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LaChanze

Also Credited As: R. Lachanze Sapp, LaChanze

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BIO

LaChanze's first summer job was as a tap dancer in the ensemble of Uptown... It's Hot! at the Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The show opened on Broadway in January 1986, where LaChanze began her professional career in the theater.


LaChanze played the role of "Ti Moune" in the Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty musical Once on This Island in 1990 and received nominations for the Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical and Drama Desk Award as Outstanding Actress in a Musical. She was a replacement "Sarah" in the Ahrens and Flaherty and Terrence McNally Broadway musical Ragtime, starting in December 1998. She played the role of "Viveca" in the Playwrights Horizons Off-Broadway production of the musical The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, which opened in June 2000. She received a Drama Desk nomination, Actress (Musical), for her performance. LaChanze participated in an Actors Fund of America benefit concert of Funny Girl, with many performers portraying the character of "Fanny Brice", in September 2002.
In 2005 she played a runaway slave in the Ahrens and Flaherty musical Dessa Rose. The musical opened Off-Broadway at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre at Lincoln Center in March 2005. LaChanze received an Obie Award for Performance for Dessa Rose. LaChanze appeared as "Celie" in the Broadway musical The Color Purple, from its opening in 2005 to November 2006. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for this performance.
In September 2008 she participated in the Boston Pops concert, Handel's Messiah Rocks at Emerson College. The performance was filmed by Public Broadcasting Service. She was in the Off-Broadway production of Inked Baby, written by Christina Anderson, which opened in March 2009 at Playwrights Horizons Peter Jay Sharp Theater. In June and July 2009, she played the role of "Glinda" in the City Center Encores! staged Summer Stars concert production of The Wiz.
She published her first picture book, Little Diva, in 2010. She was in the Broadway production of If/Then in 2014, starring as Kate. In 2018, she was in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical on Broadway, playing Diva Donna/Mary Gaines. She is currently in A Christmas Carol on Broadway, starring as the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

Trouble in Mind Trouble in Mind
[Broadway]
2021
Wiletta
A Christmas Carol A Christmas Carol
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 2019
Ghost of Christmas Present/Mrs. Fezziwig
The Secret Life of Bees The Secret Life of Bees
[Off-Broadway]
Atlantic Theatre Company Off-Broadway World Premiere, 2019
August
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 2018
Donna Summer
Mary Gaines
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
[San Diego, CA (Regional)]
World Premiere at La Jolla Playhouse, 2017
Diva Donna
Cabin in the Sky Cabin in the Sky
[Off-Broadway]
Encores Concert Production, 2016
Petunia Jackson
If/Then If/Then
[US Tour]
First National Tour, 2015
Kate
If/Then If/Then
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 2014
Kate
Inked Baby
[Off-Broadway]
2009
Performer
The Color Purple The Color Purple
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 2005
Celie
Celie
The Color Purple
[New York]
Workshop, 2005
Celie
Dessa Rose
[Off-Broadway]
Original Off-Broadway Production, 2005
Dessa Rose
Dessa Rose
Baby
[Milburn, NJ (Regional)]
Paper Mill Production, 2004
Pam
The Color Purple
[New York]
Reading, 2004
Performer
Miracle Brothers
[New York]
Reading, 2004
Performer
Dessa Rose
[New York]
Reading, 2003
Performer
Funny Girl
[Broadway]
Actors' Fund Concert, 2002
Fanny Brice
Fanny Brice
Once On This Island
[Broadway]
Reunion Concert, 2002
Ti Moune
Ti Moune
The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin
[Off-Broadway]
Original Off-Broadway Production, 2000
Viveca
The Vagina Monologues
[Off-Broadway]
Original Off-Broadway Production, 1999
Performer [Replacement]
Performer [Replacement]
Ragtime
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1998
Sarah [Replacement]
Comfortable Shoes
[Milburn, NJ (Regional)]
Paper Mill Production, 1996
Performer
Company
[Broadway]
Roundabout Revival, 1995
Marta
Out of this World
[Off-Broadway]
Encores! Concert, 1995
Chloe
Once On This Island
[Broadway]
Broadway Transfer, 1990
Ti Moune
Ti Moune
Once on This Island
[Off-Broadway]
1990
Ti Moune
1001 Nights
[New York]
Reading, 1999
Performer
Ragtime
[Los Angeles]
Los Angeles Production, 1997
Performer

Productions

Wine in the WildernessWine in the Wilderness
 
[Off-Broadway, 2025]
Director
Buena Vista Social ClubBuena Vista Social Club
 
[Broadway, 2025]
Producer
Purpose
 
[Broadway, 2025]
Producer
Kimberly AkimboKimberly Akimbo
 
[US Tour, 2024]
Producer
Jaja's African Hair BraidingJaja's African Hair Braiding
 
[Broadway, 2023]
Producing Partner
Kimberly AkimboKimberly Akimbo
 
[Broadway, 2022]
Producer


TV Shows

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
President Rosa Freeman, Amber, Ms. Pivik
The Cosby Show
Sylvia
The Good Fight
Julius's Wife

Awards and Nominations

Drama League Awards - 2022 - Distinguished Performance Awards

LaChanze, Trouble in Mind

Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2022 - Outstanding Actress in a Play

LaChanze, Trouble in Mind

Tony Awards - 2022 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

LaChanze, Trouble in Mind

Drama Desk Awards - 2020 - Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

LaChanze, The Secret Life of Bees


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2020 - Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

LaChanze, The Secret Life of Bees

Drama Desk Awards - 2018 - Outstanding Actress in a Musical

LaChanze, Summer

Drama League Awards - 2018 - Distinguished Performance Award

LaChanze, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical

Tony Awards - 2018 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

LaChanze, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical


winner
BroadwayWorld Awards - 2014 - Best Featured Actress in a Musical

LaChanze, If/Then

Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2006 - Outstanding Actress in a Musical

La Chanze, The Color Purple


winner
Tony Awards - 2006 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

LaChanze, The Color Purple


winner
Obie Awards - 2005 - Performance

LaChanze, Dessa Rose


winner
Drama Desk Awards - 2000 - Outstanding Actress - Musical

La Chanze, The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin


winner
Theatre World Awards - 1991 - Performance

LaChanze, Once on This Island

Tony Awards - 1991 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

LaChanze , Once on this Island

Videos

More Video

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More News

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has LaChanze been in?

LaChanze has appeared on Broadway in 10 shows.

How many West End shows has LaChanze been in?

LaChanze has not appeared in the West End.

What awards has LaChanze been nominated for?

LaChanze has received several nominations throughout her career, including: - Distinguished Performance Awards (Drama League Awards) for Trouble in Mind - Outstanding Actress in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Trouble in Mind - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Trouble in Mind - Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for The Secret Life of Bees - Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for The Secret Life of Bees - Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Summer - Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical - Best Featured Actress in a Musical (BroadwayWorld Awards) for If/Then - Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for The Color Purple - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for The Color Purple - Performance (Obie Awards) for Dessa Rose - Outstanding Actress - Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin - Performance (Theatre World Awards) for Once on This Island - Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Once on This Island.

What awards has LaChanze won?

LaChanze has won several prestigious awards, including Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for The Secret Life of Bees, Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the BroadwayWorld Awards for If/Then, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical at the Tony Awards for The Color Purple. Additionally, she received an Obie Award for Performance in Dessa Rose, a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress - Musical for The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, and a Theatre World Award for Performance in Once on This Island.

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