Melanie La Barrie
Born
Melanie Hudson[1]

Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Years active2003–present

Melanie La Barrie (born 1974) is a Trinidad-born actress and singer, best known for her work in musical theatre.

Early life

Born in Trinidad and Tobago, La Barrie aspired to be an actor from a young age. Encouraged by her school teachers to compete in junior calypso music competitions, by the age of eight she was regularly performing on stage.[2]

In 2000, she and a select group of actors were chosen to perform the Trinidadian play Clear Water in London. While in the UK she was offered representation and secured her first role in a musical, Ragtime.[3]

Career

Musical theatre

La Barrie made her West End debut in the ensemble of Ragtime in 2003.[4]

She was cast as Ma Rainey[5] in August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at the Liverpool Playhouse in 2004.[6]

In 2004–2005, she was part of the original cast of the musical Mary Poppins, playing the role of Mrs Corry. The cast included Laura Michelle Kelly as Mary Poppins, Gavin Lee as Bert, David Haig as Mr Banks, Linzi Hateley as Winifred Banks and a young Carrie Hope Fletcher as Jane Banks. The show was directed by Richard Eyre, and choreographed and co-directed by Matthew Bourne.[7]

She played Pearl in Daddy Cool in 2007, followed by Mme Thenardier in Les Miserables in 2008.

In 2010, La Barrie took part in the Royal Shakespeare Company's workshops for the musical Matilda in the role of Mrs Phelps, performing the role in Stratford-upon-Avon and when the show transferred to the Cambridge Theatre in London.[8]

In 2018, La Barrie took over the role of Madame Morrible in Wicked, in the show's 12th year, starring alongside Alice Fearn (Elphaba), Sophie Evans (Glinda) and Bradley Jaden (Fiyero).[9]

In 2019, it was announced that La Barrie would star as Angelique, the Nurse, having previously workshopped the role, in the Max Martin jukebox musical & Juliet.[10][11] The musical premiered at the Manchester Opera House, where it played between 10 September and 12 October 2019. La Barrie continued in the role when the musical transferred to the Shaftesbury Theatre on the West End.[12] The musical opened on 2 November 2019, in previews, ahead of an official opening on 20 November 2019. After the show was suspended in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, La Barrie returned to the role when performances resumed on 24 September 2021.[13] On 26 March 2022, La Barrie departed the show.[14]

In February 2022, La Barrie appeared in the role of Mama Rose in a special one-night-only concert performance of Gypsy at the Alexandra Palace in London.[15] She shared the role with six other actresses, Tracie Bennett, Keala Settle, Nichola Hughes, Rebecca Lock, Samantha Spiro and Sally Ann Triplett.

La Barrie reprised her role of Angelique in the North American premiere of & Juliet, where it played at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto between 22 June 2022 and 14 August 2022.[16] She continued with the role when the musical transferred to Broadway, marking La Barrie's Broadway debut.[17][18] The musical opened on Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on 28 October 2022,[19] ahead of an official opening on 17 November 2022.[20][21]

In November 2023, it was announced that La Barrie would appear in the role of Hermes in the West End cast of Hadestown, set to open in February 2024.[22]

Music

Under her birth name, Melanie Hudson, she has released two calypso LP records, which were produced and released in Trinidad. The first of these, Comin' Out,[23] featured as its lead single I Will Always Be There For You, which became a major hit in Trinidad.[24]

Her second LP, Melanie,[25] was released in 1992.

Theatre credits

Year Production Role Location Category
2003 Ragtime Ensemble Piccadilly Theatre West End
2004 Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Ma Rainey Liverpool Playhouse Regional
2004 Mary Poppins Mrs Corry Bristol Hippodrome World premiere
2004-2006 Prince Edward Theatre West End
2006-2007 Daddy Cool Pearl Shaftesbury Theatre West End - world premiere
2008 Rue Magique Desdemona King's Head Theatre Off-West End
2007-2008 Les Misérables Madame Thénardier Queen's Theatre West End
2009 Once on This Island Mama Euralie Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse, Hackney Empire Regional
2009-2010 A Christmas Carol Mrs Old Joe Birmingham Repertory Theatre Regional
2010 Smokey Joe's Cafe Landor Theatre London
2010-2011 Matilda the Musical Mrs Phelps Royal Shakespeare Company (Courtyard Theatre) World premiere
2011-2013 Cambridge Theatre West End
2011 The Wiz Addaperle/Aunt Em New Alexandra Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse Regional
2014 Guys and Dolls General Matilda B. Cartwright Chichester Festival Theatre Regional
2014-2015 White Christmas Martha Watson West Yorkshire Playhouse Regional
2015 Play Mas Miss Gookool Orange Tree Theatre Off-West End
2015 Bakkhai Chorus Almeida Theatre Off-West End
2015-2016 The Lorax Various The Old Vic World premiere
2016 Breakfast at Tiffany's Madame Spanella Curve Theatre, UK tour, Theatre Royal Haymarket Regional, West End
2017 Fiddler on the Roof, The Story Giant, Romeo and Juliet, The Sum Various (repertory company) Everyman Theatre, Liverpool Regional
2017-2019 Wicked Madame Morrible Apollo Victoria Theatre West End
2019 & Juliet Angélique/Nurse Manchester Opera House World premiere
2019-2022 Shaftesbury Theatre West End
2020 Dick Whittington Bow Belles Royal National Theatre London
2021 Brother Cassie Southwark Playhouse (online) Off-West End
2021 The Lorax Various The Old Vic (online) London
2021 Going Ape Eve Union Theatre Off-West End
2022 & Juliet Angélique/Nurse Princess of Wales Theatre Toronto - North American premiere
2022–2023 Stephen Sondheim Theatre Broadway
2024 Hadestown Hermes Lyric Theatre West End

