has performed as lead and understudy in several Broadway shows. Reinders was born in Seattle, Washington, but raised in Spring Lake, Michigan. She attended Western Michigan Christian High School, graduating in 1998.

Karen Ziemba is an American actress, singer and dancer, best known for her work in musical theatre. In 2000, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in Contact.

Danielle Ferland is an American actress and singer, best known for originating the role of Little Red Ridinghood in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods on Broadway.

Barbara Walsh is an American musical theatre actress who has appeared in several prominent Broadway productions. Walsh is known for her Drama Desk Award and Tony Award nominated role as Trina in the original Broadway production of Falsettos, as well as her turn as Joanne in the 2006 Broadway Revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxie Hart</span> Character from the 1927 play Chicago

Roxanne "Roxie" Hart is a fictional character. She is the main character of the 1926 play Chicago and its various remakes and derivatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bianca Marroquín</span> Mexican musical theatre and television actress

Bianca Marroquín is a Mexican musical theatre and television actress known for being the first Mexican actress to have a starring role on Broadway. She has performed in the musical Chicago for over twenty years and is one of the few actress to play both female leads, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Salazar</span> American actor, singer, and musician (born 1986)

George Ernest Salazar is an American actor, singer, and musician known for his work on and off-Broadway. He made his Broadway debut in the 2011 revival of Stephen Schwartz's Godspell. Salazar originated in the role of Michael Mell in the 2015 musical Be More Chill and performed in the musical's 2018 Off-Broadway and Broadway in 2019 at the Lyceum Theater in New York City, New York. He originated the role of Grover in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical and starred in Pasadena Playhouse's production of Little Shop of Horrors as Seymour Krelborn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillipa Soo</span> American actress

Phillipa Anne Soo is an American actress and singer. Known for her leading roles on Broadway primarily in musicals, she has received two Grammy Awards along with nominations for a Tony Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Renee Brna is an American actress and singer. Brna is best known as Meg in the 1st national Broadway tour of Little Women the musical starring Maureen McGovern with Autumn Hurlbert as Beth, Katie Fisher as Jo and Gwen Hollander as Amy. She went on to understudy the leading role of Young Alex/Aaron Ashbrook and Young Thomas Ledbury in the 2007 London transfer to Broadway Coram Boy at the Imperial Theatre. Under the direction of Melly Still the production garnered six Tony Award nominations.

Kate Rockwell is an American actor, dancer, and singer. She is known for her work on Broadway and for originating the roles of Skylar in Bring It On: The Musical in 2011 and of Karen Smith in the 2018 musical Mean Girls, for the latter of which she received Drama Desk Award and Helen Hayes Award nominations.

Desiree "Desi" Oakley,, is an American singer and actress, known for her work in musical theatre. She has performed in shows such as Waitress, Chicago, and Wicked.

References

  1. Gans, Andrew (April 10, 2009). "DIVA TALK: Chatting with Rock of Ages' Amy Spanger Plus News of Graff, LuPone and Skinner". Playbill. Retrieved March 18, 2022.