Marisha Wallace

Last updated
Marisha Wallace
Born (1985-09-29) September 29, 1985 (age 38)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active2014–present

Marisha Wallace (born September 29, 1985) is an American actress and singer, best known for her work in musical theatre.

Contents

Life and career

Wallace appeared in the original Broadway casts of Aladdin (2014) and Something Rotten! (2015) as a member of the ensemble and understudy. [1] In January 2017 she became an alternate Effie White in the West End production of Dreamgirls . [2] Following the departure of Amber Riley from the production, Wallace took over the role, sharing with Karen Mav and Moya Angela. [3] In 2017, she released a Christmas album called Soul Holiday. [4] In 2019, she joined the original London cast of Waitress as Becky. [5] In Summer 2021 she starred in the London Coliseum production of Hairspray as Motormouth Maybelle opposite Michael Ball. [6] For this role she was nominated for the 2021 Black British Theatre Awards as Best Female Actor in a Musical. [7]

In 2022, she played Ado Annie in Oklahoma! at the Young Vic, [8] a performance for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. [9]

Wallace is the singing voice of Ms. Johnston in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey on Netflix.

In March 2023, she began playing Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre for which she was nominated for her second Olivier Award Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She left the production in February 2024. [10]

In March 2024, Wallace entered the Celebrity Big Brother house to compete in the twenty-third series. [11] She was the fifth housemate evicted, leaving on Day 16 in a double eviction. [12]

In August 2024 she appeared in a concert staging of Something Rotten! at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. [13]

In December 2024, she will make her debut in pantomime as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood at the London Palladium.

Stage

YearTitleRoleNotes
2010 Rent Maureen Johnson Palace Theatre
2011Joanne JeffersonBroadway Palm Theatre
2012 The Book of Mormon EnsembleUS Tour
2014 Aladdin Ensemble
u/s Babkak
New Amsterdam Theatre, Broadway
2015 Something Rotten! Ensemble
u/s Bea
St. James Theatre, Broadway
2016 Dreamgirls Effie White Savoy Theatre, West End
2019 Waitress Becky Adelphi Theatre, West End
2021 Hairspray Motormouth Maybelle London Coliseum, West End
2022 Oklahoma! Ado Annie Young Vic Theatre, London
2023 Guys and Dolls Miss Adelaide Bridge Theatre, London
2024 Robin Hood Sheriff of Nottingham London Palladium, West End
Something Rotten! Bea Theatre Royal Drury Lane, West End

Filmography

As herself
YearTitleRoleRef.
2021 Feel Good Marsha; season 2 (2 episodes)
2024 Celebrity Big Brother Housemate; series 23 [14]

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleDetailsPeak chart positions
UK
[15]
Soul Holiday
  • Released: October 26, 2017
  • Labels: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Tomorrow
  • Released: November 27, 2020
  • Labels: Decca
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
69

Singles

TitleYearAlbum
"Fight Like a Woman (Slay)"2019Non-album singles
"The Beginning"2020
"Tomorrow"Tomorrow

Awards and nominations

YearWorkAwardCategoryResultRef.
2020 Waitress WhatsOnStage Award Best Supporting Actress in a MusicalNominated [16]
2023 Oklahoma! Olivier Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical Nominated [17]
WhatsOnStage Award Best Supporting Performer in a MusicalNominated [18]
2024 Guys and Dolls WhatsOnStage Award Best Performer in a MusicalNominated [19]
Olivier Awards Best Actress in a Musical Nominated [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>Guys and Dolls</i> 1950 musical by Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling, and Abe Burrows

Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, such as "Pick the Winner".

<i>Hairspray</i> (musical) American musical

Hairspray is an American musical with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, with a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on John Waters's 1988 film of the same name. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues. Set in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, the production follows teenage Tracy Turnblad's dream to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show. When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight, leading to social change as Tracy campaigns for the show's integration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Kuhn</span> American actress and singer (born 1958)

Judy Kuhn is an American actress, singer and activist, known for her work in musical theatre. A four-time Tony Award nominee, she has released four studio albums and sang the title role in the 1995 film Pocahontas, including her rendition of the song "Colors of the Wind", which won its composers the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

<i>Dreamgirls</i> 1981 Broadway musical

Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, but closely follows the story of The Supremes as the musical follows the story of a young Black female singing trio from Chicago, Illinois called "The Dreams", who become music superstars.

David Bedella is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in Jerry Springer: The Opera, In The Heights, and & Juliet. He has won three Olivier Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon D. Clarke</span> British actress and singer (born 1966)

Sharon Delores Clarke is an English actress and singer. She is a three-time Olivier Award winner, and is best known to television audiences for her role as Lola Griffin in the medical drama Holby City, and as Grace O'Brien in Doctor Who. Clarke has also played lead roles in many West End musicals, and originated the roles of the Killer Queen in We Will Rock You and Oda Mae Brown in Ghost the Musical.

<i>Dreamgirls</i> (film) 2006 film by Bill Condon

Dreamgirls is a 2006 American musical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Adapted from the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name, Dreamgirls is a film à clef, a work of fiction taking strong inspiration from the history of the Motown record label and its superstar act, The Supremes. The story follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of a Detroit girl group known as "The Dreams" and their manipulative record executive.