Sources:[26][27]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2001 EastEnders Resus Nurse Episode: 5 Oct 2001
2004 Casualty Anita 2 episodes: S18.E23; S18.E24
2015 London Road (film) Resident Directed by Rufus Norris

Awards and nominations

Year Work Award Category Result Ref.
2020& JulietWhatsOnStage AwardBest Supporting Actress in a MusicalNominated[28]
2022Dora AwardOutstanding Performance in a Featured RoleNominated[29]

References

  1. Taylor, Courtney (November 2022). "Melanie La Barrie: Broadway bound". Caribbean Beat. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  2. "Melanie La Barrie Is Making Her Stage Moment in '& Juliet'". Shondaland. 2022-12-14. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  3. "Melanie La Barrie Is Making Her Stage Moment in '& Juliet'". Shondaland. 2022-12-14. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  4. "Ragtime at Piccadilly Theatre 2003". www.abouttheartists.com. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  5. Hickling, Alfred (2004-06-04). "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  6. "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | Playhouse". www.everymanplayhouse.com. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  7. "Full cast confirmed for Mary Poppins". London Theatre. 2016-06-08. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  8. Cheesman, Neil (2012-01-14). "Interview with Melanie LaBarrie Mrs Phelps in Matilda". Last Minute Theatre Tickets. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  9. "New cast portraits released for Wicked | WestendTheatre.com". www.westendtheatre.com. 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  10. Thomas, Sophie (25 May 2019). "Further casting announced for & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre". LondonTheatre. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  11. Wolf, Matt (2019-11-28). "Musicals of Various Shapes and Sizes Arrive on London Stages". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  12. Jackson, Daisy (25 Jan 2019). "What if Juliet didn't die at the end of Romeo & Juliet? This new musical has the answers". Manchester Evening News.
  13. Stewart, Greg (14 July 2021). "Alex Thomas-Smith Joins The Cast of & Juliet for Reopening". Theatre Weekly. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  14. White, Jessica (18 January 2022). "Keala Settle to join cast of & Juliet musical in London's West End". StageChat.
  15. Wise, Rachel (21 February 2022). "Gypsy musical cast for concert at Alexandra Palace Theatre revealed". Stagechat. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  16. Putnam, Leah (6 May 2022). "Broadway-Aimed & Juliet Announces Cast for North American Premiere". Playbill. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  17. Brunner, Jeryl. "Was Shakespeare Strong Enough To Write A Strong Woman? The Broadway Musical '& Juliet' Delves Into Juliet's Power". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  18. Gall, Tevin (10 November 2022). "Trinidadian actress Melanie La Barrie makes Broadway debut". The Loop. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  19. Green, Jesse (2022-11-18). "Review: On Broadway, '& Juliet' (& Britney & Katy & Pink)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  20. Margrira (2023-02-03). "Melanie La Barrie in '& Juliet' —an amazing talent". NJURBANNEWS. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  21. Evans, Greg (7 July 2022). "'& Juliet' Musical Heading To Broadway This Fall, With Book By 'Schitt's Creek' Writer David West Read & Music By Max Martin". Deadline. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  22. Gans, Andrew (November 16, 2023). "See Who's Starring in London Return of Hadestown". Playbill. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. Melanie - Coming Out, 2023-03-01, retrieved 2023-06-12
  24. "Trinidadian actress Melanie La Barrie makes Broadway debut | Loop Trinidad & Tobago". Loop News. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  25. Melanie Hudson - Melanie, 1992, retrieved 2023-06-12
  26. "Melanie LaBarrie". AboutTheArtists.
  27. "Melanie La Barrie". Playbill.
  28. Wood, Alex (5 December 2019). "20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards nominees announced". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  29. "Nominations Announced for 42nd Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards". Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
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