Heidi Blickenstaff (born December 28, 1971) is an American actress based in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

best known for playing a version of herself in the musical '' itle of show' during its Off-Broadway and

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 ...

runs, as well as for originating the role of Bea in the 2015 musical ''

Something Rotten! ''Something Rotten!'' is a musical comedy with a book by John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Set in 1595, the story follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to find succes ...

''. She co-starred with

Cozi Zuehlsdorff Cozi Noelle Zuehlsdorff (born August 3, 1998) is an American actress and singer known for her role as Hazel Haskett in the movie ''Dolphin Tale'' (2011) and the sequel, '' Dolphin Tale 2'' (2014). She also appears in '' Mighty Med'' as Jordan, ...

in the Disney Channel musical version of ''

Freaky Friday ''Freaky Friday'' is a comedic children's novel written by Mary Rodgers, first published by Harper & Row in 1972. It has been adapted for several films, including versions in 1976, 1995, 2003, and 2018, and was reinterpreted as a horror film f ...

'' which was broadcast on August 10, 2018.

Personal life

Blickenstaff grew up in

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...

, and got her start in musical theater at

Good Company Players Good Company Players (GCP) is an amateur dinner theatre in Fresno, California. It consists of Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater, which primarily stages musicals, and the 2nd Space Theatre, which primarily produces straight plays. Between the two theater ...

, where her roles included "Annie" in the musical of the same name. She is a graduate of Roosevelt High School in Fresno, Calif., and Duke University's Department of Theater Studies. Her father, Dale Blickenstaff, is the former District Attorney of Fresno County. In 2015, Blickenstaff married Nicholas Rohlfing.

Career

Blickenstaff is a Broadway performer who gained widespread notice for her work in '' itle of show' after some years of working in understudy, supporting, and ensemble roles. The musical documents its own creation by Broadway fans

Jeff Bowen Jeff Bowen (born August 30, 1971, in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American composer, lyricist and actor. He is best known as one of the authors and stars of the Broadway musical '' itle of show'. He also wrote the music and lyrics to the musica ...

and

Hunter Bell Hunter Houston Bell is an American writer and theatre actor. Early life and education Bell was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and was raised in Wilson, North Carolina until the seventh grade, when he moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Hunter earned a B. ...

, who want to enter the

New York Musical Theatre Festival The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) was an annual three-week summer festival that operated from 2004 to 2019. It presented more than 30 new musicals a year in New York City's midtown theater district. More than half were chosen by leading theate ...

and struggle to complete the show in three and a half weeks with their two actress friends. The actors are also the writers and characters of the musical. Blickenstaff has said her character in '' itle of show', a struggling actor also named "Heidi", is a "concentrated version" of her actual personality. She also has credited her experience in '' itle of show' with easing her chronic stage fright, a form of self-doubt immortalized in one of the show's songs, "Die Vampire Die". "I also have a stage fright vampire", she told TheaterMania in 2006, during '' itle of show''s extended off-Broadway run at the

Vineyard Theatre The Vineyard Theatre is an Off-Broadway non-profit theatre company, located at 108 East 15th Street in Manhattan, New York City, near Union Square. Its first production was in 1981. It is best known for its productions of the Tony award-winning ...

. "Certainly, '' itle of show' has been great medicine, because we talk about that stuff."

Other work

Blickenstaff's other Broadway credits include ''

The Full Monty ''The Full Monty'' is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy. The film ...

'' on

(as Susan Hershey) and ''

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...

'' (as Carlotta/Ensemble and u/s for Ursula). In 2006, she starred in the musical ''

Meet John Doe ''Meet John Doe'' is a 1941 American comedy-drama film directed and produced by Frank Capra, written by Robert Riskin, and starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The film is about a "grassroots" political campaign created unwittingly by ...

