Jenni Barber
Jenni Barber | |
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Born | |
Alma mater | University of Michigan |
Jenni Barber (born July 22, 1983) is an American actress and singer best known for her performances in musical theatre.
Early life
Barber was born in Mansfield, Ohio.[1] There she took voice lessons from vocal trainer Lori Turner. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Michigan School of Music with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre in 2005, after receiving an Earl V. Moore award.[2][3]
Career
Television
Barber played Lisa Heffenbacher in The Electric Company 2009 TV series.[4]
Stage
Barber made her Broadway debut as Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in 2007, after playing the character in San Francisco and Boston productions.[5][6] In 2008, she appeared in From Up Here at New York City Center; she had a minor role, but The New York Times review called her a scene stealer.[7] In 2010, she played Audrey in As You Like It, in the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Harvey Theatre.[8][9][10]
She starred as Toni Simmons in the 2011 Off-Broadway revival of the play Cactus Flower in the Westside Theatre, receiving mixed reviews comparing her to Goldie Hawn in the 1969 film.[11][12][13] In 2012, she played porn actress Sundown LeMay in The Performers opposite Henry Winkler and Cheyenne Jackson.[14]
In 2013, Barber played stripper Joan opposite Nathan Lane in the award-winning The Nance.[5] The following year, she joined the cast of the Broadway production of Wicked, in the role of Glinda.[15] In early 2015, she played Sibyl in the romance Private Lives at Hartford Stage,[16] followed by Elizabeth, a Mormon wife, in the Encores! revival of Paint Your Wagon.[17]
References
- ^ Henderson, Kathy (March 10, 2011). "Jenni Barber on the Fun of Playing a '60s Free Spirit in Cactus Flower". Broadway.com. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ "Can You Spell M-I-C-H-I-G-A-N?" (PDF). Curtain Up. University of Michigan. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ "TEC Cast Bios". The Electric Company Season 3 Press Kit. Sesame Workshop. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (January 18, 2009). "TELEVISION REVIEW : 'THE ELECTRIC COMPANY';Back From the '70s, Without the Zaniness". New York Times. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ a b Rickwald, Bethany (May 2, 2013). "Jenni Barber, The Nance's Bouncing Blonde, Talks Broadway, Nathan Lane, and Burlesque - Interviews - May 2, 2013". Theater Mania. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ "Interview: Jenni Barber and Stanley Bahorek of Spelling Bee". Broadway Bullet. June 4, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ Isherwood, Charles (April 17, 2008). "From Up Here; Have a Nice Day at School, Sweetie. Don't Kill Anyone". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ Simon, John (January 26, 2010). "Arden Forest Blooms in Sam Mendes 'As You Like It'". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ Kuchwara, Michael; Associated Press (January 26, 2010). "A radiant Rosalind warms a chilly 'As You Like It'". Boston Globe. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ Isherwood, Charles (January 27, 2010). "As You Like It; Cold Snap Hits the Forest of Arden: Lovebirds Are Shivering". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ Grode, Eric (March 11, 2011). "Cactus Flower; Honey, I'm Married, And Here's My Wife". The New York Times. p. 4. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ Weinreich, Regina (March 12, 2011). "Cactus Flower Abloom off Broadway". The Huffington Post. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ Healy, Patrick (January 27, 2011). "In 'Cactus Flower' Revival, Jenni Barber Gets the Role That Made Goldie Hawn a Movie Star". New York Times. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (November 15, 2012). "Innocents Abroad in a Land of Naked Ambition". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
- ^ Gans, Andrew. "Christine Dwyer, Jenni Barber, Justin Guarini, Mary Testa and P.J. Benjamin Will Join Cast of Broadway's Wicked", Playbill.com, February 3, 2014, accessed March 23, 2015
- ^ Auerbach, Mark G. "Hartford Stage presents Noel Coward's Private Lives", The Westfield News, January 15, 2015
- ^ Isherwood, Charles. Paint Your Wagon, Starring Keith Carradine, Opens at Encores!", The New York Times, March 19, 2015