Lesli Margherita
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Lesli Margherita is an American stage and screen actress. She is best known for originating the roles of Inez in the musical ''
Zorro Zorro ( Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante w ...
,'' for which she won a
Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...
, and Mrs. Wormwood in the Broadway cast of '' Matilda the Musical''.


Early life and education

Margherita graduated from the
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the Californ ...
."Lesli Margherita Brings YULE YOUR KINGDOM to The Green Room 42 This Holiday Season"
''BroadwayWorld''. December 11, 2018.


Career


Film and television

Margherita's film credits include ''
Boogeyman 2 ''Boogeyman 2'' is a 2007 American horror film edited and directed by Jeff Betancourt and the sequel to the 2005 film ''Boogeyman''. The film was written by Brian Sieve and stars Danielle Savre, Matt Cohen, David Gallagher, Mae Whitman, Rene ...
'', '' Lucky Stiff'', '' Cinderella III: A Twist in Time'', and ''
Opening Night A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...
''."AUDIO: DAMES AT SEA's Lesli Margherita Guests on CAN I PET YOUR DOG? Podcast"
''BroadwayWorld''. October 13, 2015.
Upon graduation she appeared in the TV show ''
Fame L.A. ''Fame L.A.'' is an American drama series that aired in syndication from 1997 to 1998. It told the story of a drama/dance school in Los Angeles where students honed their talents while overcoming various personal problems. It starred Heidi Noe ...
''. Her television credits include ''
NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensembl ...
'', ''
Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcas ...
'', ''
The District ''The District'' is an American crime drama and police procedural television series which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000, to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s police department. Pr ...
'', ''
On the Lot ''On the Lot'' is a single season reality show and online competition for filmmaking, produced by Steven Spielberg, Mark Burnett and David Goffin. The show, which aired on Fox, featured filmmakers competing in weekly elimination competitions, wi ...
'', ''
The Suite Life on Deck ''The Suite Life on Deck'' is an American teen sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/ spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody''. The series follows twin ...
'', '' Major Crimes'' and '' Donny!''.


Theatre

Margherita became involved with the musical ''
Zorro Zorro ( Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante w ...
'' through a workshop in 2006, which she initially turned down, in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. She remained with the production through to the West End premiere in June 2008, and garnered critical acclaim for her performance as Inez. In 2009, she won the
Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...
for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical and received a WhatsOnStage Award nomination. Margherita performed a number from the show at the 2008
Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal ...
, and can be heard on the original London cast recording. In 2020, she reprised her performance for a one-night concert version in London. She appeared as Mrs. Wormwood in the
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 ...
production of '' Matilda the Musical'', from March 2013 to September 2015 and again starting in September 2016. She played the role of Mona Kent in the Broadway premiere of '' Dames at Sea'' which opened in October 2015. The ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' review noted, "the actress plays the tyrannical vamp with infectious relish." She appeared as Cindy Lou Who in the
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 ...
one person ''Who's Holiday!'' in November and December 2017. She was nominated for the 2018
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 ...
, Outstanding Solo Performance; 2018
Lucille Lortel Award The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres ...
, Outstanding Solo Show; and 2018 Off Broadway Alliance Award, Best Solo Performance. In regional theatre, Margherita appeared in ''
Spamalot ''Spamalot'' (also known as ''Monty Python's Spamalot'') is a musical comedy with music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, and lyrics and book by Idle. It is adapted from the 1975 film ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''. Like the motion pictu ...
'' at the Sacramento Music Circus as The Lady of the Lake in 2010. She appeared as Audrey in ''
Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors may refer to: * ''The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 film directed by Roger Corman ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (film), a 1986 film adaptati ...
'' at La Mirada Theatre in
La Mirada, California La Mirada ( Spanish for "The Look") is a city in southeast Los Angeles County, California United States, and is one of the Gateway Cities. The population was 48,527 at the 2010 census, up from 46,783 at the 2000 census. The La Mirada Theatre f ...
, from April to May 2011. From July to September 2011, she appeared 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 ...
in
East Haddam, Connecticut East Haddam is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut. The population was 8,875 at the time of the 2020 census. History Until 1650, the area of East Haddam was inhabited by at least three Indigenous peoples: the Wangunk, the Mohegan and the N ...
, in ''
Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...
'' as Julie. She appeared in the new musical '' The Flamingo Kid'' at the Hartford Stage in Connecticut from May to June 2019. The ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' reviewer wrote, "Also standing out is Lesli Margherita as Phyllis, Phil’s long-suffering snob of a wife, who gets every laugh effortlessly with her deadpan delivery. She also nails her second act number, a good song with a terrible title". From January 19, 2020, to March 11, 2020, Lesli starred as Princess in the musical ''
Emojiland Emojiland is a pop musical written by Keith Harrison Dworkin and Laura Schein. It premiered off-Broadway on January 19, 2020, at the Duke on 42nd Street. It centers around a group of emojis living in the world of a smartphone on the eve of a sof ...
'' at the Duke on 42nd Street theater in New York City.


Concerts

Margherita performed her concert/cabaret act at The Green Room 42 in New York City in December 2018.


Filmography


Film


Television


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Margherita, Lesli Place of birth missing (living people) Living people American film actresses American television actresses American musical theatre actresses 1973 births 21st-century American women