Lorna Courtney

Last updated

Lorna Courtney
LornaCourtney-byPhilipRomano.jpg
Courtney in 2023
Born (1998-10-12) October 12, 1998 (age 26)
New York City, U.S.
Education University of Michigan (BFA)
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Years active2019–present

Lorna Courtney (born October 12, 1998) [1] is an American stage actress. She is best known for playing the title role of Juliet on Broadway in the musical & Juliet , for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Contents

Early life and education

Courtney grew up in the South Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, New York. [2] Courtney began singing at an early age, performing in gospel choirs as a way to overcome her shyness. [3]

Courtney attended LaGuardia High School, a public high school specializing in the performing arts, where she studied opera. [4] [5] She obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan, where she majored in musical theatre. [4] She graduated in three years by completing additional summer courses at Washtenaw Community College, and worked at a youth center near the university. [2]

Career

After graduating from the University of Michigan, Courtney made her Broadway debut in the Pasek and Paul musical Dear Evan Hansen . [6] She joined the cast in May 2019 as an understudy for the lead roles of Alana Beck and Zoe Murphy. [7] Lorna was then cast in West Side Story in the role of Rosalia and as the understudy for Maria. She performed in the show until theaters were mandated to shut down by Governor Andrew Cuomo on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2022, Courtney was cast in her first professional leading role as Juliet in the North American premiere of & Juliet (a jukebox reimagining of the Shakespeare play featuring pop songs by Max Martin in which Juliet does not die). [8] The musical played a pre-Broadway engagement at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, between June 22 and August 14, 2022. Courtney debuted the role on Broadway when the show transferred to the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on November 17, 2022. [9] She received critical acclaim; The New York Times theater critic Jesse Green noted Courtney's "blow-you-away performance". [10] As part of the original Broadway cast recording, Courtney recorded a duet of "Since U Been Gone" with the song's original recording artist, Kelly Clarkson. [11] At the 76th Tony Awards, she was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical for & Juliet. [12]

Stage credits

Year(s)ProductionRoleLocationCategoryRef.
2014We Are!Mama Foundation for the ArtsRegional [13]
2019 Mamma Mia! Lisa, chorus Connecticut Repertory Theatre Regional [14]
2019–2020 Dear Evan Hansen u/s Alana Beck, Zoe Murphy Music Box Theatre Broadway
2020 West Side Story Rosalia, u/s Maria Broadway Theatre Broadway [15]
2022 & Juliet Juliet Princess of Wales Theatre Pre-Broadway engagement: Toronto, Ontario [16]
2022–2024 Stephen Sondheim Theatre Broadway [17]

Awards and nominations

List of awards and nominations
YearWorkAwardCategoryResultRef.
2022 & Juliet Dora Award Outstanding Performance in a Leading RoleNominated [18]
2023 Tony Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical Nominated [12]
Drama League Awards Distinguished PerformanceNominated [19]
Clive Barnes AwardsTheatre Artist AwardWon [20] [21]

Related Research Articles

<i>Into the Woods</i> 1986 musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine

Into the Woods is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutton Foster</span> American actress (born 1975)

Sutton Lenore Foster is an American actress. She is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which she has won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical twice, in 2002 for her role as Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and in 2011 for her performance as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, a role which she reprised in 2021 for a production in London and for which she received a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Her other Broadway credits include Grease, Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein, Shrek the Musical, Violet, The Music Man, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Once Upon a Mattress. On television, Foster played the lead role in the short-lived ABC Family comedy-drama Bunheads from 2012 to 2013. From 2015 to 2021, she starred in the TV Land comedy-drama Younger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gavin Creel</span> American actor, singer and songwriter (1976–2024)

Gavin James Creel was an American actor, singer, and songwriter best known for his work in musical theater. Over his career he received a Grammy Award, a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award and a Laurence Olivier Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donna Murphy</span> American actress

Donna Murphy is an American actress, best known for her work in musical theater. A five-time Tony Award nominee, she has twice won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical: for her role as Fosca in Passion (1994–1995) and as Anna Leonowens in The King and I (1996–1997). She was also nominated for her roles as Ruth Sherwood in Wonderful Town (2003), Lotte Lenya in LoveMusik (2007), and Bubbie/Raisel in The People in the Picture (2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Clark</span> American musical theatre actress (born 1959)

Victoria Clark is an American actress, musical theatre soprano, and director. Clark has performed in numerous Broadway musicals and in other theatre, film and television works. Her voice can also be heard on various cast albums and in several animated films. In 2008, she released her first solo album titled Fifteen Seconds of Grace. A five-time Tony Award nominee, Clark won her first Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2005 for The Light in the Piazza. She also won the Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Joseph Jefferson Award for the role. She won a second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2023 for Kimberly Akimbo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie J. Block</span> American actress and singer (born 1972)

Stephanie Janette Block is an American actress and singer, best known for her work on the Broadway stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stark Sands</span> American actor

Stark Sands is an American actor. He is known for his role as Tunny in the original Broadway cast of American Idiot, and originating the role of Charlie Price in Kinky Boots on Broadway. He is a two-time Tony Award nominee. He is also known for the roles of Lance Sussman in Die, Mommie, Die! and Lt. Nathaniel Fick in Generation Kill. He starred as Dash Parker in FOX's series Minority Report.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caissie Levy</span> Canadian actress and singer

Caissie Levy is a Canadian-American actress and singer, mainly known for her work in musical theatre on Broadway and in the West End. Her early Broadway credits included Penny Pingleton in Hairspray and Sheila in Hair, a role she also played in the West End. She originated the role of Molly Jensen in the West End and Broadway productions of Ghost: the Musical, and played Fantine in the 2014 Broadway revival of Les Misérables. Levy also originated the role of Elsa in Frozen on Broadway. For her performance on the cast recording of Caroline, or Change, she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2023. Levy originated the role of Diana Goodman in the London production of Next to Normal and received a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patina Miller</span> American actress and singer (born 1984)

Patina Renea Miller is an American actress and singer. Miller's breakout role was as originating the role of disco diva wannabe Deloris Van Cartier in the 2009 West End and 2011 Broadway productions of Sister Act for which she earned Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award nominations, respectively. She also starred as the Leading Player in the 2013 Broadway revival of Pippin, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She later returned to Broadway to star as the Witch in the 2022 Broadway revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montego Glover</span> American actress

Montego Glover is an American stage actress and singer. She has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the musical Memphis and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.

