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Lenora Nemetz is an American stage and musical theatre actress.
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Lenora Nemetz is an American stage and musical theatre actress.
Nemetz left her native Pittsburgh as a teenager to work on Broadway. [1] Her Broadway debut was in Cabaret. A protégé of Bob Fosse, Nemetz first came to the attention of New York critics when she understudied and later succeeded Chita Rivera as Velma Kelly in Fosse's production of Chicago . In a 2007 posting on the BroadwayWorld message board, Nemetz recalled how she got to play both Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly on the same day during the original production of Chicago: "I replaced Chita, with Ann Reinking and with Gwenn [sic] (Verdon) ... and I played both roles - I stood by for both Gwenn and Chita, and they were kind enough to let me play both roles in the same day. At the matinee I played Velma Kelly and in the evening performance I played Roxie Hart. It was fun!!" [2]
Nemetz also created the role of Delores Dante in the Broadway production of Working, earning a Drama Desk Award nomination. She appeared with Peter Allen in his one man show Up in One both on Broadway and in Los Angeles. She then co-starred with Chita Rivera as Angel in The Rink filling in for Liza Minnelli. She made her New York City opera debut in the role of Gladys in the revival of The Pajama Game . In 2008, she appeared in The Patti LuPone revival of Gypsy on Broadway, playing Mazeppa and Miss Kratchitt; she was also standby for LuPone as Rose. [3] National tours have included Sweet Charity , Bye Bye Birdie , Cabaret, and Some Like It Hot. Nemetz has remained a prominent actress in Pittsburgh theatre, having appeared over the years in productions at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, City Theater, and Pittsburgh Public Theater.
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.
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.
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".
Beatrice "Bebe" Jane Neuwirth is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her roles on stage and screen, she has received two Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Drama Desk Award.
Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson, professionally known as Chita Rivera, is an American actress, singer and dancer best known for originating roles in Broadway musicals including Anita in West Side Story, Velma Kelly in Chicago, and the title role in Kiss of the Spider Woman. She is a ten-time Tony Award nominee and a three-time Tony Award recipient, including one for Lifetime Achievement. She is the first Latina and the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honor and is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her autobiography, Chita: A Memoir, was published in 2023.
Donna McKechnie is an American musical theater dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer. She is known for her professional and personal relationship with choreographer Michael Bennett, with whom she collaborated on her most noted role, the character of Cassie in the musical A Chorus Line. She earned the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for this performance in 1976. She is also known for playing Amanda Harris/Olivia Corey on the Gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows from 1969 to 1970.
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).
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).
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.
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.
Elizabeth Anne Seal is a British actress. In 1961, she won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance in the title role of Irma La Douce.
Roxanne "Roxie" Hart is a fictional character. She is the main character of the 1926 play Chicago and its various remakes and derivatives.
Jessica Lee Goldyn is an American musical theatre actress, singer, and dancer best known for creating the role of Val in the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line and appearing as Nini (replacement) in Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Goldyn played the lead role of Cassie from August 10, 2008 opposite Mario Lopez as Zack, until the show ended its Broadway revival run on August 17, 2008. Goldyn had been an understudy for the lead character of Cassie. She played the title role in Annie (musical) at age 21. Goldyn appeared in The Paper Mill Playhouse (NJ) rendition of A Chorus Line in the star role of Cassie from October 7 through October 28, 2012.
Josefina Gabrielle is a British stage and television actress, and a former ballet dancer, best known for her performances in West End musicals and plays.
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.
Brent Barrett is an American actor and tenor who is mostly known for his work within American theatre. Barrett has performed in musicals and in concerts with theatres, symphony orchestras, opera houses, and concert halls internationally. He starred in the original production of Maltby and Shire's hit Off-Broadway musical Closer Than Ever in 1989 and the 2001 West End revival of Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate. He has also appeared sporadically on television and in films.
Andréa Burns is an American actress and singer best known for her portrayal of the hairdresser Daniela in Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In the Heights, as Carmen in Douglas Carter Beane's The Nance, and as Mrs. Spamboni in The Electric Company.
Velma Kelly is one of the main characters in the successful 1975 Broadway musical Chicago. Kelly is based on the character "Velma", who first appeared in the 1926 play, also called Chicago, who was in-turn inspired by the life of Belva Gaertner.
Valarie Pettiford is an American stage and television actress, dancer, and jazz singer. She received a Tony Award nomination for her role in the broadway production Fosse. She is also known for her role as "Big Dee Dee" Thorne on the UPN television sitcom Half & Half.
Angie Schworer is a stage actress and dancer best known for originating the role of Angie in The Prom on Broadway and for being the longest-running Ulla in The Producers.
