Leila Benn Harris (born 1983) is a British actress and soprano singer. She trained at

Arts Educational School Arts Educational Schools, or ArtsEd, is an independent performing arts school in Chiswick, West London, England. Overview ArtsEd provides specialist vocational training at secondary, further and higher education level in musical theatre and ...

in London and graduated with a BA in Musical Theatre. Upon graduation, she was cast in the lead role of Carmen in the No.1 National Tour of ''Fame''. She then made her West-End debut in the same role at the Aldwych Theatre. She understudied and played the role of The Mistress in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West-End revival of ''Evita'' at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

, directed by

Michael Grandage Michael Grandage Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 2 May 1962) is a British theatre director and producer. He is currently artistic director of the Michael Grandage Company. From 2002 to 2012 he was artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse ...

. She was also part of the original cast recording. Leila then starred as Christine in ''The Phantom of the Opera'' at Her Majesty's Theatre, for which she was nominated for a 2008 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Best Takeover in a Role. To follow, Leila starred in the 2008 Production

Imagine This ''Imagine This'' is a musical with music by Shuki Levy, lyrics by David Goldsmith and a book by Glenn Berenbeim. Set in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II, it focuses on a family of actors trying to stage a play about the siege at ancient Masa ...

at the New London Theatre in the title role of Rebecca, for which she was nominated for her second 2008 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award, this time for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. Other theatre performances include: the title role of Emily in ''From Up Here'' at Trafalgar Studios 2 and ''Liberation Day'' at The National Theatre Studio. She completed several workshops of the Cat Stevens musical ''Moonshadow'' in which she played the lead role of Anees, and appeared in ''Chess'' in Concert with

Idina Menzel Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in Musical theatre, musicals on Broadway theatre, Broadway, she has been Honorific nicknames in popular music, nicknamed the "Queen of ...

& Josh Groban, to be released on DVD. She then completed the run of John Doyle's revival of

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs's 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

at The Chichester Festival Theatre -playing the title role of Laurey. Then, she appeared in the critically acclaimed ''Enron'' at The Noël Coward Theatre in association with The Royal Court, directed by Rupert Goold.

Stage credits

Plays

*''Enron'' (Newsreader/Prostitute), Noël Coward Theatre and National UK Tour

Musicals

*''Les Miserables'' (Eponine), MCC Malta *''Evita'', Adelphi Theatre *''The Phantom of the Opera" (Christine), Her Majesty's Theatre 2008 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers Choice Nomination - Best Takeover in a Role *''Imagine This'' (Rebecca), New London Theatre 2008 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers Choice Nomination - Best Leading Actress in a Musical *''Oklahoma!'' (Laurey), Chichester Festival Theatre *''Liberation Day'', The National Theatre Studio *''From Up Here'' (Emily), Trafalgar Studios 2

Television

*''Manchild'' (Chica), BBC *''Identity'', BBC

Radio

*''Friday Night Is Music Night'', BBC

Discography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benn Harris, Leila Living people English musical theatre actresses English women singers 1983 births 21st-century English actresses