Jacquelyn Piro Donovan
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Jacquelyn Piro Donovan is an American actress and singer known for her work in broadway musicals and on the concert stage. She is perhaps best known for the distinction of being the only actress to portray both the young innocent
Cosette Cosette () is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo and in the many adaptations of the story for stage, film, and television. Her birth name, Euphrasie, is only mentioned briefly. As the orphaned child of an ...
and the tragic heroine
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 ...
in the original Broadway production of ''
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. '' ...
''.


Early life

Donovan was born in
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 ...
and raised in
Wellesley, Massachusetts Wellesley () is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Wellesley is part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 29,550 at the time of the 2020 census. Wellesley College, Babson College, and a campus of M ...
. She is the youngest daughter of Anthony J. Piro, an accomplished Medical and Radiation Oncologist and Marian Piro, a special needs teacher. She graduated from Lynnfield High School in
Lynnfield, Massachusetts Lynnfield is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 13,000. Lynnfield initially consisted of two distinct villages with a single governing body. Lynnfield Center had a mostly agricultura ...
and received her BFA in acting from
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...
. In 2004, Donovan married broadway stagehand Peter Donovan, who most recently worked on the broadway company of ''
Billy Elliot ''Billy Elliot'' is a 2000 British coming-of-age Comedy film, comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Lee Hall (playwright), Lee Hall. Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the fi ...
'' and is presently preparing '' Nice Work If You Can Get It''.


Stage career

Donovan's career started before she graduated from college. During her senior year, she received her Equity Card standing by for
Carolee Carmello Carolee Carmello 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'' (1996–1998). She is a three-time Tony Award nominee and a five ...
in the Boston Company of '' Nite Club Confidential'' starring
Scott Bakula Scott Stewart Bakula (; born October 9, 1954) is an American actor. He played Sam Beckett on ''Quantum Leap'' – for which he was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards (winning one) – and Captain Jonathan Arc ...
. Shortly after graduation, she auditioned for the National Tour of ''
Les Miserables LES or Les may refer to: People * Les (given name) * Les (surname) * L.E.S. (producer), hip hop producer Space flight * Launch Entry Suit, worn by Space Shuttle crews * Launch escape system, for spacecraft emergencies * Lincoln Experimental ...
'' through an "open call" and was cast as Cosette. She went on to originate that role in the Third National and San Francisco Companies and in 1990 reprised the role for her Broadway debut. In 1996 and most recently 2002, she returned to Broadway as Cosette's mother Fantine. Starting in 1992, and for the next decade, she starred in the National Touring Companies of ''
Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...
'' (as Betty Schaefer opposite
Petula Clark Sally "Petula" Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child actor, child performer and has had the longest career of any British entertainer, spanning more than 85 y ...
), ''
Big Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * Big (film), ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big'', a 2023 Taiwanese children's film starring Van Fan and Chie Tanaka * ''Big!'', a ...
'' (originating Susan Lawrence), ''
The Secret Garden ''The Secret Garden'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in ''The American Magazine'' (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is seen as a classic of English c ...
'' (as Lily), ''
Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a sung-through musical theatre, stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madama Butterfly'', and similarly tells th ...
'' (as Ellen, a role she later played on Broadway in 2000), and in 2008, she played Mama Who for the seasonal Broadway Production of ''
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' is a children's Christmas book by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It follows the Grinch, a green cranky, solitary creature who attempts to thwart the pu ...
'', playing her hometown of Boston. During her year with ''Miss Saigon'', Donovan was granted a leave of absence to perform as Nellie in Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein's '' Sweet Adeline'' at the nationally celebrated City Center Encores! concert series on Broadway. She created the world premiere roles of Madame Calcet in the Zipper Theatre's production of
Kathie Lee Gifford Kathryn Lee Gifford (Given name, née Epstein; born August 16, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress, and author. From 1985 to 2000, she and Regis Philbin hosted the talk show ''Live with Kelly and Mark, Live! wi ...
's ''Under The Bridge'', Sariah in 37 Art's production of ''The Ark'', Alison in the Emmy Award winning writer
David Javerbaum David Adam Javerbaum (born 1971) is an American comedy writer and lyricist. Javerbaum has won 13 Emmy Awards in his career, 11 of them for his work on ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''. He runs the popular Twitter account @TheTweetOfGod, whi ...
's original production of '' Suburb, a New Musical Comedy'' at The York Theatre, Jackie in New World Stage's
New York Musical Theatre Festival The New York Musical Festival (NYMF) was an annual event held each summer from 2004 to 2019 in New York City's midtown theater district. It mounted more than 30 new musicals each year, more than half selected through an open-submission, double- ...
production of ''
Have a NIce Life Have a Nice Life is an American rock band founded in Middletown, Connecticut in 2000 by Dan Barrett and Tim Macuga. The duo is best known for their 2008 debut album '' Deathconsciousness'', which received little attention from professional ...
'', winning the 2006 Outstanding Ensemble NYMF Excellence Award, and most recently, the title role in The York Theatre's production of '' I Remember Mama'', as part of their Musicals in Mufti Series 2010. In 2004, Donovan won the
Helen Hayes Award The Helen Hayes Awards are theater awards recognizing excellence in professional theater in the Washington, D.C. area since 1983. The awards are named in tribute of Helen Hayes, who is also known as the "First Lady of American Theatre." They are ...
for Best Actress for her portrayal of Lizzie Curry in '' 110 in the Shade'' at the Signature Theatre in Washington, D.C., where she also originated the role of Elmira in the world premiere of the musical ''Nevermore''. She won a Connecticut Critics Circle Award in 2005 for her portrayal of Milly in ''
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' is a 1954 American musical film, directed by Stanley Donen, with music by Gene de Paul, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and choreography by Michael Kidd. The screenplay, by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, and Dor ...
'' at the
Goodspeed Opera House Goodspeed Musicals is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theater and the creation of new works, located in East Haddam, Connecticut. Its landmark Goodspeed Opera House is a distinctive feature of ...
. On May 2, 2011, it was announced that Donovan would take over the title role in ''Hello, Dolly!'', produced by North Carolina Theatre, late in rehearsals.
Cybill Shepherd Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born February 18, 1950) is an American actress, singer and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama '' The Last Picture Show'' (1971) alongside Jef ...
had withdrawn from the production after sustaining injuries in a mishap on stairs at her apartment complex. Almost exactly one year later, on May 11, 2012, history repeated itself when it was announced she would replace an injured
Lorna Luft Lorna Luft (born November 21, 1952) is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of Judy Garland and Sidney Luft, the sister of Joey Luft and the half-sister of Liza Minnelli. Early life Luft was born on November 21, 1952, at Saint Jo ...
as Dolly in the North Shore Musical Theater's production of the same show. From 2013 to 2014, she played Miss Gulch/The Wicked Witch of the West in the North American tour of ''
The Wizard of Oz ''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1939 American Musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Based on the 1900 novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left pro ...
''."Jacquelyn Piro Donovan, Mike Jackson, Lee MacDougall and More Join Danielle Wade in North American ''Wizard of Oz'' Tour"
Playbill, 7 August 2013


Stage credits

* Gypsy (Louise) Westchester Broadway Theatre 1991


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donovan, Jacquelyn Piro American musical theatre actresses Boston University College of Fine Arts alumni Living people Singers from Massachusetts Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women