JK's TheatreScene: Broadway Ladies: Ms. Broadway June 2013: Ann Harada

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Broadway Ladies: Ms. Broadway June 2013: Ann Harada

MS. JUNE 2013

ANN HARADA

WHY SHE'S MS. BROADWAY: File this one under "it took far too long." For more than a decade, she's been a real Broadway "scene stealer," winning the hearts of thousands of theater fans. She's the kind of actress that people always say has "it." No matter if she's in the ensemble (Seussical, 9 to 5) or in a featured role (Madame Thenardier in Les Miserables), you can't help but notice her charisma, superb sense of timing, and sincere warmth. Of course, she'll probably always be most remembered for creating the role of Christmas Eve in Avenue Q, but these days, she's causing quite a scene (and singing the showstopper "Step-Sister's Lament") in Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella. Everybody loves a good "bad girl," so why shouldn't Ann Harada (finally) be Ms. Broadway!?

FUN FACTS:

Ann was born on February 3rd in Honolulu, Hawaii.
She went to Brown University.
Ann has a son named Elvis!
Ms. Harada was in every version - from first reading through original Broadway cast of Seussical.
She's the only Avenue Q cast member to originate her role on both Broadway and the West End.
She played the stage manamger of Bombshell in both seasons of TV's SMASH.
She and her AQ co-star, John Tartaglia, appered on the Disney Channel in his original series, Johnny and the Sprites.
Ann got rave reviews for her performances as Miss Darbus in a regional production of Disney's High School Musical, and as Trina in an all-Asian production of Falsettoland.
She made her Broadway debut as a production assistant for the short-lived play, Sleight of Hand, and made her Broadway acting debut in the play M. Butterfly.