Lesli Margherita
OccupationActress
WebsiteOfficial website

Lesli Margherita is an American stage and screen actress. She is best known for originating the roles of Inez in the musical Zorro, for which she won a Laurence Olivier Award (for Best Supporting Role in a Musical), and Mrs. Wormwood in the Broadway cast of Matilda the Musical.

Early life and education

Margherita graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.[1]

Career

Film and television

Margherita's film credits include Boogeyman 2, Lucky Stiff, Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, and Opening Night.[2]

Upon graduation she appeared in the TV show Fame L.A.. Her television credits include NYPD Blue, Charmed, The District, On the Lot, The Suite Life on Deck, Major Crimes and Donny!.[2][1]

Theatre

Margherita became involved with the musical Zorro through a workshop in 2006, which she initially turned down, in Los Angeles, California.[3] She remained with the production through to the West End premiere in June 2008, and garnered critical acclaim for her performance as Inez.[4][5][6] In 2009, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical and received a WhatsOnStage Award nomination.[7][8] Margherita performed a number from the show at the 2008 Royal Variety Performance, and can be heard on the original London cast recording.[9] In 2020, she reprised her performance for a one-night concert version in London.[10]

She appeared as Mrs. Wormwood in the Broadway production of Matilda the Musical, from March 2013 to September 2015 and again starting in September 2016.[11]

She played the role of Mona Kent in the Broadway premiere of Dames at Sea which opened in October 2015.[12] The USA Today review noted, "the actress plays the tyrannical vamp with infectious relish."[13]

She appeared as Cindy Lou Who in the Off-Broadway one person Who's Holiday! in November and December 2017.[1][14] She was nominated for the 2018 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Solo Performance; 2018 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Solo Show; and the 2018 Off Broadway Alliance Award, Best Solo Performance.[15] [16] [17]

In regional theatre, Margherita appeared in Spamalot at the Sacramento Music Circus as The Lady of the Lake in 2010.[18][19] She appeared as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at La Mirada Theatre in La Mirada, California, from April to May 2011.[20] From July to September 2011, she appeared at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut, in Show Boat as Julie.[21] She appeared in the new musical The Flamingo Kid at the Hartford Stage in Connecticut from May to June 2019. The Variety reviewer wrote, "Also standing out is Lesli Margherita as Phyllis, Phil’s long-suffering snob of a wife, who gets every laugh effortlessly with her deadpan delivery. She also nails her second act number, a good song with a terrible title".[22]

From January 19, 2020, to March 11, 2020, Lesli starred as Princess in the musical Emojiland at the Duke on 42nd Street theater in New York City.[23][24]

Concerts

Margherita performed her concert/cabaret act at The Green Room 42 in New York City in December 2018.[1]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time Anastasia Singing voice
2007 The Number 23 Attractive Coed
2007 Boogeyman 2 Gloria
2016 Opening Night Brandy
2021 The Many Saints of Newark Iris Balducci

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1997–1998 Fame L.A. Liz Clark 21 episodes
1998 Chicago Hope Antoinette Mangelli Episode: "Deliverance"
1998 The King of Queens Debbie Episode: "Head First"
2001 The Fighting Fitzgeralds Kelli Episode: "When Irish Eyes Are Smilin'"
2001 Nikki Jenna Episode: "Love at First Dwight"
2001 Kristin Roz Episode: "The In-Crowd"
2001 Thieves Leslie Episode: "Liver Let Die"
2002 JAG Lt. Urbanski Episode: "Critical Condition"
2003 The Electric Piper Janis Dixon (voice) Television film
2003 NYPD Blue Roberta Pisano Episode: "Nude Awakening"
2003 The District Det. Barbara Flaherty 2 episodes
2004 Charmed Ramona Shaw Episode: "Hyde School Reunion"
2010 The Suite Life on Deck Isabel Cruz Episode: "Can You Dig It?"
2012 Major Crimes Dee Dee Shaw Episode: "Before and After"
2015 The Good Wife Mama Jill Episode: "Cooked"
2015 Donny! Piper 2 episodes
2017–2018 Homeland Sharon Aldright 4 episodes
2018 Seven Seconds Crystal DiAngelo 5 episodes
2018 Instinct Maria Fucci / Monica Fucci 2 episodes
2018 Elementary Sherry Lennox Episode: "Breathe"
2018 Most Likely To Liz Cooney Television film
2019 Transparent Tara Episode: "Transparent Musicale Finale"
2021 The Crew Morgan Conrad 2 episodes
2021 Younger Lizalot Miller Episode: "Older"
2021 HouseBroken Various roles 5 episodes
2022 The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder Judy Stoneface 3 episodes

