Jennifer Damiano
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Jennifer Damiano (born May 12, 1991) is an American actress and singer. She made her Broadway debut in 2006 as an ensemble member in the original production of ''Spring Awakening'', and went on to originate the role of Natalie Goodman in the musical ''
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 ...
'', for which she was nominated for the 2009 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, becoming one of the youngest nominees for the award at age 17. Her other Broadway roles include
Mary Jane Watson Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and made her first appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man' ...
in '' Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'' in 2011 and Jean in the 2016 musical '' American Psycho'', in addition to a number of roles off-Broadway.


Early life

Damiano was born in
White Plains, New York (Always Faithful) , image_seal = WhitePlainsSeal.png , seal_link = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = U.S. state, State , su ...
to Mark and Nancy Damiano. Her father, Mark, owns an amusement company, and her mother Nancy works at a hospital. When she was nine years old, she began taking voice lessons and joined a children's theatre, The Random Farms Kids' Theater, playing parts such as
Dorothy Gale Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of it ...
in '' The Wizard of Oz'', the
title role The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
in ''
Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
'', Gertrude McFuzz in ''
Seussical ''Seussical'' is a musical comedy by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, based on the many children's stories of Dr. Seuss, with most of its plot being based on ''Horton Hears a Who!'', '' Gertrude McFuzz'', and ''Horton Hatches the Egg'' while in ...
'' and Marion Paroo in ''
The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments ...
''. As Damiano began her acting career, she stayed enrolled in her hometown's public high school, where she graduated in 2009.


Career


Early career

At the age of nine, Damiano made her professional debut in New York City playing Samantha and Josefina in a show based on the American Girl dolls. While continuing to participate in suburban community theater in shows such as '' Oliver!'', Damiano continued to perform professionally, in small professional roles in New York City. Off-Broadway, she appeared in ''Inner Voices: Solo Voices'' at the now-defunct Zipper Factory.


2006–2011: Broadway debut and leading roles

On December 10, 2006, at the age of 15, she joined the original cast of the musical '' Spring Awakening'' 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 ...
as an ensemble member and understudy for the roles of Anna, Martha, Ilse and Thea. She was the youngest performer in the cast. Damiano was originally hired also to understudy Lea Michele in the leading role of Wendla, but she was not legally able to cover the role because she was under 16 and the role requires brief nudity. She remained in the cast until December 2007, when she began rehearsals for the role of Natalie, the angsty teenage daughter of a woman with manic-depression in the musical ''
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 ...
''. She was cast in the role of Natalie for the show's Off-Broadway production at
Second Stage Theater Second Stage Theater is a theater company founded in 1979 by Robyn Goodman and Carole Rothman and located in Manhattan, New York City. It produces both new plays and revivals of contemporary American plays by new playwrights and established wri ...
. The show later moved to
Arena Stage Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest, Washington, D.C. Established in 1950, it was the first racially integrated theater in Washington, D.C. and its founders helped start the U.S. regional theater movement. It is ...
in
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for an out of town tryout and eventually to Broadway at the
Booth Theatre The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theater at 222 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1913, the theater was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts in the Italian Renaissance ...
. She was nominated for a 2009 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for her performance, becoming one of the youngest nominees for the award. She left the production on July 18, 2010 (along with co-stars
Alice Ripley Alice Ripley (born December 14, 1963) is an American actress, singer, songwriter and mixed media artist. She is known, in particular, for her various roles on Broadway in musicals, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning ''Next to Normal'' (2009 To ...
and Brian d'Arcy James). She was replaced by original Natalie standby Meghann Fahy. Damiano appeared on ''
Gossip Girl ''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, ran on The CW network for six sea ...
'' in the 2008 episode entitled "It's a Wonderful Lie." Following ''Next to Normal'', Damiano originated the role of
Mary Jane Watson Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and made her first appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man' ...
in the musical '' Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'' on Broadway. The show, which began previews on November 28, 2010, and, after a record-setting number of previews, opened officially on June 14, 2011, was originally directed by
Julie Taymor Julie Taymor (born December 15, 1952) is an American director and writer of theater, opera and film. Her stage adaptation of ''The Lion King'' debuted in 1997, and received eleven Tony Award nominations, with Taymor receiving Tony Awards for Best ...
and later by Philip William McKinley of ''
The Boy from Oz ''The Boy from Oz'' is a Australian jukebox musical based on the life of singer and songwriter Peter Allen, featuring songs written by him. The book commissioned for the musical is by Nick Enright, based on Stephen MacLean's 1996 biography of ...
''. After almost a year with the show, Damiano played her final performance on November 6, 2011, and was succeeded by Rebecca Faulkenberry of Broadway's '' Rock of Ages'', from Nov. 10. Following her departure from ''Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'', Damiano took part in a variety of readings, workshops, and concert works.


