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Beth Leavel

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Beth Leavel
Leavel in 2019
Born (1955-11-01) November 1, 1955 (age 69)
Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Education
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Years active1980–present
SpouseAdam Heller[1]

Beth Leavel (born November 1, 1955) is an American stage and screen actress and singer.

Life and career

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Leavel attended Needham B. Broughton High School and Meredith College, earning a degree in social work. She completed a graduate theatre degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1980.[2] She acted during college, appearing in productions such as Cabaret and Hello, Dolly![3]

Her Broadway debut was in the 1980 production of 42nd Street as a replacement for Annie.[4] Leavel was in the original Broadway cast of Crazy for You (1992) as Tess and an understudy for Polly Baker.[5]

In 1999, she played the roles of Mabel and Mrs. Bixby in The Civil War.[6] Leavel returned to the Broadway revival of 42nd Street in 2001 as a standby for Maggie Jones and Dorothy Brock, eventually playing the latter.[7]

She played the starring role of Beatrice Stockwell in The Drowsy Chaperone, for which she helped to create the character's backstory and which she referred to as "a compilation of a lot of different women in theatre."[8] For this role, she received a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Leavel succeeded Andrea Martin as Frau Blucher in the Broadway production of Young Frankenstein on July 15, 2008, and remained with the show until it closed on January 4, 2009.[9][10] She starred in the world premiere of the burlesque-rich musical Minsky's in Los Angeles, which ran at the Center Theatre in the Ahmanson Theatre from January 21-March 1, 2009; the musical also starred her former Young Frankenstein co-stars Christopher Fitzgerald and Sarrah Strimel.[11]

In 2009, Leavel starred in a stage reading of Dylan Glatthorn's Republic with Lauren Worsham and Kelli Barrett.[12] She also starred in the staged reading of Vincent Crapelli's Otherwise, with Karen Ziemba and Laura Bonarrigo-Koffman.[citation needed]

She starred as Donna Sheridan in the Broadway production of Mamma Mia!, succeeding Carolee Carmello in the role on September 22, 2009, and leaving the show on October 10, 2010.[13]

Leavel starred as Emily Hobbs in Elf the Musical on Broadway. The production opened November 14, 2010, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre and ran through January 2, 2011.[14] Following Elf, she appeared in the Broadway production of Baby It's You!, which began previews on March 26, 2011, and closed on September 4, 2011.[15][16][17] Leavel earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance of Florence Greenberg in Baby It's You![18]

In November 2013, she appeared Off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre in Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays.[19] In January and February 2012, she starred in a limited run of Boeing-Boeing at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey.[20]

Leavel was cast as Bea in the musical Something Rotten! and began the workshop/reading for it, held in 2014.[21] Before the musical opened on Broadway (in March 2015) she was replaced by Heidi Blickenstaff because "the writers decided that the character needed to be younger so she could become pregnant, a key plot point."[22]

In 2014, Leavel starred in the world premiere of the musical Dog and Pony at the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego.[23]

She starred in the musical The Prom which opened on Broadway in November 2018. For this, she was nominated for the 2019 Tony Award for Best Performance by Leading Actress in a Musical.[24]

In 2022, she starred as Miranda Priestly in the Chicago world premiere production of The Devil Wears Prada.[25]

Manhattan Theatre Club has announced she will join Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga in the upcoming Broadway mounting of the Stephen Sondheim musical celebration Old Friends (musical). Prior to its Broadway bow at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, “Old Friends” will be presented by Los Angeles’ Center Theatre Group from Feb. 8 through March 9. 2025. [26]

Personal life

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She is engaged to fellow actor Adam Heller.[27]

Performances

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Broadway on Broadway, September 10, 2006

Broadway

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Year Title Role Venue
1985 42nd Street Annie St. James Theatre
1992 Crazy For You Tess Shubert Theatre
1994 Show Boat Ellie George Gershwin Theatre
1999 The Civil War Mrs. Bixby, Mabel St. James Theatre
2001 42nd Street Dorothy Brock Ford Center for the Performing Arts
2006 The Drowsy Chaperone Beatrice Stockwell Marquis Theatre
2008 Young Frankenstein Frau Blucher Hilton Theatre
2009 Mamma Mia! Donna Sheridan Winter Garden Theatre
2010 Elf Emily Al Hirschfeld Theatre
2011 Baby It's You! Florence Greenberg Broadhurst Theatre
2017 Bandstand Mrs. June Adams Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
2018 The Prom Dee Dee Allen Longacre Theatre
2024 Lempicka The Baroness Longacre Theatre

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2004 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Mom Episode: "Silver Lining"
2009 ER Amy Taylor Episode: "And in the End..."
2009 The Unusuals Ellen Baker Episode: "The E.I.D."
2020 The Walking Dead: World Beyond Dr. K Episode: "Brave"
2021 The Bite Petra Bresser Episode: "The First Wave"

