Our Readers Share Their Female Broadway Role Models!

August 26 marks Women's Equality Day and 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th amendment! We're keeping the empowerment going with our reader's Broadway role models.

We asked our readers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram which female Broadway character or performer they look up to and why!

Read their moving responses below!

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Facebook

"Christy Altomare and her character Anya in Anastasia! They both have so much light and hopefulness. I have never seen a Broadway star as genuinely kind and gracious as Christy. She treats every fan and person with such kindness and respect, something I think that is so important. With Anya, I love her tenacity, hope, and perseverance despite hardship she's faced. They both have such a brightness." Laura T.

"Dolly Gallagher Levi. Even though she has suffered the loss of her husband, whom she loved dearly, she has devoted her life to being a matchmaker, to helping others find love. Though I'm sure she has to be quite lonely (though she rarely shows it) she sees the wonderful possibilities in each new day. a??i?? 'Oh, Dolly, the world is full of wonderful things.'" Nathan G.

"Laura Benanti. She's as kind as she is talented. She is the most hardworking woman. She's had such a rough year and she's greeted every challenge with grace and patience. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful, inspiring role model. She has encouraged the entire country during this time through sunshine songs because she cares so much about others. She a selfless hero. So much love for you Laura." Rachel D.

"Cherry Jones. Fabulous in every role, and so gracious at the stage door. Doubt was a tour de force!" Cheryl H.

"Stephanie J Block and Sutton Foster will always be the modern female Broadway pioneers in my eyes. They've done so much for the medium both on and off the stage. Class acts all the way." Ethan G.

"Idina Menzel- way back since her RENT days in 1996. Her music and characters resonate with me through the times. She takes you on a journey musically where she understands what you're going through and so do the characters she has portrayed from Maureen to Elsa." Katie C.

"Captain Beverly Bass broke the glass ceiling into the sky, helped her passengers through an immense tragedy, and has one of my all time favorite songs in Come From Away." Callie L.

"Eva Noblezada! She's an absolute inspiration as a performer and has always been so open about the challenges of being an actor and suffering depression, anxiety, and other things that can manifest really hard in an industry so focused on looks. She's a powerhouse of a performer, and is an accomplished activist. I look up to her so much." Brandy C.

"Betty Buckley. Her amazing talent as both and exceptional actor and singer and unsurpassed performances bar none, her work ethic which is exceptional, that she is an outstandingly wonderful and loving person....I could go on and on." Susan S.

"Jenna in "Waitress". Even though her life didn't turn out the way she planned and she's stuck in a toxic relationship, she uses baking as a form of therapy (which I do as well and highly recommend) and takes the initiative to change her life for the better." Maxwell M.

Instagram

"Elle Woods, because she broke a large stereotype and she wants nothing but happiness and success :)" @caseyallison_

"Phillipa Soo is a really big inspiration to me! She's so talented! Definitely one of the woman that make me feel proud to be a strong female" @its.ari_orwhatever

"Barrett Wilbert Weed. She is such a strong performer and person. She does amazing at embodying a character and she's not afraid to show she's an actual human" @taraxjane

"Laura Osnes! She is kind, talented, and wonderful. A real life Disney Princess!" @sweet_caroline60

"Taylor Louderman!!! She's from my area and it's really cool to see someone so successful grow up like I did!" @annakatebaumann

"Sutton Foster. She, and a few more performers, inspires me to work up the courage to keep auditioning for shows." @colton_sander

"Elphaba. Do I really need to elaborate? What a queen." @alyssa.marie.523

"Frankie from jagged little pill, she stands up for her friends, herself, those who can't, and she holds her own in every scene in that show!" @abigailreeves0523

"Kristin Chenoweth ? She is insanely talented and has the kindest soul! She was so humble and sweet when I met her." @allisteinke

"i look up to Lea Salonga! she is an amazing performer, and you can tell how committed she is to being an actress. Lea is also a huge inspiration to me because as a Filipino-American, i found it nice seeing some representation on stage!" @nezziee_

Twitter

"Ashley Park. Her journey as a cancer survivor never fails to inspire me, as well as her journey as an Asian-American actor on broadway. Seeing her cast as Gretchen in Mean Girls made me cry with joy." @luluonstageleft

"Jasmine Cephas Jones because her talent is unreal. She makes me want to work harder to become the best that i can be and i really admire her for that!! I find her so inspiring and an incredible woman. I WANT TO BE LIKE HER WHEN IM OLDER!!" @lilyquiinn

"I'm going to go w/ a character here & say 'Belle' from "Beauty & The Beast" because I always liked that she was an avid reader, as am I !" @SolaceSoul7

"The answer to this will always be Laura Bell Bundy for me. She has been a friend and a mentor to me, has a heart of pure gold, and is a complete triple-threat on stage. Her advocacy on equality for women and LGBTQ+ people is the cherry on the top." @legallybryan

"Fearless Mandy Gonzalez. Talent, kindness &strength during adversity....inspiration." @sarahmcphoto

"I have to say Angelica Schuyler. She is such a strong and independent woman who stands up for herself and takes care of the ones she loves." @chloe_crock

"Always and forever Kerry Butler. I saw her play Belle on Broadway when I was about 2 and I knew I wanted to do what she did for the rest of my life" @KatieLouVeidt

"Rachel Tucker 100%. She's awesome! She puts good vibes out into the world - radiates positivity. And she's portrayed some amazingly inspirational characters!" @aliviowallace

"I look up to Kathryn Gallagher because she portrays a character that went through something similar to me. Her rawness and pure emotion is unlike I've ever seen. And she's also one of the sweetest human beings." @kaylaa36

"Jackie Burns because she's down to earth, humble, always positive, her joy and happiness are contagious, and my friends who have done voice lessons with her always talk about how much she inspires them" @BeccaBTalksTV

We wish we could include every single comment! You can check out even more responses from our original posts below.