2012–present: Film, return to Broadway, and Off-Broadway theater

In 2013, she starred in the acclaimed indie film ''B-Side'', her first movie. Also that year, Damiano joined the Off-Broadway dystopian musical ''
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
'' at the Public Theater for a limited run. The cast included Haaz Sleiman,
Leslie Odom, Jr. Leslie Lloyd Odom Jr. (; born August 6, 1981) is an American actor and singer. He made his acting debut on Broadway in 1998 and first gained recognition for his portrayal of Aaron Burr in the musical ''Hamilton'', which earned him a Tony Award f ...
, and
Uzo Aduba Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba (; born February 10, 1981) is an American actress. She gained wide recognition for her role as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren on the Netflix original series ''Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019), for which she won an E ...
. On November 9, 2015, it was announced that Damiano would return to Broadway (for the first time in four years) and reunite with ''Spring Awakening'' composer
Duncan Sheik Duncan Sheik (born November 18, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and composer. Sheik is known for his 1996 debut single " Barely Breathing", which earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. He has composed m ...
and ''Next to Normal'' co-star
Alice Ripley Alice Ripley (born December 14, 1963) is an American actress, singer, songwriter and mixed media artist. She is known, in particular, for her various roles on Broadway in musicals, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning ''Next to Normal'' (2009 To ...
in the musical adaptation of '' American Psycho'' in the role of Jean (as portrayed by Chloë Sevigny in the 2000 feature film of the same name). The new musical began previews on March 24, 2016, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway. In 2017, Damiano starred in Zack Zadek's musical ''Deathless'' at Norma Terris Theater, home of
Goodspeed Musicals 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, the ...
in Chester, CT. The show was directed by
Tina Landau Tina Landau (born May 21, 1962) is an American playwright and theatre director. Known for her large-scale, musical, and ensemble-driven work, Landau's productions have appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally, most extensively at the ...
and began performances on June 2, 2017, ending on July 2, 2017. In December 2019, it was announced that Damiano would star alongside
Ana Nogueira Ana Nogueira is an American actress and playwright. She is known for her roles as Sarah on ''Sarah + Dee'', Penny Ares on ''The Vampire Diaries''. She originated the role of Eliza Hamilton in the original Vassar workshop production of the mus ...
, Joél Pérez, and
Michael Zegen Michael Jonathan Zegen (born February 20, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series '' Rescue Me'' (2004–2011), ''Boardwalk Empire'' (2011–2014), and '' The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' (2017–present). ...
in the world premiere of the screen-to-stage adaptation of ''
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama film directed by Paul Mazursky, written by Mazursky and Larry Tucker, who also produced the film, and starring Natalie Wood, Robert Culp, Elliott Gould, and Dyan Cannon. The origi ...
'' by
The New Group The New Group, is a New York City Off-Broadway theatrical troupe founded by Artistic Director Scott Elliott, that produced its first play, Mike Leigh's '' Ecstasy'', in 1995. The New Group is run by founding Artistic Director, Scott Elliott, an ...
. In early 2022, she took part in the Off-Broadway adaptation of '' Black No More'', also with
The New Group The New Group, is a New York City Off-Broadway theatrical troupe founded by Artistic Director Scott Elliott, that produced its first play, Mike Leigh's '' Ecstasy'', in 1995. The New Group is run by founding Artistic Director, Scott Elliott, an ...
.


Accolades

Damiano was nominated for the
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 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 ...
s out-of-town tryout in D.C. Later, she was nominated for the 2009
Tony Award for Best Performance by a 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 1950s ...
when the show moved to Broadway. In his review in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' following the 2009 Broadway opening,
Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 to ...
observed, "The notion that personality is fragile, always on the edge of decomposition, is exquisitely reflected in Ms. Damiano’s astringent, poignant Natalie". Peter Marks of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' said she "locates a new depth of adolescent disdain and need".


Acting credits


Film


Television


Theater


References


External links

* * *
Jennifer Damiano
at About the Artists

at RandomFarms.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Damiano, Jennifer 1991 births Living people American stage actresses Place of birth missing (living people) Actresses from New York (state) Singers from New York (state) People from White Plains, New York 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers