Dee Roscioli (born Danielle Marie Roscioli on July 20, 1977) is an American singer and actress, who is known for her performances as

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 Wonde ...

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 ...

, Chicago, San Francisco, and national touring productions of the musical ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...

''.

Early life and education

Roscioli was born in

Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in, and the county seat of, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River, a river tha ...

. In 1995, she graduated from

Wilson Area High School Wilson Area High School is a four-year public high school located in Easton, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. It is the only high school in the Wilson Area School District. The high school supports the residents ...

in Easton. At Wilson High School, she competed in track and field hockey and was involved in chorus, SADD, student council and yearbook. She was a peer helper, new student guide, a member of homecoming court, and qualified for district chorus. For all four years of high school, she participated in drama, and her yearbook states her plans were to attend a four-year college and major in theater. She graduated from

DeSales University DeSales University (DSU) is a private Catholic university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. The university offers traditional, online, and hybrid courses and programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Named for St. Francis de Sales, the u ...

Center Valley, Pennsylvania Center Valley is an unincorporated community located one mile north of Coopersburg, at the intersection of Pennsylvania State Routes 309 and 378 in Upper Saucon Township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Lehigh Valley, which had ...

in 1999. While at DeSales, she performed in Act One's production of ''

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 and ...

'' as Marian Paroo and as the beggar woman in '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street''.

Career

From 2000 to 2001, Roscioli originated a lead role in a national touring production of ''

Pokémon Live! ''Pokémon Live!'' was a musical stage show that toured the United States from September 15, 2000 to January 28, 2001. The musical was based on the Pokémon (anime), ''Pokémon'' anime series, using similar characters, clothing, and story element ...

'' as

Delia Ketchum Delia is a feminine given name, either taken from an epithet of the Greek mythology, Greek moon goddess Artemis, or else representing a Abbreviation, short form of ''Adela (name), Adelia'', ''Bridget (given name), Bedelia'', ''Cordelia'' or ''Odil ...

and also contributed to the soundtrack in songs such as "I've Got a Secret" and "Everything Changes".Northeast Times
''The Cats meow is just purrfect'' by Tom Waring August 11, 2002. Retrieved May 27, 2008. Roscioli was cast in the principal role of "Grizabella" in a national tour of

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...

's musical ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...

'' from 2002 to 2003 and received critical acclaim for her performance.The Northerner
' 'Cats': It's the Cats Meow'' by Samantha Warner, November 27, 2002. Retrieved May 10, 2008
''Cats'' (review) by Scott Cain. Retrieved May 10, 2008
''Young `Cats' energize Aronoff production'' by Joseph McDonough, November 21, 2002. Retrieved May 10, 2008thefreelibrary.com
' 'Memory' serves well in 'Cats' ''by Evan Henerson. Retrieved May 10, 2008 In 2003, she participated 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 tha ...

US debut of

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

's ''Primrose'' which was presented in a concert format.Musicals Tonight!
''Primrose (George & Ira Gershwin)'' Retrieved May 27, 2008.broadwayworld.com
''Primrose (Musicals Tonight! Concert, 2003)'' Retrieved May 27, 2008 In 2005, she played "Audrey" in '' Little Shop of Horrors'' at Northern Stage.Randolph Herald
'''Shop of Horrors' Is a Winner at Northern Stage'' by Charlie McMeekin April 7, 2005 Retrieved May 27, 2008 She also participated in the workshop sessions of ''Behind the Limelight''Behind the Limelight Official Website
Retrieved May 10, 2008 and ''Dangerous Beauty''Broadwayworld.com
''Powerful and romantic new musical, Dangerous Beauty, premieres July 7–10 at the New York Stage and Film/Vassar Powerhouse'' by Nathan Vernon July 5, 2005. Retrieved May 10, 2008 in New York City. After leaving ''Wicked'', Roscioli worked on a new musical called '' Liberty: A Monumental New Musical''. In this show, she played the lead, "Liberty".Broadwayworld.com
''Liberty: a Monumental New Musical Presented During Immigrant Heritage Week'' April 1, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2010 In late June 2010, Roscioli performed in a sold-out

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

show ''Decidedly Dee'' at the

jazz club A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music, although some jazz clubs primarily focus on the study and/or promotion of jazz-music. Jazz clubs are usually a type of nightclub or bar, which is license ...

''Birdland''. She also performed in the musical ''Therapy Rocks'' at Urban Stages in New York in September and October 2010.Therapy Rocks Musical, with Dee Roscioli, Allie Schulz and Rachel Stern, Begins Sept. 27
Retrieved October 3, 2010 Roscioli took part in the reading of the new musical, ''Welcome to My Life'' on April 11, 2011. Roscioli took part in Interart Theatre and Royal Family Production's performance of Gary Duggan's Dedalus Lounge, which began, January 8, 2012, at the Interart Theatre Annex in Manhattan, playing the part of Delphine.www.playbill.com
''Anthony Rapp, Dee Roscioli and James Kautz Star in Off-Broadway's Dedalus Lounge Beginning Jan. 8'' retrieved January 8, 2012 Roscioli performed at the 2012

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PSF) is a professional theatre company in residence at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania and the official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Festival is organized a ...

