Alumni from the UC College-Conservatory of Music can generally be found in any show on Broadway and in most of the touring companies at any time. Tony and Drama Desk award-winners are listed below, followed by cast members in recent shows.
Award winners
• "In the Heights" ('08, won a total of four Tony Awards, including Best Musical) • "The Drowsy Chaperone" ('06, won Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical plus six other awards out of 14 nominations, plus 13 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical) • "Avenue Q" ('04, won Tony Award for Best Musical) • "La Boheme" ('03, both Tony and Drama Desk nominee for Best Revival of a Musical)
• "Private Lives" ('02, won both Tony and Drama Desk awards for Best Revival of a Play)
• "De La Guardia" ('99, Drama Desk nominee for Unique Theatrical Experience)
• "Rent” ('96, won both Tony and Drama Desk awards for Best Musical)
• "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992" ('94, Tony nominee for Best Play)
• "Damn Yankees" ('94, both Tony and Drama Desk nominee for Best Revival of a Musical) -- producer Kevin McCollum, CCM ’84, HonDoc '05
• “Ragtime” ('98, won both Tony and Drama Desk awards for Best Original Musical Score, plus three other Tonys among 13 total nominations)
• “Dessa Rose" ('05 Drama Desk nominee for Outstanding Music)
• “A Man of No Importance" ('03 Drama Desk nominee for Outstanding Music)
• “Seussical" ('01 Drama Desk nominee for Outstanding Music)
• “Once on This Island" ('91 Tony Award winner for Best Original Musical Score) -- composer Stephen Flaherty, CCM ’82 (also composed the score for "Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life")
• “The Paris Letter" ('06 Drama Desk nominee for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play)
• “Cabaret" ('98 revival, as Fraulein Kost, Drama Desk nominee for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical)
• “Crazy for You" ('92 Drama Desk nominee for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical) -- actress Michele Pawk, CCM ’85 Also performed in Broadway productions of: • "Chicago" • "Seussical" (as Mayzie LaBird) • "Mamma Mia!" • "Hairspray" • "A Catered Affair" ('08, as Jane Hurley, Drama Desk nominee, Outer Critics Circle Award nominee) • "Legally Blonde"('07, as Serena, Actors' Equity Clarence Derwent Award as the "most promising female performer on the New York metropolitan scene") • “The Great American Trailer Park Musical" ('06 Drama Desk nominee for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical) -- actress Leslie Kritzer, CCM '99
• “Chicago” ('97, as Matron, both Tony and Drama Desk Award nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Musical)
• “Grease" ('94, as Miss Lynch, Tony Award nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Musical)
• “Rags" ('87 Drama Desk nominee for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical) -- actress Marcia Lewis, CCM '64 Also performed in Broadway productions of: • "Fiddler on the Roof" • "Funny Girl" (See TV credits, too.)
• “Guys and Dolls” ('92, as Miss Adelaide, won both Tony and Drama Desk awards for Best Actress in a Musical)
• “Bells Are Ringing" ('01, both Tony and Drama Desk nominee for Best Actress in a Musical)
• “Jerome Robbins' Broadway" ('89, both Tony and Drama Desk nominee for Best Actress in a Musical)
-- actress Faith Prince, CCM ’79 Also performed in Broadway productions of: • "Noises Off" • "James Joyce's The Dead" • "Little Me" • "The King and I." (See TV credits.)
• “42nd Street” ('81, as Bill Lawlor, recieved both Tony and Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical) -- actor Lee Roy Reams, CCM ’64, MA (CCM) ’82, HonDoc ’98 Also performed in Broadway productions of: • "The Producers" (as Roger DeBris) • "Beauty and the Beast" (as Lumiere) • "La Cage aux Folles" (as Albin) • "Applause" (as Duane Fox) • "Lorelei" (as Henry Spofford) • "Hello, Dolly!" revival in '78 (as Cornelius Hackl) • "Oklahoma!" (as Will Parker) • "Sweet Charity" He also directs and choreographs shows, including: • "An Evening with Jerry Herman" (in which he starred) • "Hello, Dolly!" revival ('95-96 with Carol Channing) • “Baby" ('84, won Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical) • “Brigadoon” ('81, as Tommy Albright, both Tony and Drama Desk award nominee for Best Featured Actor in a Musical)
• “Oklahoma" ('80, as Jud Fry, Drama Desk nominee for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical) -- Martin Vidnovic, CCM ’71 Also performed in Broadway productions of: • "Footloose" (as Rev. Shaw Moore) • "King David" • "Guys and Dolls" • "King and I" •“Company” (’71, Tony Award nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Musical) -- Pamela Myers, CCM ’70 Also performed in the Broadway production of: • "Into the Woods" ('02) • "Company" revival ('93) (See TV credits.)