'' at the

Ford's Theatre Ford's Theatre is a theater located in Washington, D.C., which opened in August 1863. The theater is infamous for being the site of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. On the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth entered the theater bo ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, winning a

Helen Hayes Award The Helen Hayes Awards are theater awards recognizing excellence in professional theater in the Washington, D.C. area since 1983. The awards are named in tribute of Helen Hayes, who is also known as the "First Lady of American Theatre." They ar ...

for her performance. Of Blickenstaff's performance in the musical—an adaptation of the 1941 Frank Capra film of the same name—Peter Marks wrote in the ''Washington Post'': "She's a dynamite successor to the movie's Barbara Stanwyck: It's a star performance, in fact. There's an effortless kind of kick to Blickenstaff's readings of Ann's sharp-elbowed lines. And she can sing, to boot."Marks, Peter (27 March 2007)
"'John Doe' Makes for Some Names to Remember"
''The Washington Post''. Retrieved 23 July 2008. Blickenstaff's other regional credits include roles in ''The Girl in the Frame'' at the

Goodspeed Opera House Goodspeed Musicals is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theater and the creation of new works, located in East Haddam, Connecticut. A distinctive feature of the view from the Connecticut River, th ...

, ''

Bat Boy Bat boy or batboy or ''variation'', may refer to: * Batboy, a nickname for a US Army airborne ranger assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment originating from the period prior to the organization of the Ranger regiment in 1984 when there were only tw ...

'' at Theatreworks in Palo Alto, California, and ''Prairie'' at

New York Stage and Film New York Stage and Film is an art and film institution founded in 1985 by Mark Linn-Baker, Max Mayer and Leslie Urdang in order to provide artists with a rigorous and nurturing environment to invigorate the artistic process; to promote collabora ...

. She has also performed in touring productions of ''The Full Monty'', ''

Jekyll & Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...

'' (as the understudy for the role of Lucy Harris), '' Steel Pier'', ''

Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others,G ...

'', and

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

's ''

Tommy Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...

''.title of show: The Players
titleofshow.com. Retrieved July 23, 2008. It was during the ''Tommy'' tour that Blickenstaff met her future '' itle of show' co-star (and the musical's co-creator/composer)

. She has appeared in a television commercials for

Nationwide Insurance Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliated companies, commonly shortened to Nationwide, is a group of large U.S. insurance and financial services companies based in Columbus, Ohio. The company also operates regional headquarters in Scott ...

and

Foster Grant Foster Grant, or FosterGrant, is an American brand of eyewear founded by Sam Foster in 1919. The Foster Grant brand is a subsidiary company of FGX International, a consumer goods wholesaler with headquarters in Smithfield, Rhode Island, which h ...

. Blickenstaff replaced

Sherie Rene Scott Sherie Rene Scott (born February 8, 1967)Some sources give 1969, but Scott herself, at thOfficial Sherie Rene Scott Myspace Pageand at Lovece, Frank"Sherie Rene Scott is caught up in the 'Rapture'", ''Newsday'', May 6, 2010, gives 1967 is an Ame ...

as Ursula in the Broadway production of ''The Little Mermaid'' on January 27, 2009, and stayed with the show until April 5, 2009. She was succeeded by

Faith Prince Faith Prince (born August 6, 1957) is an American actress and singer, best known for her work on Broadway in musical theatre. She won the Tony Award as Best Actress in ''Guys and Dolls'' in 1992, and received three other Tony nominations. Life ...

. She replaced

Carolee Carmello Carolee Ann Carmello (born September 1, 1962) is an American actress best known for her performances in Broadway musicals and for playing the role of Maple LaMarsh on the television series ''Remember WENN'' (1996–1998). She is a three-time ...

as Alice Beineke in ''

The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...

'' on March 8, 2011. Blickenstaff was a member of the original cast of the review ''First You Dream: The Music of Kander and Ebb'', which premiered at the Signature Theatre in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...

, in 2009, and the revival that played at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

in Washington, D.C., in June 2012. In July 2013, Blickenstaff played Diana in ''

Next to Normal ''Next to Normal'' (stylized in all lowercase) is a 2008 American rock musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. The story centers on a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that managing ...

'' at the Weston Playhouse in

Weston, Vermont Weston is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 623 at the 2020 census. Home to the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, it includes the villages of Weston and The Island. History Weston was originally the western pa ...

