Jonalyn Saxer

Last updated

Jonalyn Saxer is an American theatre actress. She is best known for her roles in Mean Girls and for performing in ensemble and swing roles in multiple Broadway productions.

Contents

Early life

Saxer grew up in Agoura Hills, a suburb of Los Angeles, California, and attended Oak Park High School. [1] [2] Saxer comes from a family of musicians and performers known for local performances. [3]

She graduated from Syracuse University in 2014. [4]

Career

In 2013, Saxer earned her Actors Equity card performing in 42nd Street at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. [1]

Saxer made her Broadway debut in 2014 as a swing in Bullets Over Broadway . [2] She also opened Broadway productions as an ensemble member in Honeymoon in Vegas and Holiday Inn .

In 2016, Saxer covered five different roles, or "tracks," in Cats . [5]

In 2018, Saxer joined the cast of Mean Girls . She was with the cast during its Washington, DC previews and was in the original Broadway cast as a member of the ensemble. [6] Saxer understudied the roles of Regina George, Karen Smith, and Cady Heron. [7] Saxer starred as Karen Smith in the North American national tour. [8]

In 2021, Saxer performed as a Jet girl in West Side Story directed by Steven Spielberg. [9]

In 2023, Saxer joined the original Broadway cast of Back to the Future . [10] In keeping with a longtime Broadway opening tradition, Saxer donned the Legacy Robe. [1]

Saxer participated in a workshop of Smash in 2024. [11]

Personal life

Saxer is close friends with Ashley Park, with whom she performed in Mean Girls; during the COVID-19 pandemic, Park lived with Saxer's family for a period of time. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Hilty</span> American musical theatre actress (born 1981)

Megan Kathleen Hilty is an American actress and singer. She rose to prominence for her roles in Broadway musicals, including her performance as Glinda in Wicked, Doralee Rhodes in 9 to 5: The Musical, and her Tony Award–nominated role as Brooke Ashton in Noises Off. She also starred as Ivy Lynn on the musical-drama series Smash, on which she sang the Grammy Award-nominated "Let Me Be Your Star", and portrayed Liz on the sitcom Sean Saves the World.

<i>The Lion King</i> (musical) Musical

The Lion King is a stage musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and a book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, with additional music and lyrics by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer. It is based on the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios' film of the same name. Directed by Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions.

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

Kerry Butler is an American actress and singer known primarily for her work in theater. She is best known for originating the roles of Barbara Maitland in Beetlejuice, Penny Pingleton in Hairspray, and Clio/Kira in Xanadu, the latter of which earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Borle</span> American actor (born 1973)

Christian Dominique Borle is an American actor and singer. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for his roles as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher and as William Shakespeare in Something Rotten! Borle also originated the roles of Prince Herbert, et al. in Spamalot, Emmett in Legally Blonde, and Joe in Some Like It Hot on Broadway. He starred as Marvin in the 2016 Broadway revival of Falsettos. He also starred as Tom Levitt on the NBC musical-drama television series Smash and Vox in the adult animated black comedy musical series Hazbin Hotel.

The Legacy Robe is a tradition begun in 1950 in which the ensemble member with the most Broadway credits receives a robe on the opening night of a Broadway musical. The original title of the robe, Gypsy Robe, was changed in July 2018.

<i>Mean Girls</i> 2004 film by Mark Waters

Mean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy film directed by Mark Waters and written by Tina Fey. It stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler and Fey. The film follows Cady Heron (Lohan), a naïve teenager who transfers to an American high school after years of homeschooling in Africa. Heron quickly befriends two outcasts, with the trio forming a plan to exact revenge on Regina George (McAdams), the leader of an envied clique known as the Plastics.

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

Maryann Plunkett is an American actress and singer.

<i>Legally Blonde: The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods</i> American TV series or program

Legally Blonde: The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods is an MTV program created in order to cast an actress to replace Laura Bell Bundy in the role of Elle Woods in the Broadway production of Legally Blonde: The Musical. The show debuted on June 2, 2008.

<i>Smash</i> (TV series) 2012 American television series

Smash is an American musical drama television series created by playwright Theresa Rebeck and developed by Robert Greenblatt for NBC. Steven Spielberg served as one of the executive producers. The series was broadcast in the US by NBC and produced by DreamWorks Television and Universal Television. The series revolves around a fictional New York City theater community and specifically the creation of a new Broadway musical. It features a large ensemble cast, led by Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Katharine McPhee, Christian Borle, Megan Hilty, and Anjelica Huston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Cook (actor)</span> American stage actor

Benjamin Tyler Cook is an American actor, singer and dancer, known for his work across stage and screen.

<i>Smash</i> season 1 Season 1 of the television series Smash

The first season of the American musical drama television series Smash premiered on February 6, 2012 on NBC and concluded on May 14, 2012, consisting of 15 episodes.