Podcasts

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Year Title Voice role Ref.
2020-21 In Strange Woods Sandra [28]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
2006 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical The Drowsy Chaperone Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Won
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Won
2011 Tony Award Best Actress in a Musical Baby It's You! Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Nominated
2019 Tony Award Best Actress in a Musical The Prom Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Nominated
Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Broadway.com #LiveAtFive with Beth Leavel of THE PROM". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  2. ^ Van Hemert, Lauren (November 26, 2018). "BWW Interview: Raleigh Native Beth Leavel Opens Up About Finding Her Life Path, Channeling Her Evil Twin, and Building THE PROM". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  3. ^ Hines, Michelle (June 12, 2006). "And the Tony Goes to … UNCG Alum Beth Leavel!". University News. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  4. ^ "42nd Street Broadway @ Winter Garden Theatre - Cast". Playbill. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  5. ^ "Crazy for You - Cast". Playbill. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  6. ^ "The Civil War - Cast". Playbill. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  7. ^ "42nd Street Broadway @ Ford Center for the Performing Arts - Cast". Playbill. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  8. ^ Jones, Kenneth (May 31, 2006). "PLAYBILL.COM'S BRIEF ENCOUNTER with Beth Leavel". Playbill. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  9. ^ Gans, Andrew; Jones, Kenneth (July 7, 2008). "Leavel Will Join Young Frankenstein a Week Early". Playbill. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  10. ^ Jones, Kenneth (January 4, 2009). "Young Frankenstein Ends on Broadway, But a Tour Is Planned". Playbill. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  11. ^ Jones, Kenneth (December 4, 2008). "Fitzgerald, Leavel, Cariani, Dratch, Wendt Signed for Minsky's World Premiere". Playbill. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  12. ^ Gans, Andrew (April 13, 2009). "Reading of New Musical Republic, with Leavel, Moye and Worsham, Presented April 13". Playbill. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  13. ^ Gans, Andrew (July 13, 2009). "Tony Winner Leavel to Join Broadway's Mamma Mia!; Dossett to Return". Playbill. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  14. ^ Hetrick, Adam (August 11, 2010). "Beth Leavel, Mark Jacoby and George Wendt to Star in Elf – The Musical on Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  15. ^ Jones, Kenneth (January 14, 2011). "Producers of Baby It's You! Eyeing Broadhurst Theatre and Beth Leavel". Playbill. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  16. ^ Chatter, Rialto (January 14, 2011). "Mutrux's BABY, IT'S YOU Musical to Play Broadhurst in Spring with Leavel in Talks to Star?". BroadwayWorld.
  17. ^ Hetrick, Adam (January 14, 2011). "Shirelles Musical Baby It's You!, With Beth Leavel, Will Play the Broadhurst; Complete Cast Announced". Playbill. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  18. ^ Jones, Kenneth; Gans, Andrew (May 3, 2011). "2011 Tony Nominations Announced; Book of Mormon Earns 14 Nominations". Playbill. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  19. ^ Barnett, Molly (October 24, 2011). "Beth Leavel and Richard Thomas complete the case of 'Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays'". O+M Co. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  20. ^ Gans, Andrew (December 21, 2011). "John Scherer, Matt Walton and Tony Winner Beth Leavel Cast in Paper Mill Boeing-Boeing". Playbill. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  21. ^ "Tony Winners Christian Borle, Beth Leavel, and More to Perform in Reading of Something Rotten!". TheaterMania. September 30, 2014.
  22. ^ Munro, Donald (May 23, 2015). "Nothing 'Rotten' about a starring role on Broadway". The Fresno Bee.
  23. ^ Purcell, Carey (June 11, 2014). "World Premiere of Dog and Pony, Featuring Heidi Blickenstaff and Beth Leavel, Extends at Old Globe". Playbill. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  24. ^ McPhee, Ryan (April 30, 2019). "2019 Tony Award Nominations: Hadestown and Ain't Too Proud Lead the Pack". Playbill.
  25. ^ Jones, Chris (July 23, 2022). "Making a fashion 'Devil' contemporary". Toronto Star. New York. p. C9. Retrieved June 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Beth Leavel, Gavin Lee and more join Sondheim revue 'Old Friends'". October 22, 2024.
  27. ^ Quinn, Dave (May 28, 2019). "The Prom's Beth Leavel on Her Tony Nomination and Why She Decided to Propose to Her Fiancé". People.
  28. ^ Cristi, A.A. (November 30, 2020). "Beth Leavel, Patrick Page and More Join IN STRANGE WOODS Musical Podcast". Broadway World. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
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