. In April 2014, she played Cleo in the

City Center A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...

Encores! staging of

The Most Happy Fella ''The Most Happy Fella'' is a 1956 musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The story, about a romance between an older man and younger woman, is based on the 1924 play '' They Knew What They Wanted'' by Sidney Howard. The show i ...

with

Laura Benanti Laura Ilene Benanti (née Vidnovic; born July 13, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Over the course of her Broadway career, she has received five Tony Award nominations. She played Louise in the 2008 Broadway revival of '' Gypsy'', winni ...

and

Cheyenne Jackson Cheyenne David Jackson (born July 12, 1975) is an American actor and singer. His credits include leading roles in Broadway musicals and other stage roles, as well as film and television roles, concert singing, and music recordings. After beginni ...

. Blickenstaff played Jane/Bonnie in the world premiere of ''Dog and Pony'' at

The Old Globe Theatre The Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons. Plays are performed in three separate theatres in the complex, which i ...

from May through July 2014 with

Nicole Parker Nicole Frances Parker (born February 21, 1978) is an American actress. She is best known for her work on Fox's sketch comedy show '' Mad TV'' (2003–2009, 2016), which she was a regular cast member. In July 2009, Parker concluded her run as El ...

, Beth Leavel, Jon Patrick Walker, and Eric William Morris. ''Dog and Pony'' has a book by

Rick Elice Rick Elice (born Eric Elice; November 17, 1956) is a writer and former stage actor. Life Elice was born in New York City, where he attended public elementary, junior high, and high schools. He was the salutatorian graduate of Francis Lewis High ...

and music and lyrics by

Michael Patrick Walker Michael Patrick Walker is a composer, lyricist, writer, and musician. Life Walker was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and raised in New Freedom, Pennsylvania. He lived in Pittsburgh for several years while earning his bachelor's degree from Car ...

, and was directed by

Roger Rees Roger Rees (5 May 1944 – 10 July 2015) was a Welsh actor and director, widely known for his stage work. He won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for his performance as the lead in ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby''. He also re ...

. From November 2014 to January 2015, Blickenstaff played Emily Hobbs in

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live i ...

's production of '' Elf: The Musical''. Blickenstaff returned to Broadway in March 2015, originating the role of Bea in ''

'', alongside

Christian Borle Christian Dominique Borle (born October 1, 1973) is an American actor and singer. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for his roles as Black Stache in '' Peter and the Starcatcher'' and as William Shakespeare in ''Something Rotten!''. Borle also ...

and Brian d'Arcy James. In the fall of 2017, Blickenstaff filmed the new Disney Channel musical version of ''

'' as the mother whose personality "swaps" with her daughter, played by

. The film was broadcast on Disney Channel in August 2018. Blickenstaff can be heard on the cast recordings of '' itle of show', '' Now. Here. This.'', ''Meet John Doe'', ''The Little Mermaid'', and ''Something Rotten!''. She also sang on the recordings "Sweet Bye and Bye," featuring the music of

Vernon Duke Vernon Duke ( 16 January 1969) was a Russian-born American composer/songwriter who also wrote under his birth name, Vladimir Dukelsky. He is best known for " Taking a Chance on Love," with lyrics by Ted Fetter and John Latouche (1940), "I Can' ...

; "

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

: The Land Where the Good Songs Go"; Michael Kooman and

Christopher Dimond Christopher Dimond is an American playwright, librettist, and lyricist currently living in New York City. He is most known for his work on the musical ''Dani Girl'' and the song cycle "Homemade Fusion", both of which were written with composer M ...

's "Out of Our Heads"; "Keys: The Music of Scott Alan"; and

Georgia Stitt Georgia Stitt (born June 17, 1972) is an American composer and lyricist, arranger, conductor, and musical director. Early life and education Stitt was born in Atlanta, but spent most of her childhood in Covington, Tennessee. She earned a B.Mus d ...

's "My Lifelong Love."Recordings
amazon.com

Theatre

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Blickenstaff, Heidi American stage actresses Living people 1971 births Actresses from Fresno, California Duke University alumni 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American musical theatre actresses