Tracie Bennett is an English singer and stage and television actress. She trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in Clapham, London. She played the role of Sharon Gaskell in Coronation Street from 1982 to 1984, returning to the role in 1999 and again in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going</span> 1982 single by Jennifer Holliday

"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is a torch song from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger. In the context of the musical, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is sung by the character Effie White, a singer with the girl group The Dreams, to her manager, Curtis Taylor Jr., whose romantic and professional relationship with Effie is ending. The lyrics to "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", often considered the show's signature tune, describe Effie's love for Curtis, both strongly devoted and defiant. She refuses to let Curtis leave her behind, and boldly proclaims to him, "I'm staying and you ... you're gonna love me."

<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">Laurence Olivier Awards</span> English annual theatre awards

The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply TheOlivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Awards, but they were renamed in honour of the British actor of the same name in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casey Nicholaw</span> American theatre professional

Casey Nicholaw is an American theatre director, choreographer, and performer. He has been nominated for several Tony Awards for his work directing and choreographing The Drowsy Chaperone (2006), The Book of Mormon (2011), Aladdin (2014), Something Rotten! (2015), Mean Girls (2018), The Prom (2019), and Some Like It Hot (2023) and for choreographing Monty Python's Spamalot (2005), winning for his co-direction of The Book of Mormon with Trey Parker and his choreography of Some Like It Hot. He also was nominated for the Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Direction and Choreography for The Drowsy Chaperone (2006) and Something Rotten! (2015) and for Outstanding Choreography for Spamalot (2005).

<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">Amber Riley</span> American actress and singer

Amber Patrice Riley sometimes known mononymously as RILEY, is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series Glee (2009–2015). For her performance on the series, she was nominated for three NAACP Image Awards, and won a shared Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. As a member of the cast, Riley charted over 200 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrienne Warren</span> American actress, singer and dancer (born 1987)

Adrienne Warren is an American actress, singer and dancer. She made her Broadway debut in the 2012 musical Bring It On, and in 2016 received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical nomination for her performance in Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. She was also praised for her role as Tina Turner in the West End production of Tina in 2018, and for the same role in the Broadway production, for which she received the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosalie Craig</span> English actress (born 1981)

Rosalie Mae Craig is an English actress, noted for her performances in musical theatre. In 2013 she received her first major award, a London Evening Standard Award for Best Performance in a Musical.

Charlie Stemp is an English actor. Stemp came to prominence for his leading role as Arthur Kipps in the West End musical Half a Sixpence, which earned him a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Musical and nomination for a 2017 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

The 2017 Laurence Olivier Awards were held on 9 April 2017 at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The ceremony was hosted by comedian Jason Manford. A highlights show was shown on ITV shortly after the live event ended.

Nicole Raquel Dennis is a British musical theatre performer and singer. They are best known as one of the contestants on season eight of The Voice UK and for playing Effie White in the first UK tour of the musical Dreamgirls.

<i>Celebrity Big Brother</i> (British TV series) series 23 Season of television series

Celebrity Big Brother 2024, also known as Celebrity Big Brother 23, is the twenty-third series of Celebrity Big Brother. It is the first celebrity series and second series of Big Brother overall to air on ITV after ITV plc gained the rights to the format. The series began on 4 March 2024, almost six years since it last aired on Channel 5 and was co-presented by AJ Odudu and Will Best.

References

  1. "Marisha Wallace". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 17 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  2. "With Amber Riley Out Sick, Casey Nicholaw Favorite Marisha Wallace Takes Center Stage in West End's Dreamgirls". Broadway.com . Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  3. BWW News Desk. "Photo Flash: DREAMGIRLS Celebrates New Cast and Two Years in West End". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  4. Gans, Andrew (2017-11-30). "London's New Effie Releases Solo Recording Soul Holiday". Playbill . Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  5. Gans, Andrew (2018-12-04). "David Hunter and Marisha Wallace Will Join Katharine McPhee in London's Waitress". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  6. "Marisha Wallace and Lizzie Bea to join London cast of Hairspray | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
  7. "Black British Theatre Awards unveils 2021 nominees". 2021-10-14. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  8. Wild, Stephi. "Complete Cast Announced for OKLAHOMA! at the Young Vic". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
  9. "Olivier Awards 2023". OfficialLondonTheatre.com. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  10. "Olivier Awards 2024 with Mastercard nominations announced". Official London Theatre. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  11. "Celebrity Big Brother 2024 cast: Confirmed line-up".
  12. "Marisha Wallace and Zeze Millz evicted from Celebrity Big Brother". www.expressandstar.com. 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  13. "Something Rotten - in Concert Tickets | Theatre Royal Drury Lane".
  14. "Who is Marisha Wallace? Celebrity Big Brother 2024 contestant". Radio Times . Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  15. "Marisha Wallace | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  16. "20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards: Everything you need to know". 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  17. Stage, Guardian (2023-02-28). "Olivier awards 2023: complete list of nominations". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  18. "Nominations in full: the 23rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  19. "Nominations in full: 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  20. "OIivier Awards 2024 with Mastercard nominees announced!". 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-03-14.