Marissa Perry
Encyclopedia
Marissa Perry is an American actress and singer born in Waterbury, Connecticut.
Perry most recently acted in the Broadway
musical Hairspray
in the leading role of Tracy Turnblad.
Perry had been playing Tracy Turnblad in the Weston Playhouse production of Hairspray
in Weston, Vermont
when the writers of Hairspray, Marc Shaiman
and Scott Wittman
, saw her performance and encouraged her to audition for the Broadway production. Shortly thereafter, she was cast as the understudy for the role and was eventually promoted to playing the role full-time. She reprised the role of Tracy in the Marriott Theatre
's production of Hairspray in Lincolnshire, Illinois
, which ran from September 23 to December 6, 2009. She again reprised the role of Tracy at the 2010 Regale Music Theatre production of Hairspray and was nominated for the IRNE Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Perry appeared in earlier regional theatre productions, including the world premiere of Princesses at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut
as well as at the 5th Avenue Theatre
in Seattle, Washington
and Wild Mushrooms at the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, Connecticut
.
Perry is currently part of the ensemble in the Broadway production of Sister Act, which opened on April 20, 2011.
Perry most recently acted in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
in the leading role of Tracy Turnblad.
Perry had been playing Tracy Turnblad in the Weston Playhouse production of Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
in Weston, Vermont
Weston, Vermont
Weston is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 630 at the 2000 census. Home to the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, it includes the villages of Weston and the Island.-History:...
when the writers of Hairspray, Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman
Marc Shaiman is an American composer, lyricist, arranger, and performer for films, television, and theatre. He is perhaps best known for writing the music and co-writing the lyrics for the Broadway musical version of the cult John Waters film Hairspray, for which Shaiman won Tony and Grammy...
and Scott Wittman
Scott Wittman
Scott Wittman is an American director, lyricist, and writer for Broadway, concerts, and television.Wittman was raised in Nanuet, New York graduated high Nanuet Senior High School in 1972 and attended Emerson College in Boston for two years before leaving to pursue a career in musical theatre in...
, saw her performance and encouraged her to audition for the Broadway production. Shortly thereafter, she was cast as the understudy for the role and was eventually promoted to playing the role full-time. She reprised the role of Tracy in the Marriott Theatre
Marriott Theatre
The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois, USA is a respected Chicago area regional theatre. Attached to the Marriott Lincolnshire Resort, the theatre produces an average of five musicals each year, presented in the round, as well as productions aimed at younger audiences...
's production of Hairspray in Lincolnshire, Illinois
Lincolnshire, Illinois
Lincolnshire is a village in the Vernon Township region of Lake County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The village is a suburb of Chicago, a city in the adjacent Cook County. Its population was 6,108 at the time of the 2000 census. Lincolnshire was incorporated on August 5, 1957, from the...
, which ran from September 23 to December 6, 2009. She again reprised the role of Tracy at the 2010 Regale Music Theatre production of Hairspray and was nominated for the IRNE Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Perry appeared in earlier regional theatre productions, including the world premiere of Princesses at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut
East Haddam, Connecticut
East Haddam is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,333 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
as well as at the 5th Avenue Theatre
5th Avenue Theatre
The 5th Avenue Theatre is a landmark theater building located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It has hosted a variety of theatre productions and motion pictures since it opened in 1926. The building and land is owned by the University of Washington and was once part of the original campus...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and Wild Mushrooms at the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
.
Perry is currently part of the ensemble in the Broadway production of Sister Act, which opened on April 20, 2011.