. She played the part of Mrs. Lovett in the award-winning musical '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' from June 13 to July 1, 2012. Roscioli participated in the workshop of the indie rock musical, ''Murder Ballad'', presented by Vassar & New York Stage and Film's Powerhouse Theater. It was performed from July 27 through July 29, 2012. From September 9 through October 11, 2015, Roscioli starred as the

Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake (french: Dame du Lac, Demoiselle du Lac, cy, Arglwyddes y Llyn, kw, Arloedhes an Lynn, br, Itron al Lenn, it, Dama del Lago) is a name or a title used by several either fairy or fairy-like but human enchantresses in the ...

in the

Orlando Shakespeare Theater The Orlando Shakespeare Theater is a theater company based in Orlando, Florida that produces classic, contemporary, and children’s plays. The company was founded as the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival and performed its first productions in 1989 ...

production of ''

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 picture ...

''. On August 11, 2016, Roscioli assumed the role of Fruma-Sarah in the 2015 Broadway revival of ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...

''. She also understudied

Jessica Hecht Jessica Hecht is an American actress and singer who played Gretchen Schwartz on '' Breaking Bad'', Susan Bunch on ''Friends'', and Carol on '' The Boys''. She has also made numerous Broadway appearances. Early life and education Hecht was born ...

as Golde and Alix Korey as Yente. She performed through the show's closing on December 31, 2016. In 2017, Dee joined

Paulo Szot Paulo is a Portuguese, Spanish, Swiss, and Italian masculine given name equivalent to English Paul. Notable people with the name include: *Paulo Jr. * Paulo Jr. (footballer) *Paulo Almeida, Brazilian footballer *Paulo André Cren Benini (born 198 ...

at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival's highly anticipated production of ''

Evita Evita may refer to: Arts * Evita (1996 film), ''Evita'' (1996 film), a 1996 American musical drama film based on the 1976 concept album of the same name * Evita (2008 film), ''Evita'' (2008 film), a documentary about Eva Péron * Evita (album), ''E ...

'' which opened with record-breaking sales at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts at DeSales University in Center Valley, PA. All 22 performances, from the previews June 14 &15, opening night June 16, thru July 2, were sold out. Dee played Eva Peron alongside Paulo Szot (who played her husband, Argentinian military leader Colonel Juan Domingo Peron), and Dan Domenech who played Che, who narrates the story with an obvious disdain for Eva. The principal actors were supported by an ensemble of 35 with Dennis Razze directing. Dee was the standby for Star and Lady in the Broadway and Chicago productions of ''

The Cher Show ''Cher'' was an American variety show that premiered on CBS in 1975, hosted by singer-actress Cher. The show had many famous musical guests. It followed a TV special featuring Elton John, Bette Midler, and Flip Wilson as guests. ''Cher'' pre ...

''. In 2021, Dee was a Semi Finalist in the virtual American Traditions Vocal Competition in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...

''Wicked''

Roscioli made her debut in the musical ''Wicked'' in the Chicago sit-down production on January 24, 2006, in which she was the standby for the lead role of

, replacing

Kristy Cates Kristen "Kristy" Cates (born March 14, 1977 in California) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Elphaba in the Chicago production of ''Wicked'' and as the original understudy in the 2003 Broadway production. She ...

, who had assumed the role full-time. Roscioli replaced Cates on December 12, 2006. Roscioli took a 12-week summer break from June 3, 2008 to August 24, 2008, in which time Elphaba was played by

Lisa Brescia Lisa Brescia (born May 12, 1970, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota) is an American musical theatre actress who has performed as lead and understudy in several Broadway shows. Raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she went on to pursue acting and graduated fr ...

. The production closed on January 25, 2009. Roscioli next played the role in the San Francisco production from April 7–19, 2009, covering as the standby for Elphaba, in place of

Vicki Noon Vicki Noon (born 1985) is an American theater performer, who played the lead role of Elphaba on the Second National Tour of ''Wicked'', a role she had previously covered in various other productions of the musical. Early life Vicki Noon was bo ...

who was performing the full-time role for a short period. Roscioli made her Broadway debut on July 21, 2009, reprising the role of Elphaba in the New York company of the musical. She starred opposite Alli Mauzey,

Erin Mackey Erin Ashley Mackey (born June 19, 1986) is an American stage actress and singer, known for playing the role of Glinda the Good Witch, Glinda in the Chicago, Los Angeles, Broadway theatre, Broadway, and Second National Tour productions of the mus ...

and

Katie Rose Clarke Katherine "Katie" Rose Clarke (born August 25, 1984 in Friendswood, Texas) is an American musical theater actress. Early life Clarke was born on August 25, 1984 in Friendswood, Texas. She got her start acting and singing in the United Methodist ...

as Glinda. She played her final performance March 21, 2010 and was succeeded by

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

Jackie Burns Jackie or Jacky may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackie (given name), a list of people and fictional characters named Jackie or Jacky ** Jackie, current ring name of female professional wrestler Jacqueline Moore ** Jackie Lee ( ...

. She holds the distinction of having played Elphaba in more performances in various North American productions than any other actress. She returned to the First National Tour on September 25, 2012, replacing

Nicole Parker Nicole Frances Parker (born February 21, 1978) is an American actress. She is best known for her work on Fox's sketch comedy show '' Mad TV'' (2003–2009, 2016), which she was a regular cast member. In July 2009, Parker concluded her run as El ...

, whom she also succeeded in the Broadway company. Roscioli left the tour on April 28, 2013, and was replaced by Alison Luff.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roscioli, Dee Living people 1977 births American musical theatre actresses American stage actresses DeSales University alumni Musicians from Easton, Pennsylvania Actresses from Pennsylvania Wilson Area High School alumni 21st-century American women