Lindsay Michelle Mendez (born March 1, 1983) is an American actress and singer, best known for her work in American musical theatre. Mendez won the 2018

Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical has been presented since 1950. The award was not given at the first three Tony Award ceremonies. Nominees were not announced publicly until 1956. Winners and nominees 1950 ...

for her performance as Carrie Pipperidge in a

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 ...

revival of ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in SA) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular pl ...

''. Her other credits on Broadway include

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 ...

in '' Wicked'' (performing during the production's tenth anniversary), ''

Godspell ''Godspell'' is a musical composed by Stephen Schwartz with book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set to lyrics from traditional hym ...

,'' and Jan in '' Grease''. Beginning in September 2019, Mendez co-stars on the CBS drama series ''All Rise'' as court stenographer Sara Castillo. Although CBS cancelled season 3 of All Rise in early 2021, it was shortly thereafter announced that it will resume airing on the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2022.

Life and career

Mendez was born in Norwalk, California. Her father is of Mexican descent and her mother is of Russian Jewish ancestry. She played Lizzie in a preview of "A Little More Alive", written by Nick Blaemire, in Kansas City. Other credits include roles in ''

The Marvelous Wonderettes ''The Marvelous Wonderettes'' is a jukebox musical comedy with a book by Roger Bean. The show, which uses pop songs from the 1950s and 1960s as a vehicle to tell its story, pays homage to the high school Songleader squads of the 50s. When calle ...

'', ''

35MM 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film * 35 mm movie film 35 mm film is a film gauge used in filmmaking, and the film standard. In motion pictures that record on fi ...

'', ''

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris ''Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris'' is a musical revue of the songs of Jacques Brel. Brel's songs were translated into English by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman, who also provided the story. The original 1968 Off-Broadway product ...

'', and ''Princesses''. In 2012, Mendez appeared opposite Derek Klena in ''

Dogfight A dogfight, or dog fight, is an aerial battle between fighter aircraft conducted at close range. Dogfighting first occurred in Mexico in 1913, shortly after the invention of the airplane. Until at least 1992, it was a component in every majo ...

'' as Eddie and Rose, and in ''Wicked'' as Fiyero and Elphaba. The two frequently perform together at the Broadway supper club

54 Below 54 Below is a cabaret and restaurant in the basement of Studio 54 in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Owned by Broadway producers Steve Baruch, Richard Frankel, Marc Routh and Tom Viertel, 54 Below has hosted shows by such performers as Patt ...

. Mendez sings jazz and blues at other cabarets and dining clubs with pianist Marco Paguia. The two released a jazz album entitled "This Time" in 2013. Mendez, along with composer Ryan Scott Oliver, founded and runs Actor Therapy: a five-week training experience for young actors in NYC. For her role as Rose Fenny in

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

's ''Dogfight'', she was nominated for the 2013

Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards ...

for Distinguished Performance, the 2013

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, and the 2013

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newsp ...

for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. In 2014, Mendez played Naomi Rodriguez in

Lin Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and '' In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animat ...

's one-act musical ''

21 Chump Street ''21 Chump Street'' is a fourteen-minute one-act musical with book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''In the Heights'', '' Bring It On the Musical'', and ''Hamilton''. The show was based o ...

'' and then in 2015, Laura in the play ''

Significant Other The term significant other (SO) has different uses in psychology and in colloquial language. Colloquially, "significant other" is used as a gender-neutral term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship without disclosing or presuming ...

''. While performing in ''Wicked'', Mendez filmed a series of video blogs for Broadway.com entitled "Fly Girl: Backstage at ''Wicked'' with Lindsay Mendez", giving an inside look at the smash musical, including interviews with current cast members, glimpses of costumes, sets, props, and how Mendez herself was transformed into the musical's protagonist, Elphaba, the green-skinned girl who becomes the

Wicked Witch of the West The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character who appears in the classic children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), created by American author L. Frank Baum. In Baum's subsequent ''Oz'' novels, it is the Nome King who is ...