<i>Dear Evan Hansen</i> 2015 American musical by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Dear Evan Hansen is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, "who invents an important role for himself in a tragedy that he did not earn".

Alex Boniello is an American actor, musician, author, and producer best known for his portrayal of the voice of Moritz in the 2015 Broadway revival of Spring Awakening, as well as his performance as Connor Murphy in the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen. In 2019, he won the Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for Hadestown.

<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.

Courtney Rhodes Reed is an American actress, best known for originating the role of Princess Jasmine in Disney's Aladdin on Broadway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Park (actress)</span> American actress and musician (born 1991)

Ashley Jeein 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.

<i>& Juliet</i> 2019 jukebox musical

& Juliet is a 2019 coming-of-age jukebox musical featuring the music of Swedish pop songwriter Max Martin, with a book by David West Read. The story focuses on a "what if" scenario, where Juliet decided not to kill herself at the end of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Alison Nicole Luff is an American singer and stage actress. She is best known for her extensive work in musical theatre, notably for her roles as Elphaba in the First National Tour of Wicked and Jenna in the Broadway production of Waitress. From 2021 to 2023, she has appeared in a lead role in the Starz drama series Heels.

Julie Benko is an American actress and singer. Benko portrayed Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of Funny Girl (2022) and originated the role of Ruth Stern in the Broadway musical Harmony (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie La Barrie</span> Trinidadian actress and singer (born 1974)

Melanie La Barrie is a Trinidad-born actress and singer, best known for originating the role of Angélique/Nurse in & Juliet in London's West End and on Broadway. Since February 2024, she has been appearing as Hermes in the West End production of Hadestown.

References

  1. ↑ Reed, Sam (October 25, 2022). "Broadway Breakout Lorna Courtney Is Grateful to Be Here". Glamour . Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Dodge, Samuel (January 30, 2023). "Broadway smash '& Juliet' stars pair of University of Michigan alums". Michigan Live. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  3. ↑ "The Broadway Show: & Juliet's Lorna Courtney on Raising Her Voice & Encouraging Others". Broadway.com. YouTube. January 9, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Nordstrom, Leigh (November 23, 2022). "Meet the Star of Broadway's Buzziest New Show". Women's Wear Daily . Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  5. ↑ Reed, Sam (October 25, 2022). "Broadway Breakout Lorna Courtney Is Grateful to Be Here". Glamour. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  6. ↑ Hall, Margaret (May 4, 2023). "How Lorna Courtney is Coming Into Her Power In & Juliet". Playbill. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  7. ↑ Courtney, Lorna (May 24, 2019). "So excited to have joined the amazing cast of Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway as Alana/Zoe Understudy!!! Thank you to all the people that helped me along the way. My journey has begun!!! #Alanabeck #Zoemurphy #DEH #Broadway #lisabrescia #broadwaymusical #musical #musicaltheatre #bway #theatre #nyc #soexcited #photooftheday #instagood #life #lifeisgood #dreamcometrue". Instagram. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  8. ↑ Chapman, Wilson (May 6, 2022). "Lorna Courtney, Paulo Szot, Betsy Wolfe, Stark Sands Cast in New Musical '& Juliet'". Variety. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  9. ↑ Hall, Margaret (October 11, 2022). "& Juliet Announces Complete Broadway Cast". Playbill. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  10. ↑ Green, Jesse (November 17, 2022). "Review: On Broadway, '& Juliet' (& Britney & Katy & Pink)". The New York Times . Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  11. ↑ Aniftos, Rania (October 28, 2022). "Kelly Clarkson Teams Up With '& Juliet' Star Lorna Courtney for 'Since U Been Gone' Duet". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Sherman, Rachel; Cohn, Gabe (May 2, 2023). "Tony Awards Nominations 2023: The Complete List". The New York Times . Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Mama Foundation Stages We Are! in Rep with Alive!, Beginning Tonight". BroadwayWorld. October 11, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  14. ↑ Wild, Stephi (June 2, 2019). "CT Rep Begins Mamma Mia! On June 6". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  15. ↑ Skethway, Nathan (February 21, 2020). "Go Inside the Broadway Opening of Ivo van Hove's West Side Story Revival". Playbill. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  16. ↑ Putnam, Leah (May 6, 2022). "Broadway-Aimed & Juliet Announces Cast for North American Premiere". Playbill. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  17. ↑ Hall, Margaret (October 11, 2022). "& Juliet Announces Complete Broadway Cast". Playbill. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Nominations Announced for 42nd Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards". Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts. August 29, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  19. ↑ BWW, Team. "Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, A Doll's House & More Lead in Nominations for 2023 Drama League Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  20. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Lorna Courtney, Solea Pfeiffer & More Named 13th Annual Clive Barnes Award Finalists". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  21. ↑ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 23, 2023). "& Juliet's Lorna Courtney Wins Clive Barnes Award". Playbill. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.