• "Coup de Graae" ('06, won New York Nightlife Award For Best Musical Comedy)
-- actor Jason Graae, CCM '80
Currently or recently on stage
• "West Side Story" (revival produced by CCM grad Kevin McCollum, opens spring '09; Karen plays Anita) • "In the Heights" ('08, played Vanessa; won Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance) • 40th anniversary concert of "Hair" ('07) -- actress Karen Olivo, CCM '97 (won the '08 Fred & Adele Astaire Award for Best Female Dancer on Broadway) Also performed in "Brooklyn" ('04-05, creating the role of Faith) and "Rent" ('96-'04) Read Playbill's rave review of and interview with Karen.
• "Shrek the Musical" ('08-present) -- choreographer Josh Prince, CCM ’96 Also performed in "Saturday Night Fever" ('99-00)
• "A Catered Afair" ('08, as Aggie) • "The King and I" revival (as Anna)
-- actresses Faith Prince, CCM '79, and Leslie Kritzer, CCM '99
• "The Color Purple" ('05-08, as Mister)
-- actor Alton Fitzgerald White, CCM '86 Also appeared in Broadway productions of: • "Ragtime, The Musical" ('98-00, as Coalhouse Walker Jr.) • "Lion King" ('97, as Mufasa) • "The Who's Tommy" ('93-95) • "Miss Saigon" ('91-92) • "Smokey Joe's Café"
• "Mary Poppins" ('06-08, as Mary Poppins, Drama Desk nomine) -- starring actress Ashley Brown, CCM '04 Previously played Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" ('05-06).
A video of Brown's performance is available on the "Mary Poppins" Web site.
• "9 to 5" (due to open April '09) • "South Pacific" ('08 revival) • “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" ('05-07, '05 Drama Desk nominee for Outstanding Ensemble Performance, as Rona Lisa Peretti)
-- actress Lisa Howard, CCM '97
• "Vanities" (due to open in '09, plays Mary) • "Monty Python's Spamalot" ('05-07, as the Laky in the Lake) -- actress Lauren Kennedy, CCM '93 Previously performed in "Side Show" ('97-98), "Sunset Boulevard" ('94-97) and "Les Miserables" ('90s)
• "Wicked" ('05-06, as Elphaba the witch) -- starring actress Shoshana Bean, CCM '99 (now in the national "Wicked" tour) Previously starred in special benefit concert of "Hair" ('04) and appeared in "Hairspray" ('02-04). Check out her new pop album “Superhero.”
• "Gypsy" revival (Drama Desk nominee, as Tulsa, '08-present) • "A Chorus Line" revival (as Al, '06-07) -- actor Tony Yazbeck, CCM ’99 Previously appeared in "Never Gonna Dance" ('03-04), "Oklahoma!" revival ('02-03) and "Gypsy" revival ('89-91)
• "A Tale of Two Cities" ('08, as Charles Darnay) • "Les Miserables" revival ('06-07, as Enjolras)
-- actors Aaron Lazar, MFA (CCM) '00 The New York Times praised for Lazar for his role as Enjolras, as well as other CCM grads who played several roles each: Justin Bohon, CCM '00; Blake Ginther, CCM '03; Dan Bogart, CCM '99; Nikki Renée Daniels, CCM '01.
(Watch Aaron in a video clip from rehearsal. He is the actor singing as the video begins, and he will be interviewed further into the footage.)
• "Shrek: The Musical" ('08-present) • "Apple Tree" ('07)
-- actress Sarah Jane Everman, CCM '03 (previously the 1999 America's Junior Miss)
• "9 to 5" (Dolly Parton's new musical comedy, due to open April 30, 2009) -- actors Tory Ross, CCM '02; Justin Bohon, CCM '00
• "Pal Joey" revival (Rodgers and Hart classic opened Dec. '08; Risch stars as Joey) -- actor Matt Risch, CCM '04
• “A Chorus Line” ('08 revival) • “The Color Purple” ('08) -- stage manager, production crew Tim Semon, CCM ’02 Previously worked on “Wicked” (’03),“Three Days of Rain" (’06, w/Julia Roberts),“High Fidelity” (’06) and "Assassins” (’04)
• "The Color Purple" ('08) -- wig builder Katie Kurz, MFA (CCM) '02 Previously worked on "Wicked," “Jersey Boys," “Les Mes."
• "A Catered Affair" ('08) • "Inherit the Wind" (with Brian Dennehy, '07)
-- actress Katie Klaus, CCM '06
• “August: Osage County” (’08) -- Aaron Serotsky, CCM ’97
• "110 in the Shade" revival ('07)
-- actress Betsy Wolfe, CCM '04
• "The Producers" (closed in '07) -- wig stylist Cara Hannah, Cler '97, MFA (CCM) '02
• “Les Miserables” (as Madame Thénardier) -- actress Diana Rogers, CCM ’92
— compiled by Deborah. Rieselman
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