Denée Benton (born December 31, 1991) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her performance as

Natasha Rostova Countess Natalya "Natasha" Ilyinichna Rostova (; , named Natasha Rostov in the Rosemary Edmonds version; born 1792, according to the book) is a central fictional character in Leo Tolstoy's 1869 novel '' War and Peace''. She is the beautiful dau ...

in the 2016 musical '' Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812'' 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 Stre ...

, for which she was nominated for a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

. Benton’s other Broadway credits include the role of

Eliza Hamilton Elizabeth Hamilton (née Schuyler ; August 9, 1757 – November 9, 1854) was an American socialite and philanthropist. She was the wife of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and was a passionate champion and defender of Hamilton's ...

in ''Hamilton'' (2018) and the role of

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

in ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

'' (2022). Her television acting credits include ''

UnREAL Unreal may refer to: Books and TV * ''Unreal'' (short story collection), a 1985 book of short stories by Paul Jennings * ''Unreal'' (TV series), a 2015 television drama series on Lifetime Computing and games * ''Unreal'' (video game series), ...

'' and ''

The Gilded Age In United States history, the Gilded Age is the period from about the late 1870s to the late 1890s, which occurred between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was named by 1920s historians after Mark Twain's 1873 novel '' The G ...

''.

Early life and education

Benton was born and raised in

Eustis, Florida Eustis is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. It lies about 35 miles northwest of Orlando, Florida and is part of the Greater Orlando, Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population in the city ...

. Her mother was a journalist, therapist, and businesswoman; her father was a mayor of Eustis and an airport executive. Rodgers and Hammerstein's ''Cinderella'' was an early inspiration for her desire to act. She attended

Trinity Preparatory School Trinity Preparatory School is an independent college preparatory day-school for students in grades 6 to 12, in Winter Park, a suburb of Orlando, Florida in the United States. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church and is accredited by th ...

Winter Park, Florida Winter Park is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 29,795 according to the 2020 census. It is part of the Greater Orlando, Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Winter Park was foun ...

, before graduating from

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...

in 2014.

Career

Benton's first prominent professional role was her role as Nabulungi in the West End and U.S. national tour of ''

The Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, first published in 1830 by Joseph Smith as ''The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi''. The book is one of ...

''. Benton was cast in the titular role of

in '' Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812'' with the

American Repertory Theatre The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a professional not-for-profit theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to ne ...

; she later made her

debut opposite

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, ...

as Pierre when the show opened at the

Imperial Theatre The Imperial Theatre is a Broadway theater at 249 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1923, the Imperial Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and ...

on November 14, 2016. Benton received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the show. Later in the run, she starred opposite

Okieriete Onaodowan Okieriete "Oak" Onaodowan ( ) is an American actor and singer known for his work in musical theatre and television. On stage, he is known for originating the dual roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in the 2015 Broadway musical ''Hamil ...

and the show’s creator

Dave Malloy Dave Malloy (born January 4, 1976) is an American composer, playwright, lyricist, singer, orchestrator, and actor. He has written several theatrical works, often based on classic works of literature. His most well known work is the Tony Award w ...

as Pierre. She appeared on ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...

'' on December 12, 2016, to discuss the role. Benton gained wider prominence in her recurring role on the second season of the Lifetime series, ''

'', as Ruby Carter in 2016. On October 17, 2018, it was announced that Benton would assume the role of

in the Broadway production of ''Hamilton'', beginning performances on October 30. She left the show on December 8, 2019 and starred opposite Michael Luwoye,

Daniel Breaker Daniel Breaker (born June 2, 1980) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Donkey in the original cast of '' Shrek the Musical''. His other Broadway credits include principal roles in ''Hamilton'', ''Hadestown'', ''Once Up ...

Mandy Gonzalez Mandy Gonzalez (born August 22, 1978)Mandy Gonzalez
on

James Monroe Iglehart James Monroe Iglehart (born September 4, 1974)"Iglehar ...

. On 2022, Benton started acting as Peggy Scott in the main cast of the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

historical drama series ''

'', alongside

Louisa Jacobson Louisa Jacobson Gummer (born June 12, 1991) is an American actress. The youngest child of actress Meryl Streep, she graduated from the Yale School of Drama with an MFA in acting. She is known for starring in the HBO period drama series '' The G ...

Cynthia Nixon Cynthia Ellen Nixon (born April 9, 1966) is an American actress, activist, and theater director. For her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supportin ...

and

Christine Baranski Christine Jane Baranski (born May 2, 1952) is an American actress. She received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in the sitcom ''Cybill'' (1995–1998). Baranski is als ...

. In 2023 she was nominated alongside the cast for the

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast (or Ensemble) in a Drama Series is an award given by the Screen Actors Guild to honor the finest ensemble acting achievements in drama series. Winners and nominees 1990s 20 ...

. In May 2022, Benton played the role of

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

's ''

'' at

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...

opposite

Heather Headley Heather Headley (born October 5, 1974) is a Trinidadian-born American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. She won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the title role of '' Aida''. She also won the 2010 Grammy A ...

Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received List of awards and nominations ...

Sara Bareilles Sara Beth Bareilles ( ; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and over 15 million singles in the United States. Bareilles has earned various accolades, including ...

, and

Gavin Creel Gavin James Creel (April 18, 1976 – September 30, 2024) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter best known for his work in musical theater. Over his career he received a Grammy Award, a Tony Award, two Drama Desk Awards and a Laurence O ...

. In November, she reprised her role replacing

Krysta Rodriguez Krysta Anne Rodriguez is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Ana Vargas in the NBC series '' Smash'', Summer Henderson in the NBC series '' Trial & Error'', Maxine Griffin in the ABC series '' Quantico'' and Ms. C ...

in the Broadway revival of the show. She left the production on December 24. She would star opposite Creel,

Brian d’Arcy James Brian d'Arcy James (born June 29, 1968) is an American actor and musician. He is known primarily for his Broadway roles, including Shrek in '' Shrek the Musical'', Nick Bottom in '' Something Rotten!'', King George III in ''Hamilton'', and The ...

, Patina Miller,

Stephanie J. Block Stephanie Janette Block (born September 19, 1972) is an American actress and singer, best known for her work on the Broadway stage. Block made her Broadway debut in 2003, originating the role of Liza Minnelli in '' The Boy from Oz''. After read ...

Montego Glover Montego Glover (born February 9, 1974) is an American stage actress and singer. She has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the musical '' Memphis'' and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress ...

Andy Karl Andy Karl (born August 27, 1974 as Andrew Karl Cesewski) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for performing in musical theatre specifically musicals adapted from successful movies. He has received several accolades including a Laur ...

Joshua Henry Joshua Anthony Charlton Henry (born September 2, 1984) is a Canadian-American actor and singer of stage and screen. He is best known for starring as Billy Bigelow in the third Broadway revival of ''Carousel'' and as Haywood Patterson in Kand ...

, and

Joaquina Kalukango Joaquina Kalukango is an American actor and singer best known for playing Nelly O'Brien in the Broadway musical'' Paradise Square'', for which she won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Pl ...

. In December 2023, it was announced that Denee will star as Susan in the production of ''tick, tick...BOOM!'' at

The Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

Personal life

Benton began dating Carl Lundstedt in 2014, whom she met in her acting program at

. They married in 2020.

Theatre credits

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Benton, Denee 1990s births Living people Place of birth missing (living people) American musical theatre actresses People from Winter Park, Florida Carnegie Mellon University alumni 21st-century African-American actresses 21st-century American actresses American television actresses American film actresses American stage actresses Theatre World Award winners African-American women singers Trinity Preparatory School alumni Year of birth missing (living people)