Beth Leavel
| Beth Leavel | |
|---|---|
 On the set of Good Morning San Diego, 2008 | |
| Born |
November 1, 1955 Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Meredith College |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse(s) | John Milne |
Beth Leavel (born November 1, 1955) is an American stage and screen actress and singer.
Life and career
Leavel was born in Raleigh, North Carolina.[1] She attended Meredith College, earning a degree in social work. She completed a graduate theatre degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1980. She acted during college, appearing in productions such as Cabaret and Hello, Dolly!.[2] Her Broadway debut was in the 1985 production of 42nd Street as a replacement for Annie. Twelve years later Leavel made her original cast debut in Crazy for You as Tess and an understudy for Polly Baker. In 1999, she played Mabel and Mrs. Bixby in The Civil War. Leavel returned to the revival of 42nd Street in 2001 as a standby for Maggie Jones and Dorothy Brock, eventually playing the latter. She has also been on Nickelodeon.
Leavel played the starring role of Beatrice Stockwell in The Drowsy Chaperone, for which she helped to create the character's backstory, she referred to as "a compilation of a lot of different women in theatre."[3] For her work she received a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
Leavel replaced 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.[4][5]
Leavel 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.[6]
In 2009, Leavel starred in a stage reading of Dylan Glatthorn's "Republic" with Lauren Worsham and Kelli Barrett. She also starred in the staged reading of Vincent Crapelli's Otherwise, with Karen Ziemba and Laura Bonarrigo-Koffman.
She starred as Donna Sheridan in the Broadway production of Mamma Mia!. She succeeded Carolee Carmello in the role on September 22, 2009 and left the show on October 10, 2010 after one year with the production.[7] She was replaced by Lisa Brescia.
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.[8] 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.[9][10][11][12] Leavel earned a Tony Award Nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance of Florence Greenberg in Baby It's You.[13] In November 2013, she appeared off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre in Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays.[14] In January and February 2012, she starred in a limited run of Boeing-Boeing at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ.[15]
In 2013, Beth was cast as Bea in the musical Something Rotten! and began the workshop for it. Later on in the year she was dropped because she was "too old" and replaced by Heidi Blickenstaff.
In 2014, Leavel starred in the world premiere of the musical Dog and Pony at the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego.[16]
Broadway productions
- 42nd Street – St. James Theatre (1980; joined in 1985)
- Crazy For You – Shubert Theatre (1992)
- Show Boat – George Gershwin Theatre (1994)
- The Civil War – St. James Theatre (1999)
- 42nd Street – Ford Center for the Performing Arts (2001)
- The Drowsy Chaperone – Marquis Theatre (2006)
- Young Frankenstein – Hilton Theatre (2008)
- Mamma Mia! - Winter Garden Theatre (2009)
- Elf the Musical - Al Hirschfeld Theatre (2010)
- Baby It's You! - Broadhurst Theatre (2011)
References
- ↑ "Meredith College presents Alumnae Awards". Business Leader Media. 5 June 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ↑ Michelle Hines (12 June 2006). "And the Tony Goes to … UNCG Alum Beth Leavel!". The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ↑ Kenneth Jones (31 May 2006). "Brief Encounter with Beth Leavel". Playbill. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ↑ Andrew Gans; Kenneth Jones (7 July 2008). "Leavel Will Join Young Frankenstein a Week Early". Playbill. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ↑ Young Frankenstein Ends on Broadway, But a Tour Is Planned" Archived April 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine., playbill.com, January 4, 2009
- ↑ "Fitzgerald, Leavel, Cariani, Dratch, Wendt Signed for Minsky's World Premiere" playbill.com
- ↑ Tony Winner Leavel to Join Broadway's Mamma Mia!; Dossett to Return Archived July 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. playbill.com
- ↑ Hetrick, Adam."Beth Leavel, Mark Jacoby and George Wendt to Star in Elf – The Musical on Broadway" playbill.com, August 11, 2010
- ↑ Jones, Kenneth. "Producers of Baby It's You! Eyeing Broadhurst Theatre and Beth Leavel" Archived March 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.. Playbill. January 14, 2011.
- ↑ Reidel, Michael. "Musical's a Shirelles thing". The New York Post. January 13, 2011.
- ↑ "Mutrux's BABY, IT'S YOU Musical to Play Broadhurst in Spring with Leavel in Talks to Star?". Broadway.com, January 14, 2011.
- ↑ Hetrick, Adam. "Shirelles Musical Baby It's You!, With Beth Leavel, Will Play the Broadhurst; Complete Cast Announced". Playbill.com, January 24, 2011.
- ↑ Jones, Kenneth and Gans, Andrew.2011 "Tony Nominations Announced; 'Book of Mormon' Earns 14 Nominations" Archived September 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. playbill.com, May 3, 2011
- ↑ Barnett, Molly. "Beth Leavel and Richard Thomas complete the case of "Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays"". O+M Co. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
- ↑ Gans, Andrew. "John Scherer, Matt Walton and Tony Winner Beth Leavel Cast in Paper Mill Boeing-Boeing". Playbill.com. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
- ↑ Purcell, Carey. "World Premiere of Dog and Pony, Featuring Heidi Blickenstaff and Beth Leavel, Extends at Old Globe". Playbill.com. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
