Broadway Who's Who: Heather Headley

This month's honoree is Tony and Grammy Award winner, Heather Headley. With 5 studio albums - two certified Gold - she's made an impact on the music world. With starring roles in such television programs as Chicago Med and Sweet Magnolias, she's taken the small screen by storm. She starred in the West End production of The Bodyguard, earning a Best Actress in a Musical Olivier Award nomination. So why have we selected her as one of Broadway's Who's Who? Though she has only four Main Stem credits, she is definitely Broadway royalty. Whether she's originating roles in blockbuster musicals, making a role her own as a high-profile replacement, or guest-starring at a concert of international superstars, her impact is always important, breathtaking and cause for celebration.

Broadway Who's Who:

Heather Headley

    

   

DID YOU KNOW?

• BIRTH DATE: October 5, 1974
• BIRTHPLACE: Barataria, Trinidad and Tobago
• FAMILY: Married to Brian Musso, 3 children
• EDUCATION: Northwestern University
• RECORDING HISTORY: This Is Who I Am (Gold), In My Mind (Gold), Audience of One (Grammy Award), Only One in the World, Broadway My Way

West End and Off-Broadway:

The Bodyguard - Aldelphi Theatre (West End); November 2012 - August 2013; Rachel Marron

⭐ Best Actress in a Musical Nominee: 2012 Olivier Awards and What's On Stage Awards

   

Into the Woods - City Center (Off-Broadway); 2022; The Witch

   

Broadway:

The Lion King - New Amsterdam Theatre; 1997; Nala, Original Broadway Cast

   

AIDA - Palace Theatre; 2000 - 2001; Aida, Original Broadway Cast

⭐ Tony Award Winner! Best Actress in a Musical

   

Il Divo - Marquis Theatre; November 2013; Special Guest Star

The Color Purple - Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre; May - October 2016; Shug Avery, replacement

   

The Friday 5: 5 Times Broadway Had Puppets

In honor of the closing of Avenue Q and the Tony-winning King Kong, we use this week's Friday 5 to celebrate the art of puppetry. Over the years, we've seen some awesome, jaw-dropping stuff. From monsters and sluts to life-size horse warriors and even a gazelle or two, characters we never dreamed we'd see on a stage have come to vivid, incredible life right before our eyes.

The Friday 5

Favorite Broadway Puppets

5. Disney's Frozen
Well, there are only really two in this show, but they are very cute, and they represent two very different types of puppetry. It may be cold in Arendelle, but they warm our hearts!

4. King Kong
Kong himself is easily the most impressive single puppet I've ever seen. And not just because he's so freakin' big, but because the big lug made us feel. His death was heartbreaking. Then there's the show-within-the-show - watching the King's Company work their magic was just as impressive. Probably for the best that I don't say too much about that snake...

3. Disney's The Lion King
Probably the gold standard of ingenuity of puppetry in all of its many forms... and let's face it, Julie Taymor is a genius. No matter how many times I see "The Circle of Life," I am overwhelmed. And Zazu will always have a place in my heart.

 

2. War Horse
These animals - life-size, no less - are impressive from every angle. Despite the brilliant way that you can see how they are made and brought to life, your eyes, mind and heart see real horses. How about that goose!?

1. Avenue Q
Who would have guessed that hand puppets where you can see the humans operating them could be so profoundly affecting? Every visit was like going home and seeing old friends. Puppet sex is fun, but watching a slut turn her life around is even more exhilarating. Plus, Rod proves that not all Republicans are rotten to the core.

#2099