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2009 Laurence Olivier Award Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical Zorro Won
WhatsOnStage Award Best Supporting Actress in a Musical Nominated
2013 Astaire Award Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show Matilda the Musical Nominated
2016 Astaire Award Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show Dames at Sea Nominated
2018 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Solo Performance Who's Holiday! Nominated
Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Solo Show Nominated
Off Broadway Alliance Award Best Solo Performance Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Lesli Margherita Brings YULE YOUR KINGDOM to The Green Room 42 This Holiday Season". BroadwayWorld. December 11, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "AUDIO: DAMES AT SEA's Lesli Margherita Guests on CAN I PET YOUR DOG? Podcast". BroadwayWorld. October 13, 2015.
  3. ^ lesli-olivier-speech.mov, retrieved 2021-03-28
  4. ^ Billington, Michael (July 16, 2008). "Zorro". The Guardian.
  5. ^ Bennett, AP, Ray; Bennett, Ray; AP (2008-10-27). "Theater Reviews". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  6. ^ "Zorro, Garrick Theatre, London". Financial Times. 2008-07-16. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  7. ^ "Olivier Awards Winners 2009 -Official London Theatre". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  8. ^ Varley, Eddie. "Tennant, Branagh, Hartnett & 'JERSEY BOYS' Win Big at the WHATSONSTAGE Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  9. ^ Zorro the Musical Royal Variety Performance 2008, retrieved 2021-03-28
  10. ^ "Ricardo Afonso, Lesli Margherita and Emma Williams to star in Zorro musical London concert | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  11. ^ Viagas, Robert (August 8, 2016). "Lesli Margherita Returning to Broadway's Matilda". Playbill.
  12. ^ "The Verdict: Read Reviews of Dames at Sea Starring Lesli Margherita, Eloise Kropp and Mara Davi". Playbill. October 22, 2015.
  13. ^ Gardner, Elysa (October 22, 2015). "Broadway's new 'Dames At Sea' is a dance-driven delight". USA Today.
  14. ^ Hetrick, Adam (December 5, 2017). "What Did Critics Think of Lesli Margherita in Who’s Holiday! Off-Broadway?". Playbill.
  15. ^ "Who's Holiday!". Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  16. ^ Lefkowitz, Andy (June 3, 2018). "SpongeBob SquarePants & More Win 2018 Drama Desk Awards". Broadway.com. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  17. ^ Lefkowitz, Andy (May 6, 2018). "Ashley Park, Billy Crudup, Carrie Coon & More Win 2018 Lucille Lortel Awards". Broadway.com. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  18. ^ "Monty Python's Spamalot". Ovrtur. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  19. ^ "JOSEPH Plays Sacramento Music Circus 2010 Season, 7/20-25". BroadwayWorld. July 20, 2010.
  20. ^ Jones, Kenneth (April 15, 2011). "Little Shop, With Lesli Margherita, Bob Amaral, Brett Ryback, Sprouts in CA April 15". Playbill.
  21. ^ Probst, Andy (June 7, 2011). "Sarah Uriarte Berry, Ben Davis, Lesli Margherita, et al. Set for Goodspeed's Show Boat". TheaterMania.
  22. ^ Rizzo, Frank (May 29, 2019). "Connecticut Theater Review: 'The Flamingo Kid'". Variety.
  23. ^ "About the Show". Emojiland the Musical.
  24. ^ Fujishima, Kenji (October 31, 2019). "Lesli Margherita, Josh Lamon to Star in Off-Broadway Debut of Emojiland". TheaterMania. Retrieved February 3, 2021.

External links

Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical
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