. Mendez played Carrie in the 2018 Broadway revival of ''

'', for which she won the

. The production also starred

Jessie Mueller Jessica Ruth Mueller (born February 20, 1983) is an American actress and singer. She started her acting career in Chicago and won two Joseph Jefferson Awards in 2008 and 2011 for her roles as Carrie Pipperidge in ''Carousel'' and Amalia Balash i ...

and Joshua Henry.

Credits

; Broadway *''

'' as Carrie Pipperidge (2018) *''

'' as Laura (2017) *'' Wicked'' as

(replacement) (2013–14) *''

'' as "Bless The Lord" Performer (2011-2012) *''

Everyday Rapture ''Everyday Rapture'' is a musical with a book written by Sherie Rene Scott and Dick Scanlan and music by various composers. It ran Off-Broadway in 2009 and opened on Broadway in 2010. The musical is a loose autobiography of Scott herself, showing ...

'' as Mennonite/Dance Captain (2010) *'' Grease'' as Jan (2007–08) ;

*'' Merrily We Roll Along'' as Mary Flynn (2022–23) *''

'' as Laura (2015) *''

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...

'' (2014) *''

'' as Rose Fenny (2012) *''

'' as Performer (2009) *''

'' as Betty Jean (replacement) (2009) ; Readings *''Nerds'' as Myrtle (2016) *''Princesses'', National Alliance of Musical Theatre (2006) *''Princesses'',

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 ...

(2004) ; Regional Theater *''

The Rose Tattoo ''The Rose Tattoo'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams in 1949 and 1950; after its Chicago premiere on December 29, 1950, he made further revisions to the play for its Broadway premiere on February 2, 1951, and its publication by ...

'' as Folk Singer/Giuseppina, Williamstown Theater Festival (2016) *''

'' as Naomi Rodriguez,

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...

(June 7, 2014) *''A Little More Alive'' as Lizzie, Kansas Repertory Theatre (2014) *''

Footloose Footloose may refer to: * ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film ** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack) ** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins * ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film ** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...

'', Kansas City Starlight Theatre (2013) *''

'', Two River Theater Company (2011) *''The Trouble with Doug'', National Alliance of Musical Theatre (2010) *''Band Geeks!'', National Alliance of Musical Theatre (2009) *''

'', Sacramento Music Circus (2008) *''Princesses'', 5th Avenue Theater (2008) ; Encores! * '' The Golden Apple'' as Helen (2017) ; Concerts *'' 35MM: A Musical Exhibition'', The TimesCenter (2016) *''35MM'' as Voice 2, Urban Stages (2010) * ''Rated RSO; The Music and Lyrics of Ryan Scott Oliver'' (2009) *''Go the Distance, and the Lyrics of David Zippel'', Performer,

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

(2006) *''Go the Distance, and the Lyrics of David Zippel'', Performer,

Kaufman Center Kaufman Music Center is a performing arts complex in New York City that houses Lucy Moses School, Special Music School, and Merkin Hall and the "Face the Music" program. Originally known as the Hebrew Arts School, it was founded in 1952 and is ...

Filmography

Television

Discography

* ''Three Points of Contact'' - Ryan Scott Oliver (2019) * ''The Other Josh Cohen: A Musical With Songs'' - Studio Cast Recording (2018) * ''Band Geeks: A New Musical'' - Studio Cast Recording (2018) * ''

'' - 2018 Broadway Cast Recording (2018) *''

'' - The Musical - EP (2014) *''

'' - Original Cast Recording (2013) * ''Kerrigan-Lowdermilk Live'' (2013) *''This Time'', with Marco Paguia (2013) *'' 35MM: A Musical Exhibition'' - Original Cast Recording (2012) *''

'' - The New Broadway Cast Recording (2011) *''

'' - Original Broadway Cast Recording (2010) *''New York City Christmas'', ASTEP Benefit album (2009) *'' Grease'' Revival - New Broadway Cast Recording (2008)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mendez, Lindsay American musical theatre actresses American women singers Living people 1983 births Tony Award winners American musicians of Mexican descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent Drama Desk Award winners Actresses from California People from Norwalk, California American stage actresses 21st-century American women American actresses of Mexican descent