Carolee Ann Carmello (born September 1, 1962) is an American actress best known for her performances in Broadway musicals and for playing the role of Maple LaMarsh on the television series ''

Remember WENN ''Remember WENN'' is a comedy-drama television series that aired from 1996 to 1998 on the cable channel American Movie Classics. Created and written by Rupert Holmes (with music also by Holmes) and set at the fictional Pittsburgh radio station ...

'' (1996–1998). She is a three-time

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the 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 ...

nominee and a five-time Drama Desk nominee, winning the 1999

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. Fo ...

for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her role in ''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of s ...

''.

Career

Carmello graduated from the

University at Albany The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a public research university with campuses in Albany, Rensselaer, and Guilderland, New York. Founded in 1844, it is one ...

with a degree in business administration. Carmello made her Broadway debut in a small role in '' City of Angels'' and returned to close the show in the role of "Oolie/Donna". She left ''City of Angels'' to take the role of Florence in the tour of ''

Chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

'', from January 1990 to May 1990. She played "Cordelia, the kosher caterer" in the original Broadway company of '' Falsettos'' and also played Abigail Adams in the revival of '' 1776''. In the Broadway company of ''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having ...

'', Carmello was a replacement in the role of "Marguerite St. Just". She originated the role of Lucille Frank in ''

'' at Lincoln Center, for which she won the 1999 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (in a tie with Bernadette Peters) and was nominated for the

Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical is awarded to the best actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival. The award has been given since 1948, but the nominees who did not win have only been publicly ...

. Next Carmello played "Kate" in the Broadway revival of ''

Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-sta ...

'' and "Ms. Pennywise" in ''

Urinetown ''Urinetown: The Musical'' is a satirical comedy musical that premiered in 2001, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and book by Kotis. It satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, b ...

''. She starred as "Gabrielle" in '' Lestat'', for which she received nominations for the

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. The awards were established i ...

and the

Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical has been presented since 1950. The award was not given at the first three Tony Award ceremonies. Nominees were not announced publicly until 1956. Winners and nominees 1950s ...

. She appeared as Donna Sheridan in the long-running hit musical ''

Mamma Mia! Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to: Roles *Mother, a female parent *Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority *Mamas, a name for female associates of the Hells Angels Places * Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlemen ...

'' several times, joining the show initially in October 2004. She again joined the cast as Donna in September 2006, taking a leave from March 14, 2007, to May 13, 2007, to appear in an early version of ''Saving Aimee''. Carmello originated the role of Alice Beineke in the musical version of ''

The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over a ...

''. For this role she was nominated for the

and the

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newsp ...

for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. She took over the role of the Mother Superior from

Victoria Clark Victoria Clark (born October 10, 1959) is an American actress, musical theatre singer and director. Clark has performed in numerous Broadway musicals and in other theatre, film and television works. Her soprano voice can also be heard on in ...

in the Broadway production of ''

Sister Act ''Sister Act'' is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Emile Ardolino and written by Paul Rudnick (as Joseph Howard). It stars Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer forced to join a convent after being placed in a witness protection program. ...

'' on November 19, 2011. In 2012, she played

Aimee Semple McPherson Aimee Elizabeth Semple McPherson (née Kennedy; October 9, 1890 – September 27, 1944), also known as Sister Aimee or Sister, was a Canadian Pentecostal evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s,Obituary '' Variety'', Octobe ...

on Broadway in the musical '' Scandalous'', for which she received a Drama Desk nomination and a Tony Award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Musical. She performed the role of Mrs. du Maurier in the Broadway musical '' Finding Neverland'' from March 2015 through February 2016 and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Carmello appeared in the role of Mae Tuck in the Broadway musical adaptation of '' Tuck Everlasting'' at the

Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1917, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for the Shubert brothers. The Bro ...

, beginning in April 2016. Following ''Tuck Everlastings closing in May, she returned to ''Finding Neverland'' on July 5, 2016, for the show's last six weeks. Carmello joined the US national tour of '' Hello, Dolly'', playing Dolly Levi, from September 2019 to its closing in March 2020.

Theatre credits

Broadway

Sources:

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's ...

BroadwayWorld BroadwayWorld is a theatre news website based in New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , Ne ...

National tours

* '' Big River'' as Mary Jane Wilkes (1987) * ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

'' (1987) * '' Falsettos'' as Trina (1993) * ''

'' as Florence (January 1990-May 1990) *'' Hello, Dolly!'' as Dolly Gallagher Levi (September 2019-March 2020)

Regional

* '' Bells are Ringing'' Reprise! (

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

), 1999 * ''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the child ...

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live ...

(

Millburn, New Jersey Millburn is a suburban township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the township's population was 20,149, reflecting an increase of 384 (+1.9%) from the 19,765 counted in the 2000 Census, which had ...

), 2002 * '' On The Twentieth Century'' as Lily Garland, Reprise! (Los Angeles), 2003 * ''

Baby An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...

'' as Arlene Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, New Jersey) 2004 * ''

Saving Aimee Saving Aimee were a British pop rock band from Hertfordshire. The band toured extensively for four years, and released three singles and an album produced by Justin Hawkins from The Darkness. On 14 December 2009 the band went on an indefinite ...

'' Signature Theatre (

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county i ...

) 2007 * ''

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 adaptat ...

Charles Playhouse The Charles Playhouse is a theater at 74 Warrenton Street Boston in the Boston Theater District. The venue comprises an approximately 500-seat mainstage, which hosts the long-running Blue Man Group, and a 200-seat second stage that hosted '' Shear ...

(

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

) * '' Scandalous'' (Pavilion Theatre (Glasgow / UK) * ''The Music Man'' (Schenectady Light Opera) * ''Grease'' as Sandy (Pittsburgh C.L.O) 1989 * ''Tuck Everlasting'' (Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Georgia), 2015 * ''

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 si ...

'' at Broadway At Music Circus in

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

2018 *''

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–47). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet St ...

'' as Mrs. Lovett ( Opera Saratoga), 2022

Off-Broadway

Sources: Internet Off-Broadway Database, BroadwayWorld * '' I Can Get It for You Wholesale'' (1991) * '' Hello Again'' (1993) * ''Das Barbecu'' (1994) * '' John & Jen'' (1995) * '' A Class Act'' (2000) * ''

The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores c ...

'' (2000) * ''

Elegies An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, and in English literature usually a lament for the dead. However, according to ''The Oxford Handbook of the Elegy'', "for all of its pervasiveness ... the 'elegy' remains remarkably ill defined: sometime ...

'' (2003) * '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (2017) as Mrs. Nellie Lovett

Concerts

*'' Funny Girl'' ( Actors Fund Benefit Concert), 2002 * ''

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater ''God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, or Pearls Before Swine'', Kurt Vonnegut's fifth novel, was published in 1965 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston and as a Dell mass-market paperback in 1970. A piece of postmodern satire, it gave context to Vonnegut's ...

'' as Sylvia Rosewater (

Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) is a private college at Cooper Square in New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in ...

), 2003 * '' Showboat'' as Julie (Carnegie Hall), 2008 * '' 1776'' (54 Below), 2017

Accolades

Source:

Awards and Nominations

Personal life

She is divorced from fellow actor Gregg Edelman. They have two children. She resides in

Leonia, New Jersey Leonia is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 8,937,"Splendid on the Screen and Stage: Actress Carolee Carmello"
''(201) magazine'', April 4, 2017. Accessed June 26, 2017. "Carmello returns home to Leonia after each evening performance of Sweeney Todd. A divorced mother of two, a son and daughter, she's lived there for 14 years, after spending seven years in Teaneck."

References

External links

* * *
Carolee Carmello interview
American Theatre Wing website (via soundcloud.com) {{DEFAULTSORT:Carmello, Carolee 1962 births American film actresses American musical theatre actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Living people Actors from Albany, New York People from Leonia, New Jersey People from Teaneck, New Jersey 20th-century American actresses Drama Desk Award winners 21st-century American actresses Actresses from New York (state) University at Albany, SUNY alumni