Caissie Levy (born April 15, 1981) is a Canadian-American actress and singer, mainly known for her work in musical theatre on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

and in the West End. Her early Broadway credits included Penny Pingleton in ''

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...

'' and Sheila in ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...

'', a role she also played in the West End. She originated the role of Molly Jensen in the West End and Broadway productions of '' Ghost: the Musical'' and played

Fantine Fantine (French pronunciation: ) is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. She is a young '' grisette'' in Paris who becomes pregnant by a rich student. After he abandons her, she is forced to look after their chil ...

in the 2014 Broadway revival of ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

''. Levy also originated the role of Elsa in '' Frozen'' on Broadway.

Early life

Levy was born in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

to Mark Levy, a general practitioner, and Lisa Levy, an administrator at her husband's medical practice. Both her parents are Jewish. Her two elder brothers, Robi and Josh (known as "The Levy Brothers"), are film directors, writers, and producers. Levy attended

Camp Ramah Camp Ramah ( he, מחנה רמה, Machaneh Ramah) is a network of Jewish summer camps affiliated with the Conservative Movement. The camps operate in the United States, Canada, and Israel. All Ramah camps serve kosher food and are '' Shabbat''-o ...

in Canada. She graduated from

Westdale Secondary School Westdale Secondary School is a public high school founded in 1931 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is a school in the city of Hamilton and is located in Westdale Village, a suburb in the west-end of the city. It is administered by the Hamilton ...

in 1999, then attended New York's

American Musical and Dramatic Academy The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) is a private conservatory for the performing arts located in New York City and Los Angeles, California. The conservatory offers both Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees and two-year certificates in prof ...

(AMDA).

Career

A week after graduating from AMDA in 2002, Levy was cast in the role of Maureen Johnson in the U.S. national tour of ''

Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...

''. Levy then played Penny Pingleton in both the

(2006) and national touring companies of ''

'', after understudying the role in the

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

company. She also covered the role of Amber Von Tussle. In 2008 Levy starred as

Elphaba Elphaba Thropp is a fictional character in '' Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'' by Gregory Maguire, as well as in the Broadway and West End adaptations, ''Wicked''. In the original 1900 L. Frank Baum book ''The Wonde ...

in the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

sit-down production of ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...

'', alongside

Megan Hilty Megan Kathleen Hilty (born March 29, 1981) is an American actress and singer. She rose to prominence for her roles in Broadway musicals, including her performance as Glinda the Good Witch in '' Wicked'', Doralee Rhodes in '' 9 to 5: The Musical' ...

as Glinda. She had previously understudied the role on Broadway and briefly served as standby in Los Angeles. She next starred as Sheila in the Broadway revival of ''

'' in 2009 and 2010 at the

Al Hirschfeld Theatre The Al Hirschfeld Theatre, originally the Martin Beck Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 302 West 45th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1924, it was designed by G. Albert Lansburgh in a Moorish an ...

, after which she transferred to its West End revival at the

Gielgud Theatre The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 986 seats on three levels. The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague an ...

. In 2011 Levy originated the role of Molly Jensen in '' Ghost: the Musical'', first at

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...

and then in London's West End at the

Piccadilly Theatre The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, London, England. Early years Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A. Stone ...

. In 2012 she transferred to the Broadway production at the

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, originally the Globe Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 205 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1910, the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was designed by Carrère and Hasting ...

. She is featured on the cast recordings for ''Hair'' and ''Ghost''. She also sings "Please Don't Let Me Go" on the re-release of composer

Scott Alan Scott Alan is an American songwriter who has released eight albums, beginning with his debut album, ''Dreaming Wide Awake'' (2007). Discography * ''Dreaming Wide Awake'' * ''Keys'' * ''What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up'' * ''LIVE'' * ''Anything Wor ...

's album ''Keys'', as well as "Dear Daddy" on composer Bobby Cronin's album ''Reach the Sky: Bobby Cronin Live at the Beechman'' and "I Am Yours" on composer Jonathan Reid Gealt's album ''Thirteen Stories Down''. In 2013 Levy released the EP ''With You'', performed two concerts at the London Hippodrome Casino, and starred as Sara in the Trip Cullman musical ''

Murder Ballad Murder ballads are a subgenre of the traditional ballad form dealing with a crime or a gruesome death. Their lyrics form a narrative describing the events of a murder, often including the lead-up and/or aftermath. The term refers to the content ...

'' at the off-Broadway

Union Square Theatre Union Square Theatre was the name of two different theatres near Union Square, Manhattan, New York City. The first was a Broadway theatre that opened in 1870, was converted into a cinema in 1921 and closed in 1936.(8 October 1921)Two landmarks to ...

. She played Fantine in the Broadway revival of '' Les Miserables'' at the

Imperial Theatre The Imperial Theatre is a Broadway theater at 249 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1923, the Imperial Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was constructed fo ...

in 2014 and 2015. Levy originated the role of Elsa in the stage adaptation of '' Frozen'', which opened in Denver in 2017 and moved to Broadway in February 2018. She left the production after two years on February 16, 2020.

Personal life

On October 30, 2011, after five years of dating, Levy and actor David Reiser married in an evening ceremony at the Soho Beach House in Miami. Levy gave birth to a son, Izaiah, in February 2016, and a daughter, Talulah Ruby, in March 2021. Levy officially became a US citizen on January 21, 2021.

Work

Theatre

Television

Film

Discography

Studio albums

* ''With You'' –

self-released Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to written media, such as books and magazines, either as an ebook or as a physical copy using POD (pr ...

(2013)

Singles

*"Monster (From "Frozen: The Broadway Musical" / First Listen)" (2018) *"Dangerous to Dream (From "Frozen: The Broadway Musical" / First Listen)" (2018) *"Aquarius" (2019)

Cast recording appearances

* ''Hair (The New Broadway Cast Recording)'' –

Ghostlight Records Sh-K-Boom Records is an independent record label and producer of recorded and live entertainment, which was founded in 2000 by Kurt Deutsch with the mission of bridging the gap between pop music and theater. In 2004 Sh-K-Boom created their second ...

(2009) * ''Ghost The Musical (Original Cast Recording)'' – Ghost Rights Worldwide LLP (2011) * ''With You: Ghost The Musical Stand Up to Cancer EP'' – Ghost Rights Worldwide LLP (2011) * ''First Daughter Suite (Original Cast Recording)'' – Ghostlight Records (2016) * ''Frozen: The Broadway Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)'' –

Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label releases soundtrack albums from The Walt Disney Company's motion picture studios, television series, theme parks, and traditional studio albums produced by its r ...

(2018) *''The Other Josh Cohen: A Musical with Songs (Studio Cast Recording)'' – Yellow Sound Label (2018) * ''Caroline, or Change (The New Broadway Cast Recording)'' – Broadway Records, Roundabout (2021)

References

External links

* *
Official Site

Interview with Caissie Levy January 2013
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levy, Caissie Living people Canadian musical theatre actresses Canadian women singers Jewish singers Musicians from Hamilton, Ontario 1981 births Jewish Canadian actresses Jewish Canadian musicians Actresses from Hamilton, Ontario American Musical and Dramatic Academy alumni