Jessica Rush (born December 23, 1980) is an American actress and singer. She won the

Joseph Jefferson Award The Joseph Jefferson Award, more commonly known informally as the Jeff Award, is given for theatre arts produced in the Chicago area. Founded in 1968, the awards are named in tribute to actor Joseph Jefferson, a 19th-century American theater sta ...

in 2014 for her performance in ''

Gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

'' at the

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a non-profit, professional theater company located at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. Its more than six hundred annual performances performed 48 weeks of the year include its critically acclaimed Shakespeare s ...

Early life

Born in Beaumont, Texas, the daughter of performers Ken and Sara Rush, Jessica made her stage debut at the age of ten weeks opposite her father as Motel and Tzeitel's child in '' Fiddler on the Roof''. Her childhood was spent sharing the boards with her parents all across SE Texas. When she was a teenager, the Rush family moved to Orlando, Florida, where she soon went to work for Disney and Nickelodeon on camera, in the parks; where she portrayed Belle in

Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...

's production of ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'', and with Disney Cruise Lines.

National/regional tours

Rush played Sophie in the first U.S. national tour of '' Mamma Mia!'', Martha Cratchit in the national tour of '' A Christmas Carol'', and the title role 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 ...

'' opposite Eartha Kitt. She lived in Los Angeles for a stint, where she originated the role of Anna in the world premiere of ''Pilgrim''. She also created the role of Lucie Manette in the 2007 world premiere of ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in ...

'', by Jill Santoriello in Sarasota, Florida. She did not join the Broadway cast for ''Tales short run on Broadway. Rush played Louise in ''

'' at the

, and won the

in 2014 for her performance.

Broadway and off-Broadway

Rush was seen Off-Broadway at the City Center's Encores! as Renee in the pre-Broadway production of ''

'' opposite

Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of F ...

, Boyd Gaines,

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

Leigh Ann Larkin Leigh Ann Larkin (born 1980) is an American actress and singer, best known for her performance as June Havoc in the 2008 Broadway revival of the musical, '' Gypsy''. Early life and education Larkin was born Leigh Ann Wielgus on April 14 in Pi ...

. In March 2008, she joined the original Broadway revival cast of that company and was the standby for "Louise" under Benanti, a role which she performed several times. Also on Broadway, Rush appeared in the 2009 revival of ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

''. Rush portrayed Lorraine in ''

Jersey Boys ''Jersey Boys'' is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and eventual break-up of the ...

'' at the

August Wilson Theatre The August Wilson Theatre (formerly the Guild Theatre, ANTA Theatre, and Virginia Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 245 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, the theater was designed ...

, and was in the final cast when it closed its eleven-year run on Broadway. From 2019 to 2022, Rush starred as Rhonda in the Broadway production of '' Tina: The Musical''.

Television

Rush appeared on '' White Collar''."Jessica Rush"
IMDb She will be featured on the upcoming

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

series '' Billions''.

Personal life

Jessica Rush is married to Broadway actor Eric Anderson, and has a daughter named Elliot.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rush, Jessica American stage actresses Living people Actresses from Orlando, Florida People from Beaumont, Texas 1980 births 21st-century American women