Lisa Brescia

Lisa Brescia (born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota), is an American musical theatre actress who has performed as lead and understudy in several Broadway shows. Raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,^[1] she went on to pursue acting and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Career

Brescia was lead singer in The New Mamas and The Papas from 1993 to 1998 with original members John Phillips and Denny Doherty.

Brescia has played the role of "Amneris" in Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida in several productions. Brescia joined the first national touring production in 2002 as the standby for Kelli Fournier. She assumed the role of Amneris in September 2002 when Fournier left the production. Disney later moved her to the Broadway production as the standby for Mandy Gonzalez. Brescia assumed the role on January 4, 2004 upon Gonzales' departure. She remained in the role until the musical's final performance on September 5, 2004.^[2][3] Brescia returned to the role for one week in 2006 at The Muny in St. Louis along with Simone and Will Chase, both of whom also appeared in the Broadway production.^[4]

On February 13, 2007, she became the standby for Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked, playing the role during the absence of Julia Murney and later Stephanie J. Block.^[2] She left the production on May 18, 2008 and transferred to the Chicago production from June 3, 2008, replacing Dee Roscioli in the lead role of Elphaba.^[5] She left Chicago on August 24, 2008, when Roscioli returned to the role.^[6]

Brescia then starred in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Broadway: Three Generations, a three-act evening featuring condensed versions of Girl Crazy, Bye Bye Birdie, and Side Show. The show was presented at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater October 2–5, 2008.^[7]

She appeared in The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown as Mom in The Orange County Performaing Arts center, Orange County, California in 2009. The "work-in-progress" was written by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk.^[8]

She starred as Claire in the new musical, Ordinary Days which was presented at the Black Blox Theatre in Manhattan from October 2 to December 13, 2009.^[9] She is featured on the Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording which was recorded on April 9, 2010 and was released in the summer of 2010.

Brescia replaced Beth Leavel as Donna Sheridan in the Broadway production of Mamma Mia!. Her first performance took place on October 22, 2010.^[10] Her final performance took place on June 2, 2012.

Personal life

Her husband is actor Craig Carnelia.^[11]

Theatre roles

Broadway

Source: PlaybillVault^[2]

• Mamma Mia! (2010–12) as Donna Sheridan
• Wicked (2007–08) as Standby for Elphaba
• The Times They Are a-Changin' (2006) as Cleo
• The Woman in White (2005) as Marian Halcombe
• Aida (2004) as Amneris
• Jesus Christ Superstar (2000) as Disciple

Off-Broadway

• Ordinary Days (2009) as Claire

Chicago

• Wicked (2008) as Elphaba

Touring

• Aida (2002) as Amneris

Regional

• A Comedy of Tenors (2015) as Tatiana (Cleveland, OH)^[12]
• Victor/Victoria (2015) as Victoria Grant/Count Victor Grazinski (Ogunquit, ME)^[13]
• Into the Woods (2014) as Witch (Chapel Hill, NC)^[14]
• Cabaret (2013) as Sally Bowles (Chapel Hill, NC, PlayMakers Repertory Company)^[15]
• August: Osage County (2012) as Ivy Weston (Raleigh, NC, Theatre Raleigh)^[16]
• Hamlet (2012) as Gertrude (Notre Dame, IN)^[17]
• The Unauthorised Autobiography of Samantha Brown (2009) as Mom (Orange County, CA)
• Aida (2006) as Amneris (St Louis, MO, The Muny)
• Evita (2005) as Eva Peron (Bellport, NY, Gateway Playhouse)^[18]
• The Last Five Years (2005) as Cathy (Milwaukee, WI, Skylight Opera Theater)^[19]
• Actor, Lawyer, and Indian Chief (2002) as Jenny (Chester, CT, Goodspeed Musicals)^[20]
• A Little Night Music (2001) as Petra (East Haddam, CT, Goodspeed Musicals)^[21]
• Brigadoon (2001) as Meg (East Haddam, CT, Goodspeed Musicals)^[22]

References

External links

• Official site
• Lisa Brescia at the Internet Broadway Database