Jennifer Gambatese
Jennifer "Gamby" Gambatese (born September 10, 1975) is an American actress and singer. Gambatese has performed in the musical production of Disney's Tarzan as Jane.[1] Gambatese also played Glinda on the first National Tour of Wicked.
Early life
Jenn Gambatese grew up in Richmond Heights, a suburb of Cleveland. Her passion for acting began during the summer of fourth grade at the Willoughby Fine Arts Center[2] where she attended theater classes. Her first performance was “playing a ‘whitewasher’” in the story of Tom Sawyer. Jenn continued taking acting classes, and in her senior year of high school attended Beck Center as well as Cleveland State University.[3] In 1993 Jenn moved to Manhattan, where she enrolled in NYU's Tisch School of the Arts drama department.[4] Jenn graduated in 1997 with a double major in sociology and drama and received an "Artist & Scholar" award.[5] After graduation Jennifer's first professional job was performing with Theatre for Young Audiences, a touring children's theater company.[6]
Theater and Musicals
- Little House on the Prairie -played the part of Mary Ingalls, directed by Francesca Zambello[7]
- Romeo and Juliet – played Juliet, directed by Terrance Mann[8]
- Little Women –played older sister Meg March, directed by Nick Corley
- Refer Madness- understudy for the part of Mary Lane, directed by Andy Fickman
- Devil in the Flesh- played Marthe, directed by John Caraffa
- Sunday in the Park with George- NYU- played Dot
- Uncle Vanya- played Sonya
- All Shook Up as Natalie
- Tarzan, Bway. Played Jane [9]
- Annie Get Your Gun - played the lead role, Annie Oakley at Goodspeed Opera House in 2010.[10]
- Carousel - played Carrie (2012 Goodspeed Opera House production)
- Wicked - On February 26, 2013 Jenn Gambatese joined the 1st National Tour of Wicked as Glinda [11]
- The Sound of Music - Maria
Broadway Performances
Gambatese made her Broadway debut in Footloose in October 1998. She played the role of Urleen and also as an understudy to the female lead actress. “Footloose” was directed by Walter Bobbie and ran on Broadway from October 2, 1998 through July 2, 2000. Gambatese followed “Footloose” with the musical Hairspray directed by Jack O’Brien that ran on Broadway from August 2002 through January 2009. She played the role of Penny Pingleton. In April 2003, Gambatese appeared in a new Broadway musical, A Year with Frog and Toad, directed by David Petrarca; Gambatese played a few roles: Bird, Mouse, Squirrel, and a young Frog. In March 2005, Gambatese played the role of Natalie Haller in the musical All Shook Up,[12] directed by Christopher Ashley. In 2006, Gambetese played "Jane" in Tarzan, which played on Broadway from May 2006 through July 2007 at the Richard Rodgers Theater. Next, Gambatese played Marie Leroux in "Is He Dead," a play by Mark Twain adapted by David Ives and directed by Michael Blakemore, that opened at the Lyceum Theater in December 2007.[13]
Television and Film
- Played "Woman in Bar" in Robert De Niro’s “The Good Shepherd”. Part was edited out of the final cut.
- All My Children (television series) in 2005 as herself[14]
- Recorded music to the Broadway musicals of “Tarzan” and “All Shook Up”, which are currently on iTunes
Personal life
Jenn married Curtis Cregan who was a member of a children’s television show “Hi-5” and also a Broadway performer, they wed in June 2007. In January 2009, it was announced that Jenn and her husband, Curtis Cregan, are expecting their first child together in May 2009. On May 12, 2009, Jenn and Curtis welcomed a daughter, Josephine. Jenn likes to keep active by practicing yoga and bike riding as well as playing on the field as second base with her Broadway Show League. When Jenn is not in Manhattan she likes to spend time with her family in the Catskills mountains.[15] Gambatese played Annie Oakley in the Goodspeed Musicals, East Haddam, Connecticut, production of Annie Get Your Gun from April 16, 2010 to June 27.[16]
She is good friends with Shoshana Bean.
References
- ↑ http://theater.nytimes.com/2006/05/11/theater/reviews/11tarz.html
- ↑ http://www.famenetwork.com/pastbuzz/talking_to_jenn_gambatese.php
- ↑ http://www.famenetwork.com/pastbuzz/talking_to_jenn_gambatese.php
- ↑ http://www.jenngambatese.com/About-Jenn.html
- ↑ http://www.jenngambatese.com/Contact.html
- ↑ http://www.famenetwork.com/pastbuzz/talking_to_jenn_gambatese.php
- ↑ http://www.guthrietheater.org/prairie
- ↑ http://broadwayworld.com/people/Jennifer_Gambatese/
- ↑ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarzan_(musical)>
- ↑ http://www.theday.com/article/20100417/ENT12/304179969/1044
- ↑ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/175284-Jenn-Gambatese-and-Curt-Hansen-Will-Join-Cast-of-North-American-Tour-of-Wicked
- ↑ http://broadwayworld.com/people/Jennifer_Gambatese/
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/theater/reviews/10dead.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2100400/
- ↑ http://www.jenngambatese.com/home/index.html
- ↑ Jones, Kenneth."Gambatese and Earley Locked and Loaded for Goodspeed's Annie Get Your Gun, Starting April 16" playbill.com, April 16, 2010
External links
- Jennifer Gambatese at the Internet Broadway Database
- Jennifer Gambatese at the Internet Movie Database
- Jennifer Gambatese on Facebook