<i>Smash</i> season 2 Second season of the television series Smash

The second and final season of the American musical drama television series Smash premiered on February 5, 2013, on NBC and consisted of 17 episodes. On March 13, 2013, NBC announced they were moving the remaining season two episodes of Smash to Saturday nights at 9:00PM EST starting April 6 in order to play the full 17-episode order. The two-hour series finale aired on May 26, 2013, moving the show to a special Sunday slot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariana DeBose</span> American actress (born 1991)

Ariana DeBose is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for a Tony Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

<i>Mean Girls</i> (musical) Musical by Jeff Richmond, Nell Benjamin and Tina Fey

Mean Girls is a musical with a book by Tina Fey, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, and music by Jeff Richmond. It is based on the 2004 Mark Waters film of the same name, which was also written by Fey and was in-turn inspired by Rosalind Wiseman's 2002 book Queen Bees and Wannabes. The musical focuses on Cady Heron, a teenage girl who transfers to a public high school after being homeschooled her whole life in Africa. At school, she befriends outsiders Janis Sarkasian and Damian Hubbard who persuade her to infiltrate the "Plastics", a clique consisting of wealthy but insecure Gretchen Wieners, sweet but dimwitted Karen Smith, and "queen bee" Regina George.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Wheatley</span> American actress

Sharon Wheatley is an American actress, singer, and writer known for her work on the Broadway stage and in the New York theatre scene. She performed in the Tony Award winning Broadway musical Come from Away throughout its entire Broadway run as Diane, a friendly Texan who finds love when the transcontinental flight she is aboard is suddenly diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, due to the events of September 11, 2001. Wheatley had been with the production since its first professional production at the La Jolla Playhouse in the spring of 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erika Henningsen</span> American actress and singer (born 1992)

Erika Leigh Henningsen is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her work on Broadway and for originating the role of Cady Heron in the 2018 Tony-nominated musical Mean Girls, for which she received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Park (actress)</span> American actress and musician

Ashley Jini Park is an American actress and musician. She is best known for her portrayal of Mindy Chen on the Netflix comedy series Emily in Paris. She originated the role of Gretchen Wieners in the Broadway musical Mean Girls, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical.

Kyle Andrew Selig is an American actor, dancer, and singer. He is known for originating the role of Aaron Samuels in the 2018 Tony Award-nominated musical, Mean Girls and for playing the role of Mr. Komos in Monster High: The Movie.

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

Krystina Helena Alabado is an American actress and singer known for her work in Broadway musicals. Krystina made her broadway debut February 28, 2011 playing a replacement ensemble role in American Idiot. She originated the role of Vanden in the 2016 Broadway production of American Psycho and starred as Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls on Broadway from March 2019 until the show's final performance on March 11, 2020. Since 2024, she has voiced Cherri Bomb in the adult animated musical series Hazbin Hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reneé Rapp</span> American actress and singer (born 2000)

Reneé Mary Jane Rapp is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She gained recognition for starring as Regina George in the Broadway musical Mean Girls (2019–2020). She reprised the role in the 2024 film Mean Girls and also contributed to its soundtrack. Rapp has also starred in the Max comedy series The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021–present).

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Future Is Now! Jonalyn Saxer Dons the Robe for 'Back to the Future' · Actors' Equity Association". www.actorsequity.org. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  2. 1 2 Ginell, Cary (July 3, 2022). "Prodigal Daughter Returns Home: Jonalyn Saxer Stars in 5-Star's "Newsies"".
  3. Staff, TO Acorn (2018-01-25). "Saxer clan builds musical legacy". Thousand Oaks Acorn -. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  4. "Cuse Conversation Jonalyn Saxer '14" (PDF). September 20, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  5. Kircher, Madison Malone (2019-12-17). "Is Cats Actually a Good Broadway Gig? 3 Former Cats Weigh In". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  6. "Jonalyn Saxer Talks About Her Return to the Stage and the Enduring Nature of "Mean Girls"". Encore Spotlight. 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  7. Medeiros, Linnae. "VIDEO: MEAN GIRLS' Jonalyn Saxer Takes Over Instagram!". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  8. "Broadway Podcast Network - #141 - Jonalyn Saxer - MEAN GIRLS / WEST SIDE STORY MOVIE". broadwaypodcastnetwork.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  9. "Mike Faist to Bring 'Cool' Factor to Steven Spielberg's West Side Story Film as Riff". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  10. "Back to the Future™ Trilogy — Announcing the Complete Broadway Cast of Back to the Future: The Musical Who Are Destined to Change Musical Theatre History". Back to the Future™ Trilogy. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  11. jessezolisnki (2024-01-04). "Smash Continues Broadway Development With Six-Week Workshop". Columbus. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  12. "'Emily in Paris Star' Ashley Park on Season 2 — Interview Broadway Mean Girls Netflix". L'Officiel USA. Retrieved 2024-07-31.