Carolee Carmello is an American actress best known for her performances in Broadway

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

and for playing the role of Maple LaMarsh on the television series '' Remember WENN'' (1996–1998). She is a three-time

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 ...

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

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

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 some variety ...

''.

Career

Carmello graduated from the

University at Albany The State University of New York at Albany (University at Albany, UAlbany, or SUNY Albany) is a Public university, public research university in Albany, New York, United States. Founded in 1844, it is one of four "university centers" of the St ...

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. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

'', from January 1990 to May 1990. She played "Cordelia, the kosher caterer" in the original Broadway company of ''

Falsettos ''Falsettos'' is a sung-through musical theatre, musical with a book by William Finn and James Lapine, and music and lyrics by Finn. The musical consists of ''March of the Falsettos'' (1981) and ''Falsettoland'' (1990), the last two installment ...

'' and also played Abigail Adams in the revival of ''

1776 Events January–February * January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces. * January ...

''. 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 her husband Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in Lo ...

'', 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 an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actresses for quality leading roles in a m ...

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

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

'' 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, bur ...

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

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical was an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in theatre across collective Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. The a ...

and the

Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actresses for quality featured roles in a ...

. She appeared as Donna Sheridan in the long-running hit musical '' Mamma Mia!'' 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 standalone single-panel comics, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' between 193 ...

''. 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 news ...

for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. She took over the role of the Mother Superior from Victoria Clark in the Broadway production of ''

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

'' on November 19, 2011. In 2012, she played Aimee Semple McPherson 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 theatre, Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street (Manhattan), 44th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1917, the thea ...

, 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. In 2023, Carmello played the role of the Stepmother in the Broadway musical ''Bad Cinderella''.

Theatre credits

Broadway and West End

Sources:

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for Audience, 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 ...

BroadwayWorld BroadwayWorld is a theatre news website based in New York City, New York. Launched in 2003, the site covers Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional, and international theater productions, with sections devoted to particular countries, cities, or regi ...

National tours

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

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

'' as Ensemble, u/s Cosette & u/s

Fantine Fantine (French pronunciation: ) is a fictional character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. She is a young ''Grisette (person), grisette'' in Paris who is impregnated by a rich student. After he abandons her, she is forced to look ...

(1987) * ''

'' as Trina (1992-93) and Cordelia (1994) * ''

'' as Florence (January 1990-May 1990) *'' Hello, Dolly!'' as Dolly Gallagher Levi (September 2019-March 2020) *'' Kimberly Akimbo'' as Kimberly Levaco (2024-25)

Regional

* ''Evita'' as Eva Perón at An Evening Dinner Theatre, 1985 * '' Grease'' as Sandy at Pittsburgh C.L.O., 1989 * ''Company'' as Marta at Birmingham Theatre, 1989 * '' Bells are Ringing'' Reprise! as Ella at Freud Playhouse (

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

), 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 childr ...

'' as Anna at

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater containing approximately 1,200 seats located in Millburn, within Essex County, New Jersey, United States, on the banks of the Rahway River. Due to its relative proximity to Manhattan, the theater draw ...

(

Millburn, New Jersey Millburn is a suburban Township (New Jersey), township in southwestern Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, within the U.S. state of New Jersey, and part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's ...

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

Baby In common terminology, a baby is the very young offspring of adult human beings, while infant (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'baby' or 'child') is a formal or specialised synonym. The terms may also be used to refer to Juvenile (orga ...

'' as Arlene at Paper Mill Playhouse (Millburn, New Jersey) 2004 * '' Saving Aimee'' at Signature Theatre (

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

), 2007 * ''

Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors may refer to: * '' The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 American film * ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film * ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (1986 film), a 1986 American film based on th ...

'' at Charles Playhouse (

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

) * '' Scandalous'' at Pavilion Theatre (

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

) * ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...

'' at Schenectady Light Opera (

Schenectady, New York Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...

) * '' Tuck Everlasting'' as Mae Tuck at Alliance Theatre (

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

), 2015 * ''

Gypsy {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

'' as Rose at Broadway Sacramento, 2018 *''

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–1847). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet St ...

'' as Mrs. Lovett at Opera Saratoga (

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the ...

), 2022 * ''

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 ...

'' as The Witch at Pittsburgh C.L.O., 2023 * ''Nine'' as Liliane LaFleur at

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, ...

, 2024

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'' (2000) * '' Elegies'' (2003) * '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (2017) as Mrs. Nellie Lovett

Concerts

*'' Funny Girl'' as Fanny ( 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 on April5, 1965, by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. A piece of Postmodern literature, postmodern satire, it gave context to Vonnegut's following nov ...

'' as Sylvia Rosewater (

Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly known as Cooper Union, is a private college on Cooper Square in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-s ...

), 2003 * '' Showboat'' as Julie (Carnegie Hall), 2008 * ''

'' as John Adams (54 Below), 2017

Accolades

Source:

She won $14,000 on an appearance on the ''

Scrabble ''Scrabble'' is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto a Board game, game board divided into a 15×15 grid of squares. The tiles must form words that, in crossword fashion, re ...

'' game show in 1989.

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 (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,304, an increase of 367 (+4.1%) from the 2010 United Sta ...

.Spelling, Ian
"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 American film actresses American musical theatre actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Living people Actresses from Albany, New York Actors from Leonia, New Jersey Actresses from Teaneck, New Jersey 20th-century American actresses Drama Desk Award winners 21st-century American actresses University at Albany, SUNY alumni Year of birth missing (living people)