Laura Benanti

Laura Benanti is a Tony Award winner recognized for her work as an actress and singer in musical theater and television. Benanti made her Broadway debut at age 18 as Maria in "The Sound of Music" and has since appeared in more than 10 Broadway productions, including "Into the Woods," "Nine" with Antonio Banderas, "Gypsy," "She Loves Me," "My Fair Lady," and Steve Martin's "Meteor Shower" with Amy Schumer and Keegan-Michael Key. Benanti received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Louise in the Broadway revival of "Gypsy."

Benanti has earned multiple Tony nominations for her roles in "Swing!," "Into the Woods," "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," and "She Loves Me." She won a Drama Desk Award and received another Tony nomination for her portrayal of Candela in the Broadway premiere of "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." Her experience spans comedy, drama, and musical theater, contributing to her reputation in the American theater industry.

On screen, Benanti has appeared as a series regular in the role of Cindy on the Paramount+ series "Mayor of Kingstown" with Jeremy Renner and has held recurring roles in HBO Max's "The Gilded Age," Hulu's "Life & Beth," "Younger," and "Elsbeth." She portrayed a grieving widow in the Netflix film "Worth" alongside Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, and Amy Ryan. Benanti is also known for her impression of Melania Trump on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Benanti launched the #SunshineSongs social media campaign to support high school students whose musical theater productions were canceled. As covered by Good Morning America, the campaign generated millions of impressions and thousands of submissions, with participation from celebrities such as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jennifer Garner. Benanti invited students to contribute songs to her free "Sunshine Concerts" for senior living communities and children's hospitals and executive produced the HBO Max special "Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020," inspired by the movement.

Benanti debuted her comedy show "Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares" at the Minetta Lane Theater in New York City, which she created and wrote with Todd Almond. The show was selected as a New York Times Critics' Pick and later performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, with additional performances in London and Berkeley. Benanti co-authored the board book "M is for MAMA (and also Merlot): A Modern Mom's ABCs" with Metropolitan Opera singer Kate Mangiameli. Her work spans Broadway, television, and publishing, contributing to the performing arts